"Shh! Salma wasn't expecting it either, but that's exactly what she is. She's so excited, but she is trying to keep it contained until Ben finds out," Caeli informed him.
"So, you two did all that nonsense earlier in order to run a pregnancy test on Salma?" Vin laughed quieter this time.
"Most of it was legit. Salma insisted that we check my blood while we were in there. She was having difficulty accepting my situation, since we didn't give her any of the specific details of how it happened. I think she wanted Max to be mistaken about her condition, too, just so that I wouldn't be sad. I finally convinced her that her news should be happy, regardless. And I am truly happy for her and Ben."
"So Salma verified that your blood work was good?" Vin liked the idea of confirming Caeli's health, though he knew Raphael's work would be impeccable.
"Yes. After every test Salma could think of, she gave me a fairly clean bill of health. We did try our best to make it look much more complicated. It's quite a challenge to hide anything from you or Ben. Until now, I thought we did a pretty good job of muddying the water," Caeli explained.
"Well, Salma didn't quite have your finesse with the napkin trick. If not for that, I don't think I would have figured it out. Don't worry. Her secret's safe. I think this is fantastic for them, but between you and me, aren't they a little old to be having a kid?"
"Older than average, sure, but not too old at all. Plus, they are both healthy, perfectly capable..."
"Obviously!" Vin let that one speak for itself.
"Stop it! You're terrible. Besides, she and Ben are only forty eight." Caeli couldn't restrain a small, shared laugh.
"Ben's forty nine now," Vin corrected.
"Anyway, if people older and less suited than they are can still have kids, then I don’t' see any reason at all why they shouldn't. They are going to be fabulous parents. Better a little later than never," Caeli smiled.
"I completely agree. I can't wait to see Ben's reaction. It's going to be priceless. I'm sure he will be thrilled after the initial shock wears off," Vin chuckled.
"Let's hope he doesn't have a coffee cup in his hand," Caeli laughed with Vin and then returned to the kitchen where she left him with a parting kiss and went back to work.
"I like the idea. It sounds like fun, provided the weather holds. That storm is still sitting offshore. The weather reports don't know what to make of its odd behavior this week. But, if it stays put, it will be good to end the week on a positive note," Ben was saying to Maku as Vin returned. They were looking at a piece of paper Maku had placed on the counter.
"I figured that you hadn't been following it, given what's been going on here. I hoped you would agree," Maku answered.
"I think it will be good for them, but I'm not sure you will be able to convince Vin," Ben replied.
"Convince me about what?" Vin asked as he walked up.
The three men talked for a while, making plans of their own while they waited for dinner. It wasn't long before Colonel Franks and Jeremy returned and joined the guys in the lounge. They were carrying several packages wrapped in emerald green paper; Max's favorite color.
Apela left Caeli and Salma in the kitchen and joined everyone else in the lounge. Max convinced his father to let him open his birthday presents before dinner, now that all his friends and family were there. Within minutes, shreds of green paper were flying in all directions. Apela made a vain attempt to collect them, but Max unwrapped too quickly for him to keep up. In less than ten minutes, Max had opened all of his gifts and waited anxiously to play with those that were toys.
Vin hooked up the laptop computer that he and Caeli bought for him. Vin had phoned in the order to a local retail store earlier, and Jeremy was kind enough to pick it up for them on the way back to the hotel. They wanted Max to be able to call them using the web phone after they returned home. Caeli insisted that they would keep in touch. Jeremy volunteered to hook up the game console Apela gave Max. Before long, almost everyone was occupied with the video game competitions.
Colonel Franks walked up beside Vin as he stood at the back of the room watching a car race between Max and Jeremy.
"I never got the chance to thank you," the colonel stated.
"For what?" Vin asked.
"Thank you for saving Jeremy's life. When I spoke to you that day, I didn't realize you were the one who dove in after him. It was a brave and foolish thing to do, and I truly thank you for it."
"Don't give it another thought. It was the least I could do. Besides, I should thank you as well. If it weren't for you and Jeremy watching our backs this week, things would have turned out a lot worse than they did. So, thank you, Colonel. I believe I'm in your debt," Vin responded sincerely.
"Then let's clear that balance right now. Agree to do one favor for me, and I will call it square," Colonel Franks' unexpected reply caught Vin off guard.
"What favor?"
"I want to see that young lady of yours happy just once before she leaves. Maku tells me that you turned down his offer for tomorrow night. I would like you to reconsider. Now wait, hear me out. I understand your argument against it, and you make a valid point. But, have you weighed that against how it might make her feel once she gets there? It might be exactly what she needs. She should not be crying alone in dark shadows."
Vin looked over his shoulder where the colonel indicated with a nod. Caeli was no longer in the kitchen. She stood halfway down the hall, leaning against the edge of a window and looking intently at something in the distance. The merriment of the party was completely lost in her tears. Vin was aware that she had been diligently masking her sadness. While she was genuinely happy for Salma and Ben, their happiness made Caeli's loss all the heavier.
"Caeli has already made it clear that she does not want to leave the hotel until it's time to go home. Nearly everyone she has met on this trip has either taken something from her or caused her harm; besides, Caeli has always been shy in crowds. At the moment, she is even skittish around her friends and family. A room full of strangers would overwhelm her. This is the only place Caeli feels safe right now. I'm afraid it would be asking too much of her. After what she has been through, I just can't do that to her."
"Do you think staring at that graveyard is doing her any good?" Colonel Franks inquired bluntly.
That struck a chord in Vin. The colonel's question made Vin stop and put the matter into a different perspective.
"I see your point. Perhaps a change of scenery would do her some good," Vin conceded.
"Why don't you bring her in here with everyone else?"
"Caeli won't come in here with all the noise and commotion. As I said, she has been extremely nervous ever since she returned from the island. It is difficult for her to be around anyone very long, and she is entitled to a few moments to herself. However, I will go over and keep her company. She has been alone long enough. I will ask her to come out with me tomorrow evening, but I can't make you any promises," Vin finally agreed to attempt the outing.
"That's good enough," Colonel Franks answered, moving over to join the other party guests just as Max's race car crossed the finish line mere inches ahead of Jeremy's.
Ben sat at the end of the dinner table with Salma to his left and Caeli and Vin to his right. At the other end of the table, Max sat in the head chair, where he enjoyed all the attention of his birthday celebration. Max kept looking down the table at Ben and smiling. The look was beginning to make Ben squirm.
"What is going through that boy's mind? The way he keeps looking at me, you would think I had a big clown painted on my face," Ben wondered aloud.
"I suppose he might be waiting to find out what you get for your birthday," Salma answered, a mischievous smile of her own playing at the edges of her mouth.
"Well, that does it then. I will go and have a talk with him. Perhaps he can tell me what you ladies will not."
Ben picked up his napkin to wipe his mouth before getting up from his chair. As he did, a rolled up piece of paper
tied with a pink ribbon fell out onto his lap. Ben retrieved the paper and noticed that everyone at the table suddenly became quiet. Everyone was looking at him and waiting. It was simple for Ben to determine that this must be his birthday present, cleverly concealed in his napkin.
Seeing that it was only a piece of paper, Ben assumed it had to be a receipt or a picture of Salma's gift to him. Ben looked over at Salma, who nodded that he should go ahead and look at it. Ben took a quick drink of his iced tea, untied the ribbon, and carefully unrolled the page. At first, he thought it was a mistake, that perhaps Salma grabbed the wrong piece of paper. But, as he read more carefully, Ben realized that it was indeed Salma's name on the paper.
Ben tried to take another drink of his iced tea, but coughed as he got to the section of the page that showed the results. Sputtering as he began to choke on his tea, Ben smiled and looked at Salma.
"Are you sure? What am I saying, of course you're sure. That's what you were up to earlier. Salma this is wonderful, Love!" Ben jumped up from his chair and pulled Salma up out of hers. He kissed her and beamed a smile that was reflected on Salma's face.
"Everyone, I have great news! We're going to have a baby! Salma's pregnant!" Ben could barely contain his excitement. He never expected such a gift, especially at this stage of his life. Yet, much like Vin had been with Caeli's news, Ben was thrilled when the reality hit him. The applause, smiles, and congratulations from everyone at the table made Ben feel like he was on top of the world. He couldn't have asked for a better birthday present. It was definitely memorable and unexpected.
For a brief moment, Ben caught Caeli's eye. He suddenly felt uncomfortable flaunting his happiness in front of her. The look in her tear-filled eyes quickly changed his mind. She looked up at him and Salma with a huge smile. She was genuinely happy for them. Knowing the loss she suffered, Ben was even more elated that this news brought Caeli some happiness as well.
A while later, when everyone else was otherwise occupied, Ben took a moment to speak privately with Caeli.
"Was the hidden paper in the napkin the same tactic you used on Vin? It doesn't really seem like the sort of trick Salma would pull," Ben began.
"Yes," Caeli smiled at him.
"And you went to all that trouble earlier just to help Salma surprise me?"
"Gladly."
"You amaze me, Lass. After all you've been through…" Ben couldn't find a way to express his gratitude. Instead, he hugged her.
"Thank you, Caeli. You are the best niece a guy could have."
Despite Caeli's enthusiastic use of his new title the last three months, this was the first time that Ben had ever directly acknowledged the new relationship between them. It hadn't actually been a true kinship to Ben before now; although he had considered Caeli a member of his family for quite some time. To Caeli, Ben's words meant that he finally considered himself a member of her family and accepted her into his. He was not simply the guy who married her aunt. Ben was her uncle. Caeli's immediate family, consisting of no more than Vin, Salma, and most recently Ben and Max, was the most important thing in the world to her.
"Thank you, Uncle Ben."
CHAPTER 61
Friday morning dawned cloudy, but rain free. It was the best weather they had seen so far this week. It was also the last day of the medical conference; the day of the awards ceremony. Now that the protestors had dissipated and Scott and Neal were no longer a threat, Ben was eager to see his wife recognized for all her hard work. Salma, however, remained less than thrilled with the idea.
"I wish they would let the work be sufficient. Why do they have to make such a big fuss?" Salma was getting dressed for the award luncheon.
"Because, Love, you are responsible for making this happen. I, for one, feel privileged to be in the company of such an accomplished and lovely woman," Ben replied, enjoying the sight of Salma in her red dress with her silky, dark hair cascading in waves down her shoulders.
"Oh, now you go too far," Salma laughed as Ben gave her a mock bow from across the room.
"Well then, let me make it up to you. Let me take you and the little one out to dinner tonight around eight. I have a great place in mind."
"Really? When do you find the time to discover these places, Ben?"
"My resourcefulness is part of my charm," Ben joked.
"You are right about that. Dinner sounds wonderful."
"There is a catch. You have to bring Caeli along. Vin wants to take her out as well, but apparently she declined his offer. Do you think you could help him out? The lad simply doesn't have my irresistible personality or your power of persuasion. I'm sure Caeli will listen to you," Ben asked.
"So it will be the four of us together, if I can convince her to go?"
"Something like that," Ben evaded a direct answer.
"I will see what I can do, but tell Vin not to hold his breath. Caeli can be quite stubborn once she has made up her mind."
"If anyone can get her to go out and enjoy an evening with family, it will be you. I have every confidence in you, Doll."
Vin was dressed in a navy blue, short-sleeve, button-up shirt and black dress pants. He was putting on his shoes when Caeli stepped out of the bathroom putting on her earrings. She wore a simple, light blue, cocktail dress that nicely accentuated her figure.
"You look lovely; almost good enough to eat," Vin winked.
"Thank you, but I'm still not going. I agreed to go to the awards ceremony out of respect for Salma, but I do not want to go out tonight. Please try to understand, Vin," Caeli answered.
"I do understand, but I wish you would change your mind. Ben and I heard about this great place. I would really like to take you. It will be good for you to get out and enjoy a normal evening. What can I say to convince you?"
Vin could tell that her mind was made up. Last night, after the party, when Vin first mentioned it, Caeli said that all she wanted to do was go home. She had enough vacation to last a lifetime. Caeli was still suffering deeply.
"Vin, I'm very sorry. I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I just don't feel like it. I know it's almost the end of vacation, but I've had enough. Why don't you go along with Ben and Salma? I will stay in and watch TV or something."
"Not a chance. I won't leave you alone, and I won't be a third wheel if you aren't going. But, I'm also not giving up on this. You haven't had one good day since you've been here, and I want to do this for you. Eventually, you aren't going to be able to resist me. You will have to say yes," Vin walked over and spun her around playfully.
"You may be irresistible, but your dinner invitation is not. You're wasting your breath," Caeli answered.
"Well, it's my breath to waste. I'm not giving up."
Caeli appreciated Vin's attempt to cheer her up, but could not bring herself to go out to a crowded restaurant with people all around. The mere idea of a room full of strangers made her nervous. She did not want to feel like this, but after all that had happened, she didn't know when or from where the next threat might materialize. Her raw nerves couldn't handle such stress. Caeli wanted privacy; she wanted solitude. She wanted to be alone with her thoughts, though Vin wouldn't hear of it. At the very least, she would have his near-constant company. That was more than enough for her. In fact, if she could have found a viable reason for skipping Salma's banquet, Caeli would not even be going out right now. However, she owed Salma the courtesy of attending.
"Let's go. We don't want to make Salma late for her ceremony," Caeli said, leading Vin out of their room.
The awards ceremony was held in the grand ballroom of the hotel where the conference guests had been relocated after the fire. The place was enormous and lavishly decorated. The front half of the room contained the stage and dinner tables, while the back was an open dance floor with a band off to one side. It reminded Caeli of a mansion in one of those old, black-n-white movies.
Salma received her award to the resounding applause of nearly five hundred of her medical colleagues and four members of
her family sitting at the front table where she could see them. Ben stood up and applauded the loudest of everyone present. The pride and love in his eyes was unmistakable. Salma gave a quick speech, thanking those who supported her, but then did something nobody expected.
"I can stand up here and thank a lot of people for this recognition, but I wouldn't be standing up here at all if it weren't for one person who literally gave me a bit of herself in order to make this possible. Without the knowledge I gained from studying her blood, none of my work would have been possible. Without her, the people who will benefit from my work would otherwise continue to suffer. I would like to ask you to join me in thanking her. She is sitting up front and, if you help me, maybe we can get her to stand up and be recognized for her part in this as well. Thank you, Caeli Harding."
A spotlight suddenly beamed directly onto Caeli as she sat between Vin and Ben at the table. Surrounding her in the remaining seats at the table were Apela, Max, Maku, and Jeremy, whom Salma had invited to join them. Each of them now looked at her. Caeli was startled at the announcement and sat unmoving as the room burst into another round of applause.
"Please, stand up, Caeli," Ben whispered to her.
Hesitantly, she complied. This time, it was Vin who applauded loudly.
Caeli sat down as quickly as she could without being rude, greatly relieved when the spotlight finally went dark. Caeli never wanted Salma to tell anyone that she was the anonymous blood donor. She certainly did not want hundreds of strangers knowing who she was and giving her credit for a simple trait of birth that she had no control over. Caeli found nothing remarkable in the act of donating her blood, but was seriously considering not doing it again if this was going to be the result.
She squirmed under the scrutiny of the unwanted attention. To her surprise, her hands were trembling as she kept them hidden in her lap. Caeli was suddenly very uncomfortable in the crowded room. Her back was to the door and there were rows of tables and hundreds of people between her and the distant exit. She felt exposed. Caeli barely resisted the strong urge to get up and run from the room. She had no idea why she was so scared all of a sudden.
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