First Class Farewell (3 page)

The waitress delivered their food and with gusto, they each
devoured the noodles placed before them.

“Sticky rice and mangoes?” Matt asked Janie as they finished
their entrees.

Janie was non-committal in her response.

“You’re gonna need your carbs when we get home,” he winked.

“Okay, then,” she laughed.

*****

The view from their bedroom window was glorious. With sweat
dripping from their joined bodies, Janie’s legs still wrapped around her
husband’s waist, she leaned back on the desk and gazed at Lady Liberty.

“I’m so glad we didn’t move our bedroom when we remodeled. I
can’t imagine not having this view.”

“Me either,” Matt agreed, although he was looking at his
wife’s breasts as he spoke.

Janie giggled and threw her arms around his neck and hugged
him tightly. “We’d better get dressed. The kids will be here shortly and I
don’t think you could talk your way out this,” she laughed.

With a quick kiss on her forehead, Matt released her and
helped her off the desk and into the sprawling marble bathroom. Cleaned up and
dressed, they walked hand in hand through to the kitchen where Janie began
making a batch of oatmeal cookies in preparation for an afterschool snack for
her kids, although she knew Matt would eat most of them.

It wasn’t long before the sounds of backpacks being dropped
on the floor and three identifiable voices were heard and the kitchen once
again became the heart of their home. Ray declined the offer of cookies and
milk and headed down to the garage to clean the car. Both children said goodbye
to him and then climbed up to the island and impatiently waited for their
mother to retrieve the first batch from the oven.

With glasses of milk for Ella and Christopher and coffee for
Matt, the three of them devoured the first plate of twelve cookies in less than
two minutes. Janie just smiled as she continued to drop scoops of cookie dough
onto the baking sheets.

The sound of the front door closing had all eyes looking up
as Adam sauntered into the kitchen.

“I see I arrived at the perfect moment,” he grinned and
hugged his mom.

“Adam! What a terrific surprise. I thought you’d be
working,” she said as she grabbed a glass from the cupboard. Pouring him some
milk, she put the glass on the island in front of the empty stool.

“I took the afternoon off.”

His statement took Matt by surprise. His stepson was one of
the hardest working men he knew. As a pediatrician with a booming practice,
time off was one thing Adam didn’t do.

“And you came here?” Janie asked.

“To see you guys,” he grinned at Ella and Christopher and
gave them both a hug.

“Can you stay for dinner?” Janie was hopeful to have some
time with her son.

“Nah,” Adam shook his head. “I promised Shelby I’d help her
study. She has exams starting on Monday.”

And there it is
, Matt thought. Over the past few
years, Matt had wondered what Adam and Shelby’s relationship was. Yes, they
were basically family, although not related in any way. Shelby was a very close
friend of Katy’s, Matt’s sister-in-law. In fact, she was more like a surrogate
daughter. And while Matt considered Adam his son, they were not biologically
related at all. At family gatherings, Adam and Shelby seemed to spend a lot of
time together, but there had never been anything out of the ordinary…never any
signs that they were anything more than friends. Matt, however, wondered if he
was just missing something. Now to hear that Adam would take time off work to
help her study had him questioning even more.

“This is it, right?” Matt asked. “She graduates next month?”

“Yep. Just has to get through finals and she’s all done with
school. Then comes the hard part,” Adam nodded.

“What could be harder than school?” Ella asked.

“When you want to be a doctor, you have to go to school for
a long time and then you have work in a hospital and that’s usually harder than
school,” Adam told his little sister.

“You don’t work in a hospital,” Christopher noted.

“Well, not very often,” Adam agreed. “But I did until just a
couple of years ago. And it was hard work.”

“Is Shelby going to be a doctor like you? Will she be our
doctor, too?” Ella asked.

Adam shook his head. “Nope. I’m your pediatrician and you
get to come and see me until you go to college. Shelby is going to be another
kind of doctor.”

Ella and Christopher took another cookie leaving Janie an
opportunity to talk to her son. “So where’s Shelby then?”

“She had lunch with some friends. I’m going to meet up with
her in a just a bit but I had a few minutes to kill so I figured I’d swing by
and say hi.”

“Well, I’m glad you did,” Janie smiled. “If only Tyler were
here,” she sighed.

“He’s in Berlin ‘til Saturday,” Adam informed his parents.
“He said he’d be back for Sunday dinner.”

Adam turned his attention to his younger siblings. At first,
it had been strange for him to have a younger brother and sister. After all,
he’d been in his mid-twenties when they’d been born. Now, however, he couldn’t
imagine life without them. He adored them and they, in turn, adored him. He was
their big brother, their pediatrician, and he loved them dearly.

After almost thirty minutes of chatting with his family,
Adam said his goodbyes and the children went to the family room with their
father to do their homework. That left Janie to tidy up the kitchen and begin
preparing dinner. As she unloaded the dishwasher, and absent-mindedly opened
drawers and cupboards putting things away, her mind drifted over the past few
years and the happiness she felt.

Still madly in love with her husband, Janie thanked God
every day for meeting him in the Portland airport all those years ago. Their
life had been blessed with two beautiful and healthy children, a lovely home,
and a comfortable life. She acknowledged her blessings and was grateful for
them.

As she peeled potatoes for dinner, Janie couldn’t help but
smile. Life was simply marvelous. The telephone rang and interrupted her
thoughts. Wiping her hands on a tea towel, she smiled as she saw her in-law’s
name appear on the Caller I.D.

“Hello.”

“Janie?”

“Oh, Liko. Hello.”

But as she heard the words come through the phone, the smile
disappeared from her face and she suddenly felt ill.

“Matt!” she screamed, with her hand covering the phone.
“God, no!” she cried. “Matt!”

Typically, Thursdays were Katy’s favorite day of the week.
Monday was the day Mark spent at the office. Tuesdays and Wednesdays were the
days that Katy volunteered at the women’s shelter. But Thursday was the day
that began the long weekend that she fiercely protected as family time. Whether
it was just her and Mark, or with Derek, or Shelby, or the whole family, Katy
loved the promise of Thursdays and the weekend.

“You’re married to an old man,” Mark chuckled as he swung
his legs over the side of the bed and sat up. “I sound like a bowl of Rice
Krispies when I move.”

“I’ll take some snap, crackle and pop,” Katy grinned. “A hot
shower will warm up those joints. I’ll even join you.”

“Well, that’s an offer I’m not going to refuse,” Mark
replied. “Get your ass out of bed and go and start the water then, woman!”

Katy threw her head back and laughed loudly. “If you want me
to do your bidding, that’s definitely the
wrong
way to go about it.”

Mark grinned. “How about this then? Once the water is warm
and my muscles are loosened, I’ll make you scream with pleasure,” he said with
a low growl.

“That, my dear husband, will get me out of bed and starting
the shower,” she giggled as she leapt from the bed and ran to the bathroom.

*****

Even though they had recently celebrated their eighth
wedding anniversary, Mark and Katy still acted like newlyweds. They held hands
constantly and Mark was not afraid to show public displays of affection with
his wife. They were very much in love and deeply committed to one another and
they still enjoyed spending time together. The day’s itinerary confirmed that
fact.

After a bowl of cereal and a piece of whole wheat toast,
they loaded a picnic basket into the trunk of their car, strapped their bikes
onto the roof rack and left the city for a bike trail in Connecticut. The drive
took only about an hour and a half and then they had helmets on and they were
off. The morning air was still a tad cool but the exercise put color in their
cheeks as they climbed hills and whizzed down the other side. After a couple of
hours of wondrous fun, they arrived back at the car. With a blanket and their
lunch, under a tall tree made a perfect spot for a cozy picnic.

Bottles of cold water provided instant relief for their
parched throats and with her legs crossed, Katy proceeded to serve lunch.
Broccoli salad and hummus with pita chips were first out of the basket,
followed by croissants filled with creamy chicken salad. Mark uncorked the
bottle of Pino Grigio and Katy unwrapped the glasses wrapped in linen napkins
for their protection.

As they ate, they recalled their favorite parts of the trail
they’d just ridden and reviewed the map and decided on the trail they would
take after lunch. They’d picked the hardest one for their first ride and would
take on one not nearly as difficult for their afternoon exercise before heading
back to the city and dinner at The Bourbon.

“You can go in front this time,” Mark said as he scooped a
blob of the smooth hummus onto a chip.

“Okay,” she replied.

“I want to watch your ass,” he grinned and winked.

Katy smiled and kissed the tip of his nose. She poured some
more wine in their glasses and then re-corked the bottle and laid it in the
bottom of the wicker basket. “You can watch my ass anytime.”

“I know,” Mark said. “And I do.”

Katy chuckled and continued repacking the basket. Mark’s
cell phone rang and he frowned as he read the caller’s name.

“I’ll try to make it brief,” he said as he answered. Saying
hello to Ryan, the company’s CFO, Mark scrambled to his feet and wandered off
leaving Katy to lie back on the blanket and watch the leaves rustle in the
slight breeze overhead. She closed her eyes, her husband’s faint voice and the
sound of the trees relaxing her.

When she reopened her eyes, Mark was snuggled next to her,
breathing softly. She’d fallen asleep…and so had he. The wine and the energetic
bike ride had allowed her to drift off without her even realizing it. Katy
watched the fluffy white clouds in the sky as they drifted slowly, changing
shape.
So much for another ride,
she smiled, although it had been a
wonderful way to spend the afternoon, enjoying the sun and the trees.

She glanced at her watch and was shocked to see that she’d
slept for an hour, but she didn’t move. She remained in the safety and comfort
of her husband’s arms and enjoyed the moment.

On the ride back to the city, thirty minutes later, Mark had
admitted that she’d looked so peaceful when he returned to her after finishing
his phone call that he didn’t have the heart to wake her, although he never
imagined that he’d fall asleep, too.

“It’s a sign of old age,” he muttered.

Katy laughed. They were in the throes of middle age, of that
she couldn’t deny. But they were young middle-aged, if there were such a thing.
She refused to grow old before her time. Just as she was about to inform her
husband that they still had many,
many
years before they reached the age
of
old
, Mark’s phone starting buzzing again. He pulled it from the
console of the car and read Matt’s name. He handed Katy the phone and she
answered the call.

“Hey, Matt,” she smiled as she answered. “He’s driving but I
can put you on speaker.”

Mark stopped the car at the red light after turning off the
Henry Hudson Parkway. He watched Katy’s expression change, and when she said,
“we’ll be right there,” his heart stopped for a moment. This wasn’t going to be
good.

They’d met at a party, both invited by a mutual friend.
They’d attended the same university in Seattle but didn’t meet until a month
before graduation. It wasn’t love at first sight. In fact, after that night,
they didn’t see each other again for five years, when once again, they were
both invited to a party by a mutual friend, this time in New York City.

Andrew was establishing himself as a successful stock
broker, working for a major powerhouse in the business. Rory, now an attorney,
left the west coast and the family who no longer accepted him for being an
openly gay man, and moved as far away as possible. He’d hoped New York would be
a good fit and after taking another bar prep course, and another bar exam, he
found himself working in a small law firm and building his reputation as an
excellent attorney.

The party was for a mutual friend who had recently been
declared cancer free and was throwing a bash that rivalled that of New Years’
Eve. Andrew and Rory were surprised to come face to face at the bar. They ended
up spending most of the night talking and getting to know each other and as the
saying goes, the rest was history. Now, well over twenty years later, they were
married with two children and praying a third would grace their family soon.

“There is no way in hell you are leaving the house dressed
like that!” Rory exclaimed as Isabelle arrived for breakfast.

“What’s wrong with it?” she asked.

Andrew sighed, knowing that arguing with their eight year
old daughter was an uphill battle and neither side ever won. “Father James will
not allow the uniform to be…to be changed.”

Isabelle had somehow shortened her pleated grey skirt, and
she hadn’t done it well, but Andrew had to give her an A for effort.

“What did you do?” Rory asked and lifted the hem to find an
ugly mess of masking tape barely holding the new hem in place. “Oh, no!” he
shook his head. “It’s all coming off. And undo that ridiculous knot in your
shirt.”

“But all the girls do it,” she whined.

“All the girls where?” Andrew asked.

“On TV,” she shrugged.

“Good grief,” Rory muttered. “Masking tape off! Shirt untied
and tucked in, and take the sneakers off and put on your black shoes.”

“Fine!” she pouted. “When can I start wearing makeup?”

Andrew ran his hand through his hair and leaned back in his
chair. “You are a beautiful girl. You don’t need to muddy up your face with
that junk.”

“You sound just like Grandma,” she sighed.

“Oh God,” Andrew muttered.

At that moment, Joseph decided he didn’t want the cereal on
the table and threw it on the floor. Rory slid from his chair and knelt in
front of their five year old son and tenderly took his hand and caressed his
arm. Massage always helped Joseph to calm down. He rarely spoke but managed to
make his feelings known. Rory and Tilly, their nanny, were the only ones that
were able to soothe him once a tantrum began. The two fathers had become
experts on autism and Joseph had in fact blossomed in their home.

Joseph had come to the Lathem-Jeffers home when he was
eighteen months old. A ward of the state, his parents had signed away all
parental rights when they were unable to control his outbursts and tantrums.
He’d been in foster care for a little over three months when Rory heard about
him at a luncheon when he overheard another attorney talking about the sad
situation. Without telling Andrew, he’d contacted the Department of Child
Services and had even questioned them on the possibility of adoption. Then,
tactfully and cautiously, he’d broached the subject with Andrew one evening
when the conversation had drifted to adding another child to their family. As
expected, Andrew was wary of taking on a child with such special needs, but
Rory had pleaded the case well, being an exceptional litigator.

“The boy needs love and we have that in abundance. He needs
security and we can offer that, too. He needs someone with resources to secure
the best therapists and schools available and we can also do that. We have all
he needs. I think we should meet him and see how it goes.”

And so they did. It took almost an hour before Joseph would
approach them, but after he had, he grabbed onto Rory’s leg and refused to let
go. There was no way Andrew could deny the bond between father and son that was
already forming. It only took a couple of weeks before Joseph was placed with
his new family, as they had already completed the foster parent licensing
process before they adopted Isabelle. But it took several weeks before Joseph
warmed up to Andrew, and once he had there was no doubt they loved each other
unconditionally. It was Rory however, that was able to stop the tantrums before
they started, at least some of the time.

Now at five years old, in the care of his loving parents for
over three years, amazing progress was being made every day. The cereal box
being knocked from the table was no longer accompanied by screaming and
flailing limbs. It was just the box being thrown to the floor. Progress indeed.

As Rory rubbed Joseph’s arm and shoulders, Andrew jumped up
and opened the cupboard that held the boxes of cereal. “This one?” he asked.
Joseph didn’t react. “How about this one?” Andrew pulled another box from the
shelf. Again, no reaction. As Andrew pulled the third box out, Joseph wiggled
and then smiled. “Lucky Charms it is,” he grinned and kissed Joseph on the
cheek as he poured the cereal into his bowl. The two men looked at each other
and smiled. Breakfast could now begin.

*****

“Joseph, I need you to get in the car so we can go to
school. Tilly will bring you home in a taxi.” Rory tried to keep his voice calm
and even. The problem was they had this conversation
every
morning.

Taxis were Joseph’s favorite form of transportation. He
hated the subway, refusing to even go down the steps. Busses were absolutely
out of the question. Their car was tolerable but taxis were preferred.

“Please?” Rory pleaded. “We have to get you to school. Mrs.
Adams is waiting for you.”

Joseph, visibly irritated they weren’t going in a taxi,
finally climbed into the back seat and into his booster seat. With a sigh, Rory
strapped him in and checked Isabelle’s seatbelt before climbing into the
driver’s seat and setting off for St. Luke’s.

There were five kids in Joseph’s class, all autistic. There
was one teacher, Mrs. Adams, and two aides. The school would be hiring another
aide especially for Joseph when he entered 1
^st
grade in the fall.
The donation that Andrew and Rory made each year would be going to pay their
salary so Father James had even offered them a place on the interview panel, to
which they readily agreed. Andrew was now on the school board. He had taken his
mother’s place when she’d finally resigned after thirty years, so it wasn’t out
of the ordinary for him to sit in on interviews.

As Rory pulled up in front of the school, he double parked
and ran around to help Joseph from the car. One of the aides was waiting for
him and Joseph went with her after giving his dad a big hug and a wet kiss on
the lips. Rory grinned as he wiped his mouth and waved to Isabelle as she
headed into the brick building. She didn’t return the wave, obviously still
upset at the hem of her skirt being lowered back to its original length. Rory
chuckled to himself as he jumped back into the car and drove to his office.

He was incredibly fortunate to scale back his hours now that
he was a father. He and Andrew treated their professional lives equally,
neither job was more important than the other. It was imperative that they both
were hands-on fathers. They decided from the very beginning that they would not
leave the raising of any children they had to someone else. Andrew left for
work first, leaving Rory to get the kids to school. Tilly, their nanny, picked
up Joseph at school and brought him home, in a taxi. She worked with him on
muscle control and music therapy, along with basic things like colors and
numbers. Andrew left work first and picked up Isabelle on his way home. Then
Rory met them in time for dinner and Tilly went home.

They had a housekeeper who made them dinner on the weekdays
as neither Andrew nor Rory could cook. Their life before children consisted of
eating out every night, but that was no longer an option. A nice home cooked
meal as they all sat around the table was the preferred method and Agnes was an
angel sent by God himself to their family. She took care of them like they were
her own family.

This particular Thursday went just as any other day did.
Andrew left for work. The kids were dropped off at school. Tilly left a message
with his secretary when they arrived home safely just after one o’clock. Andrew
left work at three and took a cab to St. Luke’s and picked up Isabelle who was
sitting on the brick wall as she always did. On the ride home they talked about
what had happened at school, Isabelle chatting away like normal. It wasn’t
until they arrived home and were all sitting at the table having some cookies
and milk that Agnes had made earlier in the afternoon, when it all changed.

The phone rang. It was Matt.