Author's Note: For those who haven't yet read Family Man, by Shawn Quandt, you may want to read it first, to give you some background for this story.
"Are you sure you want to do this, Johnny?" Roy asked, helping Johnny unload a suitcase from his Land Rover. "It's not too late to back out, you know."
"Of course I'm sure," Johnny replied. "Besides, you and Joanne have been looking forward to this for weeks. I'm not gonna back out on you now."
"Alright, but..."
"No, buts," he interrupted. "Look, compared to what you and I deal with every shift, babysitting three kids for one weekend oughta be a piece of cake." Roy tried to suppress a laugh as they started up the walk toward the house. "What's so funny?" Johnny asked.
"Nothing," Roy answered, clearing his throat.
"Anyway," Johnny continued, "it's not like they're all babies. Chris and Jennifer are what, 14 and 11 now? They can practically take care of themselves. All I really have to worry about is John. Uh, he does sleep through the night now, doesn't he?"
"He's seven months old," Roy said sarcastically. "Yes, he sleeps through the night."
"Good. What was I saying? Oh, yeah. Chris and Jennifer shouldn't be a problem."
"Well, just watch yourself, partner," Roy said, "You show one sign of weakness and those two will..."
"Hi, Johnny," Jennifer called from inside the house.
"Hi, honey," Johnny replied with a wave. "She sure seems excited," he observed, turning back to Roy.
"Oh, she is," he said, a mysterious smile crossing his face. Johnny raised an eyebrow, his mind wandering back to Roy's unfinished warning.
"Uh, Roy, what's that you were saying about showing weakness?"
"Just don't let your guard down," he said, "or you'll be hosting a pizza party for 20 of their friends before you know what hit you." He didn't sound like he was joking.
"Roy, these are your kids we're talking about," Johnny said.
"Yeah," Roy replied, nodding, "my normal, everyday, see-what-they-can-get-away-with-while-mom-and-dad-are-gone kids."
"C'mon, Roy, don't exaggerate. It's not like they're bad kids or anything."
"No, not bad. Just typical," Roy said with a smile, before walking into the house, leaving Johnny on the front steps, wondering what he'd gotten himself into.
********
"Okay, Johnny, this is the number where we'll be in case you need us," Joanne told him, as she handed him a piece of paper. "I also put down the name and address of the bed & breakfast. On the calendar on the wall are the times for Chris' soccer game and Jennifer's gymnastics class. After the soccer game Chris is going over to the Stoker's house. Sometimes he spends the night, which is fine." Johnny was nodding his head and rolling his eyes at Roy, since Joanne had recited this litany at least three times in the last hour already.
"And the book on the kitchen counter has all the information you'll need for baby John's feeding schedule. He'll eat pretty much any of the baby food flavors, but if he gets fussy, don't give him the green peas, try the vanilla pudding instead, it's his favorite. Or just feed him what you're having, but make sure to mash it up really good so he doesn't choke on any large pieces. And the kids have to finish their homework tonight before they can watch any TV. They know that, so don't let them get away with putting it off."
"C'mon, Joanne," called Roy, "how many times are you going to give him those instructions. If we don't leave now, we're going to hit the rush hour traffic."
"I'm coming, I'm coming," she yelled back. "And Johnny...."
"Joanne, just go. I have all the notes you left me. I'll read them over. It'll be okay. Trust me."
She hesitated, then let out a big sigh, and looked at her kids, giving them each a big kiss and a hug. "You two be good, and help Johnny with the baby. And don't give him too much trouble or he may never come back again."
She was answered by a chorus of "Okay, Mom", "We will, Mom" "Don't worry, Mom, we'll help"......none of which reassured her. But they would only be gone until Sunday night. How much could go wrong in just two and a half days?
************
"Give it back!" Jennifer screamed. "You had no right to go in my room and take it!"
"It's mine, I have every right!" Chris yelled back at her.
Johnny came running down the hall, waving his arms, trying to quiet the quarrelling siblings. "SSSHHHHHH, John is still napping, you two are going wake him up."
"Johnny, Chris went into my room without my permission."
"Okay, okay, let's try to work this out peaceful....." Johnny began, but was interrupted by Chris, who didn't seem to hear him.
"I just went in there to get back my video game that she asked to borrow last week and never returned," he stated, with a smirk.
"I wasn't done with it yet," she pouted, hands on her hips.
"Well, you're done with it now. And don't ever ask to borrow it again. If fact, don't ever ask to borrow anything of mine again."
"Now, let's not get hasty here, Chris. She is your sis...." Again he was interrupted, this time by Jennifer.
"Don't worry, I won't," she insisted. "All your stuff is stupid anyway."
"If you think my stuff is so stupid, then you won't ask to borrow it again."
"Fine by me," Jennifer stated, as she turned and stomped back into her room. She grabbed hold of her door, gave her brother a final smirk, and threw the door shut.
"Don't slam the......" Johnny called.
SLAM!
"....door," Johnny finished, just as Chris turned to go back to his room. "Chris, don't slam..."
SLAM!
"...your door, either," he said, defeated. He headed back down the hallway, grateful that at least all the yelling hadn't awakened the baby. Just as he got back into the kitchen, he heard a wail coming from the nursery. It seemed the yelling hadn't awakened John, but the slamming doors sure had.
He slipped back into the baby's room, where John was lying on his back, his eyes closed, squalling, tears flowing freely down the tiny pink cheeks. "Well, John, it looks like you and I are headed back to the rocking chair." He picked the baby up in his arms and walked with him out to the living room. He sat in the rocker and began talking softly to the infant, trying to get him to fall back to sleep.
"So, John, how do you put up with those two, huh? Do they always yell at each other like that?" He shook his head, as baby John grabbed hold of his nose. He'd stopped crying and was concentrating on trying to find out what that thing was in the middle of his uncle's face. The rocking motion finally calmed the baby, and his eyes began to droop. His thumb slipped into his mouth and in just a few minutes he was again sound asleep.
Johnny got up from the rocker, padded back down the hall to the nursery and laid the baby down in the crib. Pulling the blanket up over him, he stood by the crib for several moments, rubbing the infant's stomach, to be sure he stayed asleep. Then he slipped out of the room, pulling the door behind him, but leaving it slightly ajar so that he could hear if John stirred. Then he started back to the kitchen to read once again through Joanne's extensive notes, to see if she had already planned something for dinner.
*************
Chris and Jennifer sat silently, glaring at each other over the dinner table. Johnny was at the foot of the table, baby John in the highchair next to him, trying to get the kid to at least get something into his stomach, and not on the floor....and the table....and the ceiling....and all over Johnny.
As the last spoon of mashed 'whatever-it-was" landed in his face, Johnny reached for a towel. As he wiped off the messy goo, he glanced at the floor. ‘Oh, god,’ he thought, ‘what a mess. Oh, well, at least it's a vinyl floor, it should be easy to mop up.’ The highchair was covered in the sloppy mess as well.
It had taken Johnny twenty minutes just to get the baby into the chair. Everytime he got one leg in, the other one popped back out again. It was like wrestling with a tiny octopus. He had never seen a child this small able to contort into so many different positions. And be so stubborn about it. And crying up a storm too.
Finally, Johnny just gave up. It looked like the kid just wasn't very hungry. And when a kid's not hungry, a kid's not gonna eat. So he began to clean up the mess, the least of which was the kid himself. Baby John was covered with as much of the slop as everything else.
As he went to grab another towel from the kitchen drawer, he glanced back at the table, it finally dawning on him that the other two DeSoto children had been unusually quiet throughout the meal. He watched them stare at each other, venomous looks flashing between them. It appeared they were still angry with each other.
He continued to watch them as he walked back across the floor, so he didn't see the glob of gooey yellow gunk that he stepped in. As his foot hit the slippery concoction, it slid out from under him. Losing his balance, he fell backward, landing hard on his rear end, as graceful as a drunk in an earthquake.
The few seconds of silence that followed his fall, were met with peals of laughter from the two juveniles sitting at the table. Even baby John stopped crying briefly at the spectacle. Johnny looked up from his seat on the floor at the kids having a laugh at his expense.
"Are....are you okay, Uncle John?" Chris managed to asked, still chuckling.
"Yeah, I'm fine, Chris," he replied, sarcastically, resting his elbows on his knees. "Thanks for asking."
"Sure, Johnny," he said, laughing even harder when Beauregard, their St Bernard, sauntered over and began licking Johnny's face.
The two kids exchanged looks of delight at Johnny's position on the floor. Well, at least they're not staring daggers at each other any more, Johnny thought. Maybe a little loss of dignity was worth it.
Pushing the dog away, he tried to pick himself up off the floor. This proved difficult, though, since every time he went to stand up, his feet slid out from under him again. Finally on the third try, he was able to make solid footing and pulled himself into a chair. Glancing over at the still chuckling children, he asked, "Are you finished eating?"
He got nods from each of them. "Good. Why don't you get started on your homework then."
"Aw, Johnny, can't we watch a little TV first....." Chris began.
"I don't have that much to do. I promise to finish before I go to bed...." Jennifer piped in.
"Nope, sorry kids. You know your Mom made me swear that I would make sure your homework was done before you watched any TV tonight. So hop to it. The quicker it gets done, the quicker you can settle in in front of the TV."
"Aw, man, you're never any fun any more," Chris muttered.
Grumbling, Chris and Jennifer went to fetch their books. Johnny concentrated on getting the dishes into the sink and cleaning up the mess around the highchair. Baby John had quieted somewhat, so Johnny hoped he would have time to finish the mop-up.
Once he finished with the floor, he grabbed the messy little boy from the highchair and carried him into the bathroom. Setting him on the floor, he went to grab some towels from the linen closet. As he returned to the bathroom, he found that little John had pulled himself up to his feet, and was reaching into the toilet bowl, splashing the water around.
"Hey, hey, hey, let's have none of that now," he said, pulling the baby away and closing the lid. Kneeling on the floor next to the tub, he started the water for a bath, figuring it was the only way he was going to get the kid completely clean.
The baby even had food in his ear. ‘How does a kid get food in his ear? Well, Johnny, you've been on enough rescues with small children putting all kinds of things in every available orifice of their bodies. You've seen marbles and jelly beans up noses, and any number of things swallowed by small children, so what's so unusual about mashed yellow mushy stuff in the ear.’
He tested the temperature of the water, then turned to pick up baby John, only to find him wrapped up in toilet paper, that had somehow, conveniently, found its way off the roll and all over the floor and the kid. Separating child from tissue, Johnny plopped him down into the bath water, and began soaping up a washcloth. Baby John slapped at the water, laughing delightedly when it splashed back at him. He was having so much fun, he began slapping harder, this time laughing when it splashed up at Johnny, soaking the front of this shirt.
"This is war, kiddo," Johnny teased, as he scooped his hand and playfully tossed some water at the baby. Cackling, the baby began splashing again, really getting into it this time. By the time the bath was finished, the floor and Uncle Johnny were as wet as the infant in the tub.
*******
Later, after he had put baby John down for bed, Johnny and the two older DeSoto children settled in with some popcorn to watch a couple of late night movies. Johnny stretched out on the sofa, while the two kids made themselves comfortable on the carpeted floor, propped up by pillows from the sofa and chairs.
"So, what do you kids want to watch?" Johnny asked, picking up the remote and flipping through the channels. Chris and Jennifer were arguing over the TV guide, each trying to see what was on. After ten minutes of that, Johnny got fed up and grabbed the book from them and started reading off the selections.
They finally agreed on a science fiction movie, some inane film about giant grasshoppers or something. The kids seemed to enjoy it, although Johnny was sure he would never look at a grasshopper in the same light again.
Falling asleep halfway through the movie, he didn't notice when the kids start tossing popcorn at him. His mouth had dropped open slightly, and Chris was flicking the popcorn at him, aiming for the small opening. When he missed and hit Johnny on the face, which was almost every shot, Johnny would wave his hand like he was swatting a fly away. Jennifer was giggling as she watched her brother, and he was giving her dirty looks to try and keep her quiet.
When Johnny woke up on the couch at about two in the morning, Chris and Jennifer had gone to bed and there was some weird looking guy on TV spouting the praises of the newest revolution in cookware. As Johnny sat up and reached for the remote to turn off the set, he noticed popcorn everywhere. ‘Must of knocked the bowl over in my sleep,’ he thought. ‘I'll clean it up in the morning.’
He headed off to bed, but was stopped by something catching his leg. He looked down to see that Beau, the stupid mutt, had hold of his pant leg. Johnny shook his leg, trying to get the canine to release him, but Beau just held on tighter and started dragging Johnny toward the door. Johnny stumbled along, trying not to fall flat on his face.
"Okay, okay, you dumb dog, I get the idea. Now let go of my leg." He opened the sliding glass door that led onto the back deck, and the dog rushed outside to do his business. Johnny walked onto the deck and sat down in one of the lounge chairs, staring up at the stars. ‘Can't see as many stars here as I can at my place,’ he thought. ‘Too many city lights.’
Losing himself for a moment in the beautiful night sky, he was rudely brought back to reality by a wet tongue licking his face. Pushing the dog's snout away, he wiped as his cheek. "Geez, you're sure a slobbery dog," he muttered, as man and man's-best-friend slipped back inside. After checking to be sure the doors were all locked, he finally settled in to bed.
******
He woke about four hours later to hear the baby crying. He tossed the covers back, and slipped back into his jeans. Barefoot, he made his way into the nursery. Without flipping on the light, he sleepily shuffled over to the crib, finding it in the dark only because he stubbed his toe on the changing table nearby. "Damn it," he cursed in a whisper, grabbing his foot and hobbling over to the side of the crib.
"Hey, kiddo, what's wrong? It's a little early for you to be up, isn't it?" he whispered, hoping to lull to infant back to sleep. He checked and found that little John needed a diaper change. He was glad that Joanne and Roy were using disposables. He didn't even want to think about having to mess with cloth diapers. But once he got the baby changed, he still wouldn't settle down, continuing to whimper.
"What's wrong, big guy? Are you hungry already? Let's go see what your Mom put aside for you this morning?" Carrying John into the kitchen, he settled him in one arm, while he pulled out a small pan and began to heat some water to warm a bottle. As the baby continued to fuss, Johnny walked with him, bouncing him, sure the rhythmic movements would quiet the little guy. But nothing seemed to work. When he fed him the bottle, John didn't so much suck on it, as chew it.
He checked him over, and noticed that he had a slight fever. Maybe he's just coming down with a cold or something, Johnny thought. I'll just have to keep a close eye on him.
Jennifer and Chris woke up an hour later, and Johnny started breakfast, then picked up the remnants of the popcorn party from the night before. Linda Stoker showed up 8:30 to pick Chris up for his soccer game, since he played on the same team as Matt Stoker. Johnny promised to be at the game as soon as he dropped Jennifer off at gymnastics class.
*****
As he pulled up at the soccer field, he saw that the match had already begun. It had taken longer than he figured it would to get little John ready to go, since the kid was still being pretty cranky. But he'd dropped Jen off at class, and hustled over to watch Chris play. And he was pretty good. His team won the game by a landslide and Chris managed to score two goals.
Chris went to the Stokers after the game, but since they had plans that evening, he would be home by three. Jennifer's class was over by the time he returned to pick her up and they headed to McDonald's for lunch, since he'd promised her earlier.
"So, how did your gymnastics class go, Jen?" he asked after they got settled into a booth.
"It was okay," she replied. "We learned a new move on the balance beam today. I can't wait to show Mom!"
"Great! So what do you want to do for the rest of the day? Chris won't be home until 3 o'clock, so you and I, and of course this cranky little fellow, can go do something if you want," he told her, mashing up some french fries for the baby to chew on. Johnny placed a hand on the infants face, to see if he'd gotten hotter, if the fever had worsened. The baby had whined and cried throughout most of the soccer match, causing Johnny to leave the stands on several occasions to try and quiet him down.
"Oh, Mary Beth is coming over to play. So we can just go home."
"Oh, well, okay. That's probably for the best anyway, since your little brother doesn't seem to be in a very sociable mood this morning." Johnny hoped it was nothing serious, and debated calling Dr Brackett or Dixie later if the baby was still this way after his nap. Maybe he just didn't sleep well.
******
Once back home, Johnny laid baby John down for a nap while Jennifer went to call her friend, who came over about ten minutes later. They proceeded out to the back yard to play with their Barbies on the deck. Johnny settled into the recliner with a book and hoped the baby would sleep long enough for him to at least finish a chapter.
He was startled when he heard a yell from the back yard, and heard the dog begin to bark. Throwing the book onto the coffee table, he raced out the sliding glass door to find Jennifer lying on the deck, holding her left arm and crying, Beauregard prancing around her, whining and barking. Mary Beth was babbling so fast that Johnny couldn't understand what she was saying. He knelt down next to Jen and asked her what happened.
"I fell and hurt my arm, Uncle Johnny," she managed between tears. "It really hurts."
"Let me see it, sweetheart," he told her, gently reaching for the injured limb. Mary Beth continued to scream and cry. Johnny tried to calm her down, but she just got worse, and that made Jennifer start to cry all over again.
"Mary Beth, calm down, it's okay. Jennifer, when you fell, did you hit your head, or anything besides your arm?" He checked her pupils, and felt around her head and neck.
"No, just my arm. I tried to catch myself, but landed funny."
He felt the arm, not wanting to move it around too much. "Looks like you broke it, Jen," he said. "Let's get you inside and I'll find something to splint it up with, then I'll take you over to the hospital to get it x-rayed." He helped her up and walked her back inside, followed by Mary Beth, who was still crying and rambling on.
Johnny sat Jennifer down on the couch, then went in search of something to immobilize her arm up with. He spotted a Time magazine on the coffee table. That would work. Running into Roy's bedroom, he opened the closet door looking around until he spotted what he was looking for. Grabbing two belts from the rack on the wall he hurried back in to where Jennifer sat, still crying. He calmly talked to her while he splinted her arm, wrapping the magazine around it, then securing it with the belts.
"Is Jennifer gonna die?" Mary Beth asked Johnny.
"No, honey, she's not gonna die. She broke her arm, and will have to wear a cast, but she's gonna be okay." Johnny got Mary Beth to tell him her phone number. He called her mom and explained the situation, and told her he'd drop Mary Beth off on his way to the hospital with Jennifer.
Then he called the Stoker house to let them know what had happened, but there was no answer. So he wrote a note, explaining what had happened, and telling Chris they would be at Rampart. He left the number for the ER so Chris could call if he needed to, but he hoped to be back before Chris got home.
He ran into the nursery and picked up baby John, also gathering up a few things he might need over the next hour or two. Then, grabbing his keys, he led Jennifer and Mary Beth out to his truck, getting them settled in and buckling John up in the car seat. After dropping Mary Beth, and assuring her mom that Jennifer would be fine, he drove to Rampart General.
******
As he walked down the hall in the ER, he was happy to see Dixie McCall was on duty. She looked up as he approached the desk, surprised to see him in civilian clothes, and carrying a baby. Then she noticed Jennifer walking next to him, holding his hand, her other arm in a make-shift sling.
"Well, what happened here young lady?" she asked, moving out from behind the desk.
"I fell," Jennifer replied, obviously still in pain, her face still flushed from crying.
"Well, why don't we get you into a treatment room, and I'll see if I can track down a doctor," she said, in her calmest voice. "Johnny, why don't you get her into Room 2, and I'll go find Kel or Joe?"
"Thanks, Dix," he said, leading the young girl into Room 2. He carefully laid little John down on the exam table, then lifted Jennifer up and sat her there as well. The baby was still cranky, probably from being woken up from his nap. When he started to cry again as Dr Early came in the room with Dixie, Johnny gathered the little guy into his arms once more.
"Well, hello, Jennifer. Remember me?" asked the doctor.
"Uh-huh, you're Dr Early," she told him.
"That's right. So how did this happen?" he asked her, starting to undo Johnny's homemade splint.
"I fell off the railing in the yard," she said softly, looking at Johnny.
"What were you doing on the railing, Jennifer?" Johnny asked her.
"I was just showing Mary Beth the new routine we learned in class today."
"Class?" asked Dixie, as she checked Jennifer's blood pressure.
"Gymnastics. Jennifer had a class this morning and learned some new things on the balance beam," Johnny explained. "I guess she thought the railing was a good place to practice." He shot Jennifer a stern look, which caused her to pout and start to snivel again.
"I'm sorry, Uncle Johnny," she said. "I shouldn't have been up there."
"Honey, that's okay. But I guess this will teach you not to do it again, huh?" He smiled to let her know he wasn't mad at her, and reached out to stroke her hair, shifting baby John to his other arm. The baby was squirming around a lot and was still pretty grouchy.
"Well, let's get Jennifer up to x-ray and get some pictures, and then we'll see about getting a pretty white cast put on it," Early told Dixie. He lifted Jen down from the table and sat her down into a wheelchair.
"John, why don't you take her on up," Early told the paramedic. "I'll call ahead and let them know you're coming."
"Sure, Doc, thanks." He gathered up the bag he'd brought for the baby and slung it over his shoulder, struggling with the bag, the baby, and the wheelchair.
"Here, Johnny, why don't you let me take the little guy?" offered Dixie, holding out her hands for John.
"Dix, are you sure?"
"Yeah. I'm on my break now, so I'll keep an eye on him."
"Well, okay, if you're sure," he said, handing the baby to her. "But he's a little cranky. I think he might be coming down with something. He's had a low fever all day."
"Is that so?" Dixie asked, speaking more to the baby than to Johnny. "Well, since we already have a doctor here, why don't we just take a look at him while we got him here." She reached out and tweaked the baby's nose as she laid him down on the examining table, cooing to the whining infant.
"Doc...?" Johnny looked at Early as he hung up the phone.
"We'll be fine, Johnny. You take care of Jennifer and we'll keep little Johnny here and do a quick check on him while you're in x-ray."
"Great, thanks. I'll just leave the bag right here, okay," he said, as he laid the baby bag on the counter and pushed Jennifer out the door.
******
An hour later, Jennifer sat in the wheelchair with a new cast on her arm, while Johnny pushed her back down the hall to the ER desk.
"Hi, Carol, is Dixie around?" he asked.
"She's in the lounge with that adorable little baby of yours," Carol teased him.
"He's not my baby, Carol. He's Roy's son. But he is named after me," Johnny told her, proudly.
"Little Johnny, yes, I know," she told him with a smile.
"Puuulease. You know, when he was first born, they called him Roddy, after his, well our, middle name. But it just didn't seem to fit him. So, they just went to using his first name. Of course, now it's always Big Johnny and Little Johnny. Gets a bit confusing sometimes. So, what do you think, does he take after me?"
"Oh, yeah, he won't shut up."
Johnny gave her a look of feigned insult, then huffed and continued on his way, looking back over his shoulder to give her a wink and a grin. He and Jennifer entered the doctor's lounge, only to find little Johnny surrounded by nurses, ooohing and ahhing over him.
"Oh, Johnny, you're so cute!"
"You sure take after you're namesake, don't ya, little John...just cute as a button."
"Oh, and you're gonna be a heartbreaker just like him, too!"
"Not to mention a flirt!"
Dixie had seen him come in the room, but didn't say anything to her nurses, as Johnny basked in all the reflected glory of having a baby named after him. "Well, hello, Big Johnny," Dixie said with a smile.
The nurses, startled, looked at Gage standing by the door, a satisfied smile on his face. Embarrassed that they'd been caught speaking about the man in such glowing terms, they quickly filed past him, giggling once they got back into the hallway.
"I see the little guy is a big hit with the nurses," he remarked to Dixie, taking the baby back from her.
"He does take after you in that regard, Mr Gage. Oh, and by the way, he's going to continue to be a little grouchy. He's teething."
"He seems quiet enough now," Johnny remarked.
"We put some ointment on his gums, to deaden the pain a bit. But he'll be cranky. I put some of the stuff we used in the bag, but only use it if he's fussing when you put him down to sleep. He'll also be chewing on things a lot, so make sure he doesn't get hold of anything too small that he could choke on." Johnny nodded that he understood. "Oh, and I put the belts that you used on Jennifer's arm in the bag as well."
Dixie crouched down next to the wheelchair. "And how are you doing Jennifer, feeling any better?"
"Yeah, but I'm kinda bummed."
"Bummed about what, honey?" Dix asked.
"Now I won't be able to compete at the trials next month."
"Trials?"
"Yeah," Jennifer explained, "the gymnastic trials are next month. I really wanted to be in them."
"Oh, well, maybe next time. This way you'll have that much more time to practice, and will be better than ever," the nurse tried to assure her.
"Yeah, I guess," the girl answered, still dejected.
"So, can I sign your cast?" Dix asked.
"Sure!" Jennifer answered, brightening up.
******
As Johnny walked in the door, struggling with the baby, the diaper bag, and the keys, he could see Beauregard prancing around on the deck, yapping and slobbering all over the door. He turned to be sure Jennifer was right behind him, then closed the door behind them.
"Chris, are you home?" he called, not getting an answer. He glanced over to the table where he'd left the note. It had been moved, so Chris had obviously been there. ‘Probably in his room or outside,’ Johnny thought. ‘I'll get the kid down and get Jennifer settled in, and see if I can find him.’
Having missed most of his nap, the baby was drowsy, so Johnny put him in the crib, hoping he'd sleep for a couple of hours. Jennifer was sitting on the sofa when he came back out.
"How are you feeling, honey?" he asked, taking a seat next to her.
"It kinda hurts, Uncle Johnny," she said.
"I know it does. You want to lie down for a little while? Or I could fix you a bowl of ice cream, how does that sound?" Ice cream always cheered Jennifer up, Johnny knew, and this was no exception.
"Chocolate, please," she told him.
"Be right back." After getting her ice cream and helping her get comfortable in front of the TV, Johnny went searching for Chris. Not finding him in his room, he headed outside to the yard, where he was promptly bombarded with 90 lbs of St Bernard climbing all over him.
"Get down, you stupid dog. You're way too big to be jumping up on people."
Hearing a noise over by the back door of the garage, he watched as the dog trotted over that way, only to hear Chris yell. "Get out of here, dog!" What was Chris doing in the garage? He didn't think the kids kept anything in there.
As Johnny got closer, he detected an odor coming from the garage area. What the hell...tobacco!
He got closer to the door and stood just outside, listening to Chris talking to someone else inside the garage.
"C'mon, man, I gotta go. John will be back soon."
"Man, I can't believe you got a whole weekend without your parents at home," the other kid commented.
"Yeah, man, it's cool. Nobody yelling at me, nobody telling me what time I have to go to bed. Although, Johnny did get on my case about homework last night. Man, I thought it would be cool with him staying here, but he's been a real drag. I wish I could just stay here on my own for once. I really could....." He turned around then, cigarette up to his lips, and saw Johnny standing in the doorway.
"Uncle Johnny!" he yelped. The two stood and stared at each other a long time, neither speaking. Johnny was angry at Chris, but wasn't sure how to react, what to say. Chris wasn't his child. This was something his parents would have to address. But they weren't here right now, and Johnny knew he had to say something....do something.
"Put out the cigarette, Chris. And ask your friend to leave. Then you and I need to talk." Johnny spoke quietly, not wanting his anger to get the better of him right now. He wasn't sure what to say to Chris, and until he was, it might be better to say nothing at all.
"What do we have to talk about?" Chris asked, indignantly, wanting to sound more mature in front of his smoking buddy. "You're not my father. You're not even my real uncle. Why should I listen to you?"
"Because, right now, young man, I am in charge here. Your parents trusted me to take care of you, and that's what I plan to do."
Chris was scared because he'd been caught, but didn't want to back down in front of his older, more experienced friend, so instead he lashed out. "Yeah, Johnny, you did a real good job of looking out for Jennifer, didn't you?"
Johnny felt like he'd been slapped. Chris' remarks had hurt. And the boy knew it. But Chris told himself he didn't care. Anyway, he couldn't take it back now, not here, not in front of his new buddy. He could see that John wanted to say something back to him, could see the muscles in his jaw clenching in anger. He fully expected Johnny to yell at him.
"I'm not going to go into this now, Chris. But we will talk about it later. I can't believe you'd do this. You know how your parents feel about smoking, after what happened to your grandfather. And to disrespect them so much, that you'd do it in their own home. I thought you were a better person than that Chris."
"What I do is my own business, 'Uncle' Johnny, " he said, emphasizing the title. "It's not like you have any real authority over me, after all. I mean, it's not like you're really a part of the family or anything. I don't know why Mom and Dad always invite you over all the time." He was feeling braver, now, seeing his friend watching him so closely, and not wanting to back down. He'd look foolish if he did that now.
"You know, Chris, I didn't really want to go into this with you right now, but you seem to want it all out in the open, right here in front of your 'friend', so okay. You're right, I don't have any authority over you. I'm not really a part of your family, just your father's best friend. And, I thought, over the years, that you and I had become friends, too. I guess I was wrong. The things you just said ...those words hurt, Chris. I've spent a lot of time with your family over the years. And I always felt welcome, until now. Maybe you're right, maybe I have overstayed my welcome. If you and Jennifer, and your folks feel that way, than I won't come around so much."
Johnny wasn't sure what else to say. He turned to go back into the house, but needed to tell the teen one more thing. "Oh, and Chris...I didn't allow Jennifer to fall and break her arm. It was an accident that happened because she did something she shouldn't have been doing. Kinda like you, out here in the garage, sneaking a cigarette."
"I wasn't sneaking...." Chris began.
"Then why are you hiding out here, Chris? Why not just bring it in the house? Show your sister what a big man you are!" Johnny shook his head in disgust. "I've always respected you, Chris. Your father always brags about what a smart kid you are, how you make your own decisions, never just follow the crowd. How your a leader, not just a follower. You can tell by listening to him how proud he is of you. I guess he was wrong, too. It's too bad, because your dad is a good man. He doesn't deserve a son who lies to him."
"I don't lie to my dad!" Chris cried, vehemently.
"No? Does he know you smoke, Chris? Do you light up in front of your parents?"
"No," Chris said, staring at the floor.
"I didn't think so. What do think he's gonna do when he finds out, Chris? What's he gonna say? And what about your mom? Her father died because he smoked, it gave him lung cancer. Do you think she'll be happy with this? And you're setting a real good example for Jennifer and John. Your sister looks up to you."
"So, you're gonna call mom and dad, and tell them aren't you?" Chris asked, more statement than question.
"No, Chris, I'm not. I don't intend to ruin this weekend for them. It's bad enough that they're gonna have to come home and see Jennifer in a cast. I won't tell them anything about this. After all, it's not my place as you so recently reminded me. I think you should tell them, but then you don't care what I think, do you? You think you're a man now. A man would stand up and fight for the things he wants to do. A man would be willing to admit that something he's done is wrong. Are you a man, Chris?"
And with that, Johnny walked away, leaving Chris to stare after him. Johnny was angry and upset hearing Chris' hurtful words. He had felt like he was a part of this family. What Chris had just said made him question his feelings.
******
Chris came inside a few minutes later, alone. He walked over to Jennifer, who was sitting on the couch, with her broken arm propped up on a pillow. But he refused to look at or talk to Johnny. He was still mad at him for sneaking up on him in the garage, for saying he wasn't a man.
"So, Jen, how'd you break your arm?" he asked his kid sister. She explained what happened while Johnny continued to straighten up the living room around them.
"Do you want to sign my cast, Chris?" she asked.
"Sure, kid, I'll sign it." He reached into a drawer in the side-table and pulled out a marker and put his signature to the plaster cast on her arm. Then he settled in with her and Beauregard to watch television.
But he didn't pay much attention to the screen. He was thinking about what had happened in the garage. He really thought Johnny would yell at him, send him to his room, ground him....something. But he didn't. He didn't even take the cigarettes away from Chris. When Johnny had left the garage, his buddy Joe had slapped him on the back, and congratulated him. He was laughing that the 'old guy' wasn't going to tell Chris' parents about the cigarettes, and gloating about how Johnny had backed down. Chris laughed with him, but something told him this wouldn't be the end of it....for him or for Uncle Johnny.
His thoughts were interrupted when he realized Jennifer was talking to him.
"Chris? What do you want?"
"What...what did you say?"
"Uncle Johnny wants to know what we want for dinner? Barbeque hamburgers or take-out pizza? I said barbeque."
Johnny was standing there, staring at the two of them, waiting for an answer.
"Yeah, that's fine. Whatever."
"Burgers it is then," Johnny said. He was trying to keep things normal, not wanting to upset Jennifer or let her know anything was wrong. But it was hard. He really wanted to scream at Chris, but knew it wasn't his place. And he was still upset by what Chris had said, and didn't want his anger over that to be confused with his anger over catching Chris smoking.
Chris was still just a kid, but he had to be made to understand that smoking was wrong. Johnny thought he already knew, and was just giving in to peer pressure. Maybe now that he'd been found out, it would stop. He hoped so. Geez, why had he thought this would be easy? He should have listened to Roy and backed out when he had the chance. It was much easier watching them when they were younger and not so independent.
He had told Chris that he wouldn't mention the incident to Roy and Joanne. He wanted to be able to keep that promise, but that would depend on Chris. They would have to know, sooner or later. And if he had to tell them himself, then he would.
Roy and Joanne had left these kids in his care for just two days. He felt liked he'd failed. He'd let Jennifer break her arm, Chris was smoking, and the baby was cranky as hell. At least Roy and Joanne would be back the next day, and Johnny could go back to his single, quiet, uncomplicated life.
Dinner was a repeat of the night before, except Chris and Jen weren't squabbling this time. In fact, Chris wasn't saying anything. Jennifer was keeping up a running commentary on how she was gonna miss her gymnastics trials. And baby John was doing a real good job of making Johnny wear his dinner again. He had gotten up from his nap crankier than ever, and hadn't shut up since.
Johnny couldn't believe that Joanne and Roy had gone through this twice already, and were willingly doing it again. He had only had to deal with it for two days and it was starting to get on his nerves. And to top it off, Beauregard had decided to try and out-do the baby, and was now howling.
So Johnny sat there, covered in John's dinner, with a squalling baby and a noisy dog....and Chris, who wouldn't talk to him at all. Finally at wit's end, he grabbed the dog by the collar and led him into the garage through the door off the kitchen. "Now, stay there and be quiet until we're done with dinner, ya crazy dog." He closed the door.
The dog continued to bark, but at least the sound was muffled now. He'd finish feeding the baby and worry about Beau later. Chris had stomped off to his room, yelling that it was too noisy to hear himself think, and hadn't come out the rest of the night.
Later, after the kids had gone to bed, Johnny sat out on the deck, the dog lying next to his chair. He watched the stars and listened to some music. He'd brought along some of his own, since he and Roy didn't exactly share the same tastes when it came to music. Johnny was still a bit angry and needed something peaceful, so he put on some Indian flute music, this one mixed with a little cello and piano...it was his favorite tape and never failed to relax him. It gave him his 'quietude'...and helped him to think.
He didn't get much relaxation that night, however, thanks to the baby. John started to cry again around midnight, so Johnny brought him out the deck with him. It was a warm summer night and he hoped the fresh air and quiet would lull the infant back to sleep. He kept the music on and sat with the fussy child in his arms, giving John his little finger to chew on.
"Well, kiddo, it's just you and me tonight. And ol' Beauregard here. What say we just sleep out here tonight, under the stars." Little John just kept chewing on Johnny's finger, trying to ease the pain from his incoming teeth. Johnny had rubbed on some of the ointment that Dixie had given him earlier, when he puts the baby to bed, but it must have worn off, so he just let the youngster munch on his finger. "You know, John, I love you to death, but I'm sure glad I don't have to put up with the three of you on a daily basis. I don't know how people do it. Especially with an infant, a pre-teen, and a teen who thinks he's old enough to be a man...so what do I do John, huh?"
The baby just stared at him and continued to chew. "Not talking, huh? That's okay, John. You know, it feels funny calling you that. It's just a funny name for a baby. And I can't call you Johnny, because that's what everybody calls me. Don't want to confuse folks. And that Little John/Big John stuff annoys the heck outta me."
He was quiet for a moment, staring back up at the stars. "Baby John won't work, cuz what would we call you when you're not a baby anymore. Course, we could always go back to Roddy, but I never did like that name. So, what do we call you, huh? It may not matter much now, but later on it might get a bit confusing with both of us in the same room. Of course, if it were up to Chris, we would probably never meet again. But just in case we do, we need to give you a nickname or something.
“We could always do what Brice does, and go with last names. But I can't see your mother calling you DeSoto, can you? And who wants to do what Brice says anyway? You haven't met him yet, he's a strange one. A good paramedic, mind you, but he has some really weird ideas. And he's way too organized for me. We just gotta find you a good nickname, kiddo. Something that'll grow with you, that'll be cool even when you get older."
He watched the baby's face as he spoke, rocking him slightly while he held him. He thought about going in and using the rocking chair, but decided not to. He was comfortable where he was and the baby seemed to be settling down now that he had something to ease his pain with. Of course, the little tooth that was poking through the baby's gum was beginning to rub against Johnny's finger.
"You've got some bite, for a guy with just one tooth that hasn't even fully developed yet." Moving John around to his other arm, he settled him back again. Baby John took hold of his other hand, going for yet another finger to wrap his tooth around. "Ow, that hurts, there, little fella. Hey, we could call you that..Little Fella..naw, that's pretty stupid, huh? Okay, how about we go with just your initials. We can call you J.R., do you like the sound of that?"
John started to cry then. "Oh, okay, you don't like that one, forget J.R. then. Well, how about some other initials, like J.D.? Do you like J.D., John DeSoto?"
But the baby didn't respond, his mouth filled with Johnny's little finger again, only this time on the other hand. "I kinda like that one....J.D....it has a nice ring to it. Not stuffy. And certainly not something anyone would call me. Well, J.D., what do you say, is that a winner?"
But the infant just wasn't paying attention anymore. He closed his eyes and seemed to be drifting back to sleep.
"Well, J.D., it looks like it's time to put you back to bed." He carefully rose from the deck chair and carrying the baby back into the nursery. He stood and watched him sleep for a few minutes, to be sure he would stay down, then headed back to the living room. It was late and he would need to be up early to make sure the house was straightened up for Roy and Joanne's return. He checked the doors and windows, turned off the music, and headed to bed himself.
*******
When Chris and Jennifer woke the next morning, they found Johnny asleep on the couch, baby John sleeping on his chest. The baby had awakened again during the early morning hours, causing Johnny to pace the floor with him, trying to quiet him down. When the infant had finally settled down, Johnny was already half-asleep himself and just decided to stay where he was. He was beat and would be happy to get back home and get a good night's rest.
Jennifer began to wake Johnny up, but Chris stopped her. "Let him sleep, Jen. It doesn't look like he got much last night," he whispered. "How about you and I make breakfast this morning? After all, Uncle Johnny is going home today. We should do something nice for him."
"Okay," Jennifer agreed, reluctantly. "Does that mean you're not mad at each other anymore?" Chris just looked at her. He wondered if she knew what he'd done, but then realized he had not really been that subtle in his anger toward Johnny.
"No, Jenny, I'm not mad at him. I thought a lot about it last night. I did something really stupid and Uncle Johnny caught me doing it. I guess I can't blame him for acting like he did."
"What did you do?" she asked, curious about what he could ever do to make Johnny upset with him. Johnny hardly ever got mad at them, and never like he'd been last night with her brother. The two had barely spoken two words to each other all night.
Chris glanced at her as he pulled a pan from the cabinet under the kitchen counter. "Just something really dumb," he said, not wanting to elaborate with his kid sister.
He hadn't gotten much sleep himself last night, worrying about whether Johnny would keep his word not to tell his parents about it. Then he came to the conclusion that the man was right...he, himself, had to be the one to tell his parents. He'd spent most of the early morning hours wondering just how he would word his confession. That's how he knew Johnny hadn't gotten much sleep, he'd heard him get up about four o'clock.
Jennifer pulled the eggs from the refrigerator while Chris turned on the stove and heated the pan. Chris helped his sister cracked the eggs, since she was still adjusting to having the cast on her arm. He began scrambling the eggs, while Jennifer made the toast. Since neither of them knew how to use the coffee maker, they decided to just skip it, and Jennifer poured juice instead, and then pulled out the dishes and silverware.
As she was carrying plates to the table, however, Beauregard got under foot, causing her to drop the plates on the floor. Since they were plastic, they didn't break, but sure caused a major disturbance for the sleeping pair on the sofa. The crash startled Johnny and he jumped up, instinctively grabbing the baby before he dropped him. And little John began to wail.
Chris and Jennifer exchanged frightened looks, afraid Johnny would be angry at being awakened so abruptly. Johnny was trying to quiet the baby and looking around to see what had caused the noise. Seeing the dishes on the floor and Jennifer and Chris staring at him, he just nodded, gratefult that at least they were both okay.
"Morning," he mumbled, still a bit groggy, patted J.D. on the back to quiet him.
"Morning, Uncle Johnny," replied Jennifer, stooping to pick the dishes up from the floor. Chris hurried over to assist, then ran back to stir the eggs.
"What are you kids up to?"
"Just making breakfast, Uncle John," Chris told him, a little afraid to look Johnny in the eye, after the argument they'd had the day before. He knew he should apologize, but wasn't sure how. He thought Johnny might mention the smoking incident again, but instead he just came over to see what was in the skillet.
"Smells great. How long before it's ready? I need to go change to baby."
Surprised, Chris turned to look at him, still a bit apprehensive. "About, ah...about 10 minutes," he stammered.
"Great! Any coffee?"
"No, sorry. We, ah, don't know how to make it," Chris told him.
"Oh. Okay," he said, watching Chris, seeing that he appeared somewhat nervous. "Want to learn?"
"Sure!" Chris exclaimed. Still holding J.D., Johnny instructed Chris how to operate the coffee maker. Once the brew started dripping into the carafe, Johnny took the baby into the nursery to change him. He had thought about saying something to Chris about what had happened the day before, but decided it could wait.
The kid was trying to do something nice, whether to appease him or to apologize, Johnny wasn't sure. But he would worry about it later. He was still a tad upset about the hurtful things that Chris had said, and if the kid wanted to try to make things right, he wasn't going to stand in his way. He loved being part of this family and hoped that he and Chris could get back some of what they'd had before.
By the time he returned, breakfast was ready and on the table. Jennifer had even made a small plate for her little brother and had seated herself down next to the highchair to feed him, so Johnny wouldn't have to.
Johnny took several bites, then picked up the cup of coffee that Chris had poured for him. "Well, this is a nice surprise, kids. Thanks."
Smiling at each other, they both mumbled "you're welcome" as Johnny continued his meal.
"This is good. Where did you learn to cook, Chris?"
"I, ah, I don't know, just watching Mom I guess." Chris had begun to relax a little, seeing that Johnny was talking civilly to him, and didn't seem to be so angry.
"Better than Chet's eggs. That man could ruin boiled water, you know what I mean?" He glanced over to watch Jennifer feeding J.D.
"Jennifer, how does your arm feel this morning?" he asked. "Any pain?"
"Just a little, Uncle Johnny," she told him. "I did what you told me and kept it on a pillow."
"Good, good. I'm glad, because your dad's gonna kill me for letting you get hurt yesterday."
"It wasn't your fault, Uncle Johnny," she assured him in all her 11-year-old wisdom. "But he will definitely ground me forever."
"No he won't, Jen," Chris told, "not after I tell him what I did." Johnny looked at him and raised his eyebrows, but Chris wouldn't meet his gaze. "I screwed up big-time. You climbing on the railing is nothing compared to what I did. Mom and Dad will probably disown me."
Johnny opened his mouth to say something, but Jennifer interrupted him. "You never did tell me what you did that was so bad. What could be so horrible that Mom and Dad would disown you?"
Chris glanced at his sister and little brother, than at Johnny, looking for some guidance. But Johnny just shrugged, letting him know that it was his decision whether of not to tell Jennifer, just like it was his decision to tell his parents.
Looking at the table, not able to make eye contact with Jennifer, he mumbled, "Johnny caught me smoking."
"What!" Jennifer cried. "Smoking?! Chris, are you crazy! You know how Mom and Dad feel about that! You're right, big brother, I've got nothing to worry about. They're gonna lock you in your room and throw away the key. "
"Don't I know it," he agreed. "I'll never be able to do anything again. I can probably forget about soccer the rest of the year."
"How about for the rest of your life!" goaded his sister.
"Well, it's not like you were a little angel this weekend yourself, Jen," he reminded her. "Mom must have told you a dozen times not to climb on the railing. You always think it's your private jungle gym."
"At least I wasn't smoking," she reminded him. "Geez, Chris, how could you be so dumb?"
"I"m not dumb! I just wanted to try it and see what it was like?" he mumbled, knowing as he said it, that is was a poor excuse.
"Enough, you two!" Johnny intervened. "Neither of you were on you're best behavior this weekend, and that's partly my fault. I should have kept a closer eye on you so we're all in this boat together. What say we get this place cleaned up, so at least your folks don't come home to a dirty house." He stood up and began carrying dirty dishes into the kitchen.
He was secretly glad that Chris had decided to 'fess up to his sister. He was that much closer to being able to tell his parents what he'd done. And it proved to Johnny that he was right about the boy. His father would be proud of him....after he got over his initial anger.
"Chris, can you take J.D. in and get him cleaned up and dressed?"
"J.D.?" he asked confused at first. "You mean, little John?"
"You changed his name?" Jennifer asked, incredulous.
"I didn't change it. I just gave him a nickname," Johnny explained.
"And we thought we were in trouble," Jennifer told her brother. "He changed the baby's name!"
"I didn't change it! I told you, it's just a nickname!"
"Why?" Chris asked.
"Because I got tired of us being called Big John and Little John all the time."
Chris thought about that. "J.D., huh? Well, at least it's a cool nickname." He reached down to pull the baby from the highchair. "Well, J.D., let's get you cleaned up, so when Mom and Dad come home, they'll know that Uncle Johnny just changed your name, but the kid's still the same."
Johnny gave him a disgusted look as he left the room, then went back to washing the dishes. At least he's calling me Uncle again, he thought. That's a start.
*******
By late that afternoon, the house was cleaned up. Johnny and Jennifer had even finished a couple of loads of laundry, and Chris was cutting the grass. He knew his father had wanted to cut it before he left, but hadn't had time. He also knew that that wouldn't get him off the hook with his dad over the cigarette thing when Roy heard about it. But it would be a start. And it got him out of the house for a bit, while he tried to think of the best way to really apologize to Johnny.
Johnny had gone into the kitchen to refresh his glass of iced tea, when he heard the front door open.
"Anybody home?" called Roy.
"In here," he answered, joining the couple in the living room. "How was the weekend?'
As Joanne and Roy walked into the living room, they gazed around like they'd entered the wrong home. They had expected to find the place a mess, figuring Johnny would have been so harried by having to deal with all three kids over the weekend, that he wouldn't have had time to keep things straightened up.
"Uh, it was great, Johnny," Roy replied. "How did everything go here?"
"Oh, fine, just a couple of minor disasters."
"Minor...." Roy began
"....disasters?" Joanne completed the question.
"Yeah, your youngest is teething. You know, I didn't realize how cranky kids can be when they have teeth coming in. That boy hardly slept all weekend. And Jennifer managed to break her arm," he explained, hoping that by saying it in a calm, matter-or-fact way, Joanne wouldn't get too upset.
"She broke her arm?!' Joanne exclaimed, the mother in her getting very upset. "How? Where is she? Is she okay?"
"She's fine, Joanne. She's on the deck with your other two rug-rats."
Joanne gave him a look of disgust. She hated that name for her kids, but Johnny liked to tease her with it periodically. Then she raced outside to make see for herself that her babies were okay. Roy and Johnny could hear the kids yelling at their mom in greeting.
"So, uh, everything went okay this weekend, John?" asked Roy. "The place looks great. You know you didn't have to clean up."
"Oh, the kids did most of the work. Well Chris did, anyway, since Jennifer can't lift too much with a cast on her arm. They even managed to cook breakfast this morning before I woke up."
"Who cut the grass?"
"Chris did. He's just finishing up the back lawn now."
"On his own? You didn't ask him to do it?"
"No, Roy, I didn't ask him." Johnny chuckled.
"Okay, Gage, what have you done with my kids?" Roy accused him.
"What are you talking about, Roy? I told you, they're..."
"Those can't be my kids, Johnny. MY son doesn't volunteer to cut the grass." Roy set down the suitcase he'd been holding, then headed out to the deck. He and Johnny stepped outside just in time to hear Joanne scolding Jennifer for climbing on the railing.
"You were on the railing?" Roy asked. When Jennifer nodded and stared at her feet, he turned back to Johnny. "I take it back. She's mine, for sure."
Chris was standing off to the side, watching Johnny and his father. Joanne motioned for him to come over and give her a hug, which he did. "And where is the baby?" she asked, her arms wrapped around her two older children.
"Oh, J.D.'s taking a nap, Mom," Chris told her, pointing to the playpen sitting in the shade on the deck.
"J.D.?" she asked, a confused look on her face as she glanced at Roy, who turned to look at his partner.
"Yeah, ah, we...I...gave him a nickname..." Johnny answered, rather lamely.
"Why would you want to change my son's name?" Roy asked. "I mean, we named him after you, pal. I thought you'd take that as a compliment!"
Johnny stammered, trying to explain the circumstances surrounding the adoption of this particular name for the baby. "Roy...it is a compliment...you know that," he assured his partner. "I just...it's just that....well, frankly, I got tired of being BIG Johnny all the time. Besides, the kid needs his own identity," he finished.
"The kid does, or you do, Johnny?" Roy smiled as his friend's discomfort.
"Well, maybe we both do," he admitted. "Roy, don't get me wrong. I really am flattered that you named your son after me. I think it's great. Nobody's ever done anything like that for me before. But whenever I talk to him, I feel like I'm holding a conversation with myself."
"Oh, and you've never done that before, have you?" Roy commented, sarcastically.
"Roy..." Johnny began.
"Okay, you two, knock it off," Joanne chuckled. "So, what else did you all do this weekend? Chris, how was your soccer game?"
"Oh, ah, fine Mom, we won and I scored 2 goals," he said, still preoccupied with having to confess his sins.
"Two goals! Chris, that's great!" Roy exclaimed, wandering why his son didn't seem more excited about it. "Chris, is everything okay? You seem a little down."
Chris looked at his father, then at Johnny and Jennifer. Johnny sensed that Chris wanted to tell his father everything now, to get it over with. And he still remembered Chris' cutting words to him about not really being a part of the family. So he decided to leave the family to discuss it in peace and to give Chris some room to speak with his parents on his own.
"Ah, Roy, I think I'll head on home," Johnny said.
"Johnny, I thought you were staying for dinner," Joanne said.
"Yeah, we were gonna barbeque," Roy added.
"Yeah, well, I'm really tired. I think I should just go."
"Uncle Johnny, please don't go," Chris said, walking over to him now. He swallowed and took a deep breath. "Uncle Johnny, I'm really sorry for what I said yesterday. I know I hurt your feelings. I didn't mean it. I was just scared."
Roy and Joanne exchanged looks of confusion. What had their son said to Johnny to cause him to make this kind of apology. They watched as Chris stared at the deck, his hands in his pockets, biting his bottom lip.
"Please, Uncle Johnny, I want you to stay. You really are a part of this family. You can't just leave. I mean we adopted you...it'd be like you were divorcing us." He looked up, hopefully.
"You seemed pretty sure of yourself yesterday, Chris."
"I know. I was wrong. Everything you said about me being a man...you were right. I guess I'm not as grown up as I want to be." He looked up at Johnny, then glanced at his parents. "Will you at least stay while I tell Mom and Dad what happened?"
Now Roy and Joanne were really confused...and concerned. It sounded like something serious had occurred. Serious enough for Johnny to want to leave, and for Chris to have to apologize for something he'd said.
"If you really want me to, I'll stay," Johnny told him. "But that doesn't change the fact that you said some really hurtful things, Chris."
"I know. I wish I could take 'em back, but I can't. I just....I'm sorry, Uncle John. It was stupid to say what I did. And I really want you to stay. I really need you to stay. Please."
Johnny nodded, feeling Roy and Joanne's eyes on him and Chris. The teen turned back around to face his parents.
"Mom. Dad. I have something to tell you that you're not gonna like. I think maybe you should sit down."
Roy started to speak, but Joanne just took his hand, and they sat down at the picnic table. Chris took a seat on the bench opposite them, as Jennifer sat down next to her brother. He looked over at her, and she smiled at him, giving her support to her big brother.
Johnny stood off to the side, not really wanting to get involved in Chris' talk with his parents, but staying because he'd promised.
Chris took a deep breath, nervously glancing at both his parents, then staring off in the distance over their shoulders. "Mom, Dad, I'm sorry. I did something yesterday that you always told me not to. I shouldn't have done it. It was wrong." He hesitated, glancing back at Johnny, who was now sitting in a chair behind him. Roy and Joanne looked at Gage, too. He obviously knew what was going on, as did Jennifer. Everybody knew but them.
"Chris, just tell us what happened," Roy said, impatiently.
"Johnny....Uncle Johnny, caught me smoking," he said, wincing at the anticipated backlash from across the table.
"Smoking!? Chris, what's wrong with you?! How many times have we told you that smoking will hurt you?" Roy exploded. Roy jumped up from his seat and started pacing across the deck. "Dammit, Christopher, I can't believe you'd do this! Didn't you learn anything when your grandfather died? Do you remember how hard it was on your Mom? Do you really want her to go through that again? Because I guarantee you, it'll be harder for her if it's one of her children!" He spun around, eyes blazing, his fury directed at his son. "You know what this means, don't you?"
"Yes, Dad," Chris sighed in resignation. "I'm grounded forever."
"Grounded?" said Joanne. "Oh, this is much bigger than that, Chris. This goes way beyond being grounded." She was mad, but a calm mad, which Chris knew was the worst kind. When she stayed calm, she stayed madder longer.
"You're setting a really good example for your brother and sister," she said sarcastically. "Did Jennifer see you smoking as well?"
"No, Mom, I was in the garage. I didn't even know that Jennifer and Uncle John were back from the hospital yet. I thought...."
"You thought?!" Roy exclaimed. "You weren't thinking, Chris. You decided to sneak around for a smoke, even knowing that your little sister had been hurt and was at the hospital. I'm ashamed of you, Chris! You know better." He turned to Johnny. "What did you do with the cigarettes?"
"I don't know where they are, Roy. You'll have to ask Chris."
"What?! You didn't even take them away from him?! Geez, I leave you with my kids for two days, and come home to find one in a cast and one smoking!"
"Roy! Stop it!" Joanne tried to calm him. "None of this is Johnny's fault. Jennifer had an accident, nothing more. She's fallen off that railing any number of times in the past. This was bound to happen sooner or later. And this thing with Chris didn't happen over night. You said yourself that he's been hanging around with some older boys that you didn't like the looks of." She glanced at Chris. "I'd venture to guess one of them was involved in this...am I right, Chris?"
Chris looked at his mother, seeing the hurt and shame on her face, wanting for all the world to blame this on somebody else. But he'd just seen his own father try to blame it on Johnny and he knew it wasn't Johnny's fault, either.
"No, Mom, you're wrong. This was all my fault. I was doing something I shouldn't have been doing. It's not Johnny's fault and it's not anybody else's fault. Just mine. And I'm really, really sorry." His eyes started to tear up as he looked at his Mom. "And I'll never do it again."
Jennifer moved over closer to her brother and put an arm around him. They may fight a lot, but he was still her brother. She didn't think she'd ever seen her dad so angry before and she wanted Chris to know that someone was on his side. She knew it was hard for him to admit what he'd done. It had been hard for her to tell her mom that she had been climbing on the deck railing, and that wasn't nearly as bad as what Chris did.
Joanne moved around to the opposite side of the table and hugged her kids. She knew they would both have to be punished for disobeying them, but she and Roy would have to discuss what would be appropriate.
Roy was still mad... at Chris...at Johnny....but mostly at himself. He had seen something like this coming, and hadn't known how to prevent it. He and Joanne had lectured their children over and over about smoking, and still Chris disobeyed them. Roy wondered what he was doing wrong.
He sat back down at the table across from his family, watched as his son turned frightened eyes toward him. He felt like he'd failed his son, somehow. He took a deep breath, trying to calm down before speaking again.
"Chris, you know you're going to be punished. You both will be, for disobeying us. But right now, I'm just too angry to talk to you about this. I think you should both go to your rooms for a while and give us time to think."
Chris and Jennifer stood up, and Jennifer started toward the door. But Chris hesitated. "Dad, I'm not done with the yard yet. I'd like to finish it."
"Later, Chris. You can finish it later."
Nodding, Chris followed his sister inside. Roy and Joanne stayed outside for a few minutes, talking. Neither realized that Johnny was no longer on the deck with them, until Roy turned to talk to him, to apologize, and noticed he was gone. He hoped he hadn't left.
As he went inside and down the hall to the room Johnny had been staying in, he stopped when he heard Chris' voice coming from the room. "....and I just wanted to tell you again how sorry I am, Uncle Johnny. I know I hurt you when I said that, and I just want you to know that I really didn't mean it. I was mad and I was scared."
"Chris, I know you were scared...and mad. Believe me, I've been there. Ask your Dad, I've said some really stupid things in my time. But I've tried to never say hurtful things. Now, I must admit, I haven't alway been successful. And I felt bad about it. Face it Chris, this won't be the last time you'll say something you'll later regret. It's gonna happened all your life, especially when you start dating. Hell, you'll always been saying the wrong thing around a woman."
"Yeah, that's what Dad says, too," he said with a smile, before turning serious again. "Johnny, is Dad mad at you for what happened? Does he blame you for Jennifer getting hurt and me smoking? 'Cuz he really shouldn't blame you. We both knew what we were doing was wrong."
"In that regard, Chris, I think your dad reacted the same way you did when I found you in the garage. He was scared and he was mad, and he just lashed out. I probably should have taken those smokes away from you, but I didn't think about it at the time. I just kept hearing you tell me I wasn't really a part of your family, and that hurt so much, I wasn't really thinking about anything else. “You know, your Mom and Dad and you kids have always made me feel welcome here, and when you said that, I felt liked I'd been kicked in the gut. That's why I walked away. I was angry and didn't want to say something hurtful back to you and make things worse."
Roy stood outside the door, not believing what he'd just heard. ‘Chris had told Johnny that he wasn't a real part of the family? After all these years, that had to have hurt Johnny's feelings. No wonder there was so much tension between the two of them. Damn, that must have been one helluva conversation those two had. And then to top off the weekend, I go and blame him for what happened to Jen and Chris. Wonderful, Roy! Great way to treat your best friend. ‘
"You will come back, though, won't you, Uncle Johnny?" Chris pleaded. Roy walked into the room them, and walked up behind his son, placing his hands first on Chris' shoulders, then wrapping his arms around him.
"Yeah, Johnny, you will come back, won't you?" Roy asked, smiling at his partner. "I apologize, too, John. I never should have blamed you for what happened. You were kind enough to help us out and then I dump all my anger on you. These are my kids, and I should have taken the responsibility for what they did. I guess my son has some of my worst qualities."
"He also has some of your best, Roy. He stood up to you, told you himself what happened. That took a lot courage," Johnny reminded him.
"Yeah, I know," Roy said, looking down at Chris. "I know it did, and I respect him for that. But that doesn't make what he did right, and he knows that...don't you Chris?"
"Yes, Dad, I do. I should go to my room now, before I get in more trouble." Releasing himself from his father's embrace, he walked over to Johnny and gave him a hug. "Bye, Uncle Johnny. Thanks for taking care of us this weekend. I'm sorry we made it so rough on you."
"I forgive you, Chris. I hope we can still be friends. You keep an eye and Jen and J.D. for me, okay."
"I will. And Uncle Johnny...we are friends," Chris assured him, as he left the room.
"That sounds like you're not staying for dinner after all," Roy commented. "I hope it's not because of what I said. I really don't blame you for what happened."
"I know that, Roy. But Chris is right about one thing. I'm really not a part of this family...."
"Johnny..." Roy tried to interupt.
"No, let me finish," Johnny told him, raising a hand. "Don't get me wrong, Roy. I feel more a part of your family than I do my own sometimes. But, you and Joanne need to work this out with Chris and Jennifer. As much as I enjoy being here, and spending time with all of you, this is something that I really shouldn't be involved in. It's between the four of you and you need to work it out without me here."
"Thanks, John, I'm glad you understand. I just wanted to make sure you know that you are still welcome here, anytime."
"I know partner. Just, ah, just don't ask me to babysit again for awhile. I don't think my heart can take it."
They both laughed as Roy helped Johnny carry his luggage out into the living room. Johnny said good bye to Joanne, who was disappointed that he wasn't staying, but understood his reasons behind it. And agreed with them. This was a family thing that she and Roy needed to work out.
"Well, J.D.," Johnny said, taking the baby from Joanne. "I guess this is it for a while. Don't keep your folks up all night, ya hear. I have a feeling they're gonna need their rest. And I, for one, am glad to be going home, so I can actually sleep through the night. Don't get me wrong, kiddo, I love seeing you, but you sure are cranky when you don't get enough sleep."
"Sounds like that other John Roderick," Roy teased.
"Hey, hey, be nice," Johnny said. "Remember, he's my namesake. He doesn't take kindly to anyone making disparaging remarks about me. Isn't that right, J.D.?" And little J.D. chose that moment to burp, spitting up all over Johnny's shoulder.
"Speaking of disparaging remarks..." Roy commented, as Johnny handed the baby to his father, and accepting a towel from Joanne so he could wipe off his shirt.
"Everybody's a comedian," Johnny said. He leaned over and pointed his finger at J.D. "Someday, kiddo, as soon as you're old enough to understand me, you and I are going to have a long talk." J.D. grabbed Johnny's finger and shoved it in his mouth, chomping down with his one tooth.
"Ow! Geez, Joanne, get that kid a teething ring, would ya?" he said, as he retrieved his finger and reached for this bag.
"Johnny, thanks again for taking care of the kids," Joanne told him, giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "We really appreciate it. The weekend away was wonderful."
"The coming back wasn't so great though, huh?" Johnny replied with a grimace.
"Oh, I don't know. Even with everything that happened, we're all still together. It could have been worse. I'm just glad that you were here with them. At least when Jen fell, she knew that someone was there who knew what to do. Before we left, you told me to trust you. That you would take care of our kids. And you did. And I'm grateful. And I expect to see you here for dinner next Sunday, is that clear?"
"Yes, ma'am," he told her, cracking a smile and laughing along with Roy. "I'll bring the beer."
Joanne, Roy and J.D. walked him to his Land Rover, and watched him drive down the street. Then they turned and entered the house. They had a lot to deal with that night. Some heavy conversations were due with their children. They might as well get started.
*Author's notes....first of all I want to thank Tangee for all her suggestions and help with this story..
*And to everyone on the mailing list, thanks for your input on the different things a baby can get into and what a 7 mo old is like...between y'all and my own mother's stories about me and my siblings, I think I found a few things to use here...*Deb and Shawn- thanks for proofreading it for me..Shawn, thanks for letting me fiddle around with baby DeSoto's name
***And for anyone interested, the tape I referred to in this story is one that I listen to often...It's called Migration, by Peter Kater and R. Carlos Nakai...it is beautiful and has helped me unwind after a bad day at the PD on any number of occasions. I recommend it to anyone who wants a bit of relaxing, earthy music to watch the stars by...I guarantee, it'll make you feel at peace. This music and a mountain view and I know I would be in heaven.
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