I was in the kitchen cooking breakfast the next day when Trinity ran through the back door.
“Morning, Nick! I have to pee,” she shouted out as she ran toward the direction of the bathroom.
Veronica came through next with a shopping bag of groceries, saying, “Don’t ask. It’s been one heck of a morning so far.”
“That bad, huh?” I asked.
“I said don’t ask. You have any coffee?”
“Of course. Have a seat, and I’ll pour you a cup.”
I handed Veronica her coffee, called Gigi down for breakfast, and then Trinity came back to the kitchen.
“Whoa, that was close,” Trinity said as she wiped her hands with a towel and then took her seat at the table.
“Good morning again, sweetheart,” I said as I leaned in to kiss her on the top of her head. “Did you have fun with Grandma this morning at the holiday bazaar?”
“I sure did, but I drank too many sodas. That’s why I had to pee. Don’t tell mommy.”
“Did I hear soda?” Karen said as she came down with Gigi and walked over to me to give me a good morning kiss. “Trinity, you know you are not allowed to drink soda, and in the morning is worse.”
Veronica interrupted, “Now hush, Karen. It wasn’t as bad as you think. One booth was making root beer floats and serving them in mini cups. Trinity tried one and liked it, so I gave her another. Joke is on me because it gave her quite the sugar rush, and she was bouncing all over the place until we finally came home.”
Karen said, “I warned you, mom, but you never listen.”
“…Says the perfect daughter that is responsible for my grey hair.”
“Well, thank goodness some genius invented hair color to hide the stresses of being a parent.”
Before this got out of hand, I intervened quickly.
“Okay, you two, that’s enough.” I said.
“I was only stating a point,” said Veronica.
“And I was only defending your statement,” Karen said as she crossed her arms.
I swear when the two of them got together it was as if they were sisters, not mother and daughter. The girls helped me serve the breakfast dishes, and we all took a seat at the table to eat.
After eating, I announced, “Okay, listen up. Thanksgiving is this week, and it will be our first holiday together. How about we go shopping today for everything we need for dinner? We can stop at the store and pick up some supplies to make Thanksgiving crafts, and then we will end our day with a pizza and a movie of your choice to watch.”
“I want ‘Frozen.’ I called it,” Trinity said.
Gigi was still on a high from the dance that she didn’t even bother to argue with her little sister.
“Okay, ‘Frozen’ it is. You girls go upstairs, wash your hands, and then we will get ready to go.”
Veronica said her goodbyes, and I began to clear the table when I caught Karen staring at me.
“What?” I asked as I placed the dishes into the sink.
“How did all of this happen?” she asked waving her hand around the room.
“I don’t know what you mean, babe.”
“Don’t you?”
“I guess you need to explain it to me,” I said as I stopped what I was doing and sat back down to the table. “What’s up?”
“You, and what we are doing together. I mean, we went from friends to lovers in a blink of an eye when for years you were not close enough to be in reach. I had placed you on the shelf of ‘keep dreaming because that’s as close as you are going to get him,’ and now I have you. You have asked me to marry you and blend my family into yours. Don’t you see how scary that is for me? What if one day you wake up and realize being with me was a mistake? Where will that leave me? Or my girls? You said in the beginning that we would take things slow, but now we are moving faster than I ever thought we would. I want to marry you more than you will ever know, but there is something inside of me that is telling me to wait.”
I took a breath and then a few more before saying another word. I knew where all this was stemming from, so I wanted to choose my words carefully with Karen.
“You have to believe that I would have never asked you to marry me if it wasn’t something I truly wanted. Karen, this is me in front of you with my heart wide open for you. I have been as honest as I can be when it comes to my feelings for you and the family I want to have with you. I don’t believe I can make it any clearer. I know you are scared, but you don’t have to be. I am not him, and I promise to never hurt you, at least not on purpose. I am only human, babe, and I’m sure I am going to fuck up from time to time, but if I could be certain of anything, it is my love for you.”
I continued, “It’s real, babe, and not a dream. You want to wait because you are always waiting for the bottom to fall out on you. It has in the past, so why shouldn’t it now? For far too long, you have lived your life waiting for the other shoe to drop with the mindset of the glass half-empty thinking. That is your past. I am begging you to leave all of that shit behind and live with me in the now and hold my hand as we walk into our future. Karen Lombardi, you are the one who I want to spend my life with. I can’t make up your mind for you and will not push you into something you are not ready for.”
I got up to stand, and then she reached for my hand.
“Where are you going?” she asked in a panicked voice.
“Not walking out on you, if that’s what you think.”
“I didn’t,” she said as she looked away from me.
“Sure, okay. I’m taking the girls shopping. Are you going to join us?”
She said, “No, not this time. I’m going to stay here, if you don’t mind.”
“Why would I mind? I want you here more than anything. You know, I get scared too. It’s perfectly okay to feel these things. Having said that, I also know what I want and who I want. So when the questioning fears arise, I don’t sweat it because I know it’s going to be fine. Now if my stubborn woman would get that too, then I can believe that there is truth behind my words.”
I kissed her. She wiped away her tears, and then the girls came downstairs.
“Ready, Nick!” Trinity said.
“It’s going to be a long day,” groaned Gigi.
Karen helped the girls with their coats and then hugged them both. They asked why she wasn’t coming along with them, but Karen feigned a headache and said she would be waiting for us when we got home. I watched the girls skip over to my truck, and then I turned to see Karen crying once more.
“I love you. I know you know that,” I said, and then I closed the door, leaving her alone.
Needing space is bullshit, this I knew. I have never met any woman who was more stubborn than Karen Lombardi, but fuck me, I love her more than I ever thought was possible. She wanted to know how the hell we got here. It’s pretty fucking simple to me: we were meant to, that’s it. Over the years, we have been there for the other, nursing our broken hearts over too many shots down at my bar. I know what we have is worth fighting for.
“Nick, are we going?” asked Gigi.
I was still lost in thought and hadn’t started my truck yet.
“Yes, let’s hit the stores.”
I looked over to Gigi and then to Trinity and just felt so lucky to be here with them. It was a rocky beginning having them trust me. They were guarded and not very happy to see their mother with a man other than their father. Every time I thought of Alex and what a jerk he was to walk away from this made me beyond angry, but then I remembered he was dead and forever lost his chance to make things right with the family he left behind. Trinity had only seen him a handful of times, whereas Gigi was closer to him. She was the one I worried about most. Once we got back, I was determined to talk with Karen on how to break the news to the girls.
We shopped for hours, getting every last thing on our list. Before going home, I wanted to make a quick stop down at the firehouse to check on my guys. Michaelson was still filling in for me, but that would chang
e come Monday morning when I was officially back. It was time, and I was more than ready to finally recommit myself as Battalion Chief of my firehouse.
The girls were bouncing up and down in their seats as I pulled up in front. They were so excited to sit in the firetrucks and maybe hit the sirens. I said I would think about it, depending on who was around. Then Gigi in her own unique way reminded me that I was the boss, wasn’t I? I swear she was so Karen in many ways. I loved her sassiness. She was already fearless at eight-years-old. The world better watch out for this keg of dynamite, because I have a feeling she is going to take it by storm.
I held each of their hands and walked into the house. Tony spotted me first and came over excitedly to greet us.
“You know it’s going to be a great day when the Chief is in the house. About time you got your ass back down here.”
I shot a look at him for his choice of words, but Trinity took care of it for me. She let go of my hand and placed both of her little hands on her hips, getting ready to scold Tony.
“You, mister, said a bad word. That will be one dollar for the jar. Cough it up,” she said, tapping her foot and waiting for Tony to hand over the green.
“Trinity!” Gigi said. “You know the swear jar only works at our house. How many times do I have to tell you? I’m telling mommy when we get home.”
“Tattletale, tattletale,” she was singing to her big sister.
“Stop calling me a tattletale.”
“Stop acting like one.”
I interrupted, “Okay, girls, that’s enough. Say sorry to each other right now, or we are going home and no firetrucks anytime soon.”
They both grudgingly muttered apologies under their breath, and then I asked them to hug each other.
Tony then knelt in front of Trinity and said, “You are right. I shouldn’t have used bad words, and especially in front of you. How about you take this five dollar bill for your jar, and here’s another ten for ice cream for you and your sister. How does that sound?”
“Sounds good,” Trinity said as she swiped the money from Tony’s hand quicker than you could say “Ice cream.”
He laughed, and I just shook my head. Leslie and Spinelli were witness to Trinity’s tough reprimand on Tony. They were laughing as they came over to say hello, with Spinelli giving me a hard slap to my back and then a welcome home hug. Leslie offered to show the girls around and then have Dorrado bring them to the trucks. They were jumping up and down with excitement and took off before I could say another word. Yeah, better offer. They left me in the dust.
“Parenthood looks good on you. How does it feel?” asked Tony.
“Amazing, but I have a lot to learn, and so far, it’s been a crash course.”
“You’ll get the hang of it. Just look at how far you have come,” he said.
“That’s for sure. So how is everything around here?” I asked.
Spinelli answered, “Good. The day-to-day operations have been solid throughout the transition, but you know how it goes. We would rather have you back more than anything.”
“I appreciate that, more than you know. You won’t have to wait anymore. I will be back Monday morning.”
“For real? No welcome back and then you take off again?”
“Spinelli, what the fuck?” said Tony, as he chastised Spinelli for his poor choice of words.
“Sorry, Chief, that came out wrong.”
I said, “It’s okay. I know you are all frustrated with the back and forth leadership in this house, but I assure you that I will be ready for Monday.”
“You have everything straightened out?” Tony asked.
“As much as they can be, Tony. You two are my top guys and my leads in this house. I know I put a lot of responsibility on the both of you, but please understand I would have never done that if it wasn’t one hundred percent necessary. With getting hurt and dealing with some personal issues, it was best for me to take a furlough until I was fully ready to take the lead again. I thought I was, but then life stepped in again, forcing me to make some tough choices. I really hope you understand and will convey what I just said throughout the entire house. We must always remain united as the brotherhood we are.”
“We have your back, Chief, always.”
“Thank you, Tony. And Spinelli? What about you?”
“For life, boss, for life.”
Both of my guys wrapped me in a bear hug, and then the sounds of the sirens went off, but no worries, it was the girls having their fun.
“Okay, you two, time to go before the ice cream melts all over my truck.”
The day had flown by, and I didn’t realize how late it was when we finally got home. The girls each grabbed a small bag to carry inside the house, while I brought the rest in. I called out to Karen, who came downstairs a few minutes later, totally bypassing me and going right over to the girls to hug them.
I tried not to let her brush off hurt me and just went about putting the groceries away in the big fridge on the back porch. She helped her girls take off their coats and brought them over to sit by the fireplace. The girls happily told Karen about their day as she sat and intently listened to them.
I joined them in the living room and watched Karen pull out what looked like a telegram from her pocket. She looked over to me, then back to her girls. What was she planning to do here? The girls were still smiling and going on about a hundred different things when Karen interrupted their banter and said she had something to say. I had felt an instant pain in my chest, knowing that Karen decided to do this without me, and I had no choice but to listen.
She said, “Gigi, Trinity…mommy has something to tell you.”
Wedding planning was at high velocity. Rosalyn was the never-ending Energizer bunny with no signs of slowing down. She had taken on my wedding as a favor due to more our friendship than a client relationship. After all, she was a newlywed too, still on her own wedding high. She had become a close friend, and for that, I was so grateful to have known her.
Thanksgiving and the weeks that followed were a complete blur. Carter had taken on multiple assignments, including hosting the annual Disneyland Parade on Thanksgiving. It was a huge crowd with tourists from all around the world vacationing at the park. After he fulfilled his duties, we enjoyed some downtime exploring the park. I switched out my stilettos for sneakers. It was the most fun I had on a holiday in a very long time.
I would never tire of Carter’s smile. He looked so relaxed and at peace. He had mentioned his mom a few times throughout the day, happier times from long ago, he said. We walked hand-in-hand, and I listened to his best holiday stories. I was happy his father’s name never came up in conversation. As far as Carter was concerned, anything they might have had between them was destroyed years ago, and it was not something he ever wished to revisit.
So here we were, the week of Christmas and our wedding. I was having my final dress fitting tomorrow afternoon. Carter was dying to come with me, but I remained firm and told him he would have to wait until Friday. Mama was due to arrive within the hour. She believed I was sending a car for her, but I was going to surprise her by picking her up myself. I talked with her this morning, and she sounded so excited, not a bit of nervousness in her voice. She always had a good poker face, so if she was telling me a half-truth, I didn’t detect it in her voice.
I was just finishing up with my last few e-mails when Carter knocked on my door and said, “Are you ready, love? We should get going if we are going to beat the traffic.”
I dictated the last of what I wanted to say, and then with one click of a button, it was as if I typed it out. I still couldn’t believe I was getting married with this cast on, but it was still very sparkly. My plan was to try and hide it as much as possible in the pictures.
Carter said, “You never cease to amaze me. Only you would order voice-controlled software to send out your correspondence.”
“The show must go on, cast or no cast.”
“You do have an assistant that can
do this, you know that, right?”
“Don’t be such a snob. Sally is amazing—beyond amazing—and I am very lucky to have her. Having said that, I still need use of my hand.”
“I can think of better ways to use your hands than with e-mails.”
“Okay, perv, get it all out of your system before mama arrives. I cannot have her believing that you are any less charming than what she gets to see nightly on television. You already have my mom swooning over you.”
“She loves me, and I will always be the perfect son-in-law.”
“Well that’s good to know, because my baby girl deserves it all,” we heard from behind us.
“Mama!” I practically shouted aloud as a stunned Carter turned around and hugged my mother, lifting her off the floor.
I rounded my desk to greet my mother with a hug but waited for Carter to finish getting his. I watched him smile and laugh as my mother hugged him back, probably needing this more than I knew. It was okay, plenty of love to go around.
“My turn,” I said.
She kissed Carter on his cheek and then took me in her loving arms. I loved being here with her at this moment. I loved my mom so much, and it just made me incredibly happy that she put her fears aside to fly out here and share my special day with me. I knew she would never miss seeing me marry Carter, no matter how afraid she was of flying.
“You look great, mom. I was going to surprise you at the airport, but here you are, surprising us both! You are just glowing.”
“Why, thank you, daughter. Don’t you think I should be saying that to you?”
“And why is that? Because I am marrying Carter? One very sexy man, soon to be your son-in-law? Is that why I should be glowing? …Okay, you figured me out.”
“Thea have your fun at my expense. I was just making an observation. So now that we established that you are glowing, I look great, and Carter is sexy, what can I do to help? We are getting married in three days.”
“Yes, we are,” Carter interrupted and assured my mother everything was under control. “Frannie, all we want you to do is have fun and enjoy your time with Thea. We have hired the very best to make sure our day is absolutely spectacular.”
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