Sweet and Sassy Baby Love

by Alicia Street

  Waiting in the doorway, she watched him get into his truck and drive off, like the world had swallowed him up.

  “Watch it, Clark. It’s only been a week.”

  But she knew it was too late.

  Chapter Four

  Walking from the parking lot to the church with Tony holding the baby felt surreal. Back at the apartment, looking over her shoulder, Tony hovered as she dressed Flynn in a special little baby suit, with the awareness that he would be scrutinized by Roberta and Big Mike. Anything negative they might say would impact her relationship with Tony. She couldn’t help it. The baby had become her keystone, and everything added to her life after his birth would be measured by the reception he was given.

  “I’m so nervous,” she mumbled.

  “It’ll be fine. You’re going to reconnect with the universe and nothing else.”

  Stumbling in the heels she wore as a gesture for Roberta, Tony grabbed her arm. “You didn’t need to do that,” he said, looking down at her feet. “Although they are cute.”

  “Ha! It was worth it, then.”

  At the church, they walked through the massive oak doors, and it took a while for their eyes to adjust to the cool and dark space flickering with candlelight. The smell of incense and roses, which were amassed in profusion at the altar, greeted them along with candle wax.

  The back pews were empty. Tony stood aside so she could go in first. They sat and listened to the mass. “It’s in Latin,” she whispered.

  “Yes. Do you understand it?”

  “I do. Remember, I went to St. Mary’s, too.”

  “I graduated four years before you did,” he said.

  “That lady is shushing you,” she whispered, ducking down.

  “Hey, Roberta!” he said it softly, but Roberta wasn’t amused, putting her finger to her lips again.

  “Don’t tick your mother off right before she meets me, please.”

  Nerves growing exponentially, she tried to remember that this was the woman who made sure she had a clean private place to pump.

  After mass, they waited for Big Mike and Roberta outside. Roberta was easily a third of Big Mike’s size, although she was tall. Outfitted in a beautiful lime-green silk suit with shoes to match and a pillbox hat with a little veil, she could have been the mother of the bride instead of attending mass.

  Dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit with a white shirt and a tie, Big Mike was not an off-the-rack kind of guy. Seeing them together for the first time took Bridget’s breath away. They were so obviously in love it was like looking at private intimacy in a public place. It was the kind of love she wanted. She was glad her parents went to church on Saturday evening, because her mother, who wore yoga pants and a blouse to church, would be jealous of Roberta.

  “Ma, Pop, this is Bridget and Flynn.”

  Roberta let go of Big Mike’s arm and homed right in on the baby. “Oh, how cute. Can I hold him? We haven’t had a baby in a while, have we, Mikey?”

  She was so good at making small talk, she put Bridget at ease right away, asking her about the baby’s schedule, and giving Bridget ample time to thank her for the van and the stroller, the baby car seat and the picnic lunch. They were in the middle of an animated female conversation when the men’s phone alerts went off.

  “Figures,” Tony said. “I’d better go in. Dad, what about you?”

  “I’ll go.” He looked at the women and explained, “There’s a fire and they’re calling for all hands. Bertie, you take the Jag.”

  “What about the car seat?” she asked. “Tony, let us take your truck. You guys go in the Jag.”

  Big Mike kissed his wife like it might be the last kiss they’d have, and Tony looked into Bridget’s eyes and smiled when he saw tears there, knowing that she was probably overwhelmed.

  After handing his mother the keys to the truck, the men dashed off, well, as much as Big Mike could dash, and that left Roberta and Bridget and baby Flynn to fend for themselves.

  “I don’t feel like going to breakfast dressed up. Do you mind if we head back to my house so I can change?”

  “Not at all. I have sneakers in the truck, along with his diaper bag, so I’m good to go.”

  Roberta handed Flynn back to his mother, and they walked to the truck, chatting comfortably.

  “I have all boys and no girls,” Roberta said. “Joey is probably going to marry Candy. Have you met her yet?”

  “No. I saw Joey the day I started. He was coming off a three-day, so I didn’t see him again until Friday.”

  “She’s a medical student. UCSD. Real shy. Mike, Mike Junior that is, he started dating Aisling right after graduation. She’s a nurse. They’ll probably get married. He’s in the reserves. Did you know that?”

  “I think Tony told me.”

  She drove Tony’s big monster pickup truck like she was born to it, in her white gloves and high heels. Their house was up in the foothills surrounding the lake, and the truck labored as it climbed the steep incline.

  “Here we are.”

  The house wasn’t what Bridget expected. She’d been raised in a classic California ranch, with board and batten siding with some gingerbread moldings and a cedar shake roof, in a neighborhood of similar homes.

  The Saints’ house was white stucco with a red tile roof. A huge fountain out front bubbled away. Even though it was Sunday, a man in a straw hat trimmed flowering bushes delineating their lot. It didn’t seem like the house of a poor firefighter. Maybe she’d gotten the wrong message from Tony. The thought occurred to her that perhaps the parents expected their boys to go to the fire academy because everyone in the family did that, and that they’d pay their own way through community college, so a big college savings wasn’t necessary.

  “This is really beautiful.”

  “Thanks. It’s just a house. It was once the main house to the ranch, and then they subdivided the land. That’s why all the houses around us are new, but they’re the same Spanish style.”

  They climbed out of the car, and the gardener came right over.

  “Jose, you shouldn’t be here on Sunday.”

  “I needed to get the roses trimmed before the heat starts.”

  “Get home to your family as soon as you’re done.”

  Roberta got the diaper bag and assisted with unbuckling the complicated straps on the car seat. “It’s amazing any of us survived in the flimsy car seats we used to use.”

  “My mother said the same thing.”

  “How are your parents with the baby?”

  “Surprisingly good,” she said, admitting that they weren’t happy in the beginning.

  The house was cavernous. In the back was a spacious den that overlooked a manicured lawn and pool.

  “I’ll be right back,” Roberta said, heading to the back of the house.

  It was a good time to nurse, so she quickly pulled out the Hooter Hider in case one of the brothers came in unexpectedly. After five minutes, she heard a door open and the sound of voices approaching. It was Joey with a pretty redheaded woman.

  “Hey, Bridget, this is Candy.”

  They greeted each other, Candy curious about the cover-up.

  “I bet there’s a baby under there,” Joey said, laughing. “I guess my dad and brother went out to that call?”

  “They did.”

  “I was up all night and had just left the firehouse, so Charlie told me to leave. I’m dangerous at this point. Where’s my mom?”

  “Here I am,” Roberta said, having changed into her classic capris and high heels. “Can I get you to look at my toilet?”

  Joey laughed out loud. “Sure, Ma, what’s wrong now?”

  They left the room, and Candy sat down next to Bridget and pointed to the baby. “Can I see him?”

  Bridget pulled the cover-up away from Flynn, and there he was, latched on, taking a few drinks and then snoozing.

  “He’s so cute. You know he’s the talk of the family.”

  “Ew, no, I didn’t realize.”


  “Yep, the discussion about the camper started it all. They are thrilled, truthfully. Big Mike might need a little time to come completely around, but he’ll be fine.”

  “Okay, yes, I guess I should have realize that must have caused some upheaval.”

  “I think they were glad to get it out of the driveway. Anyway, we needed some new blood. You’re perfect. Another Irish girl, like me!”

  “Ha! That’s funny.”

  “The other one was Italian, and she was a bitch, if you’ll excuse my language. Not that one thing has anything to do with the other. Tony is so sweet, oh my God, you can see that, right? He’s just a doll. All the boys are special. You know about Roberta, right?”

  “Nothing,” Bridget said cautiously, wondering if Candy was going to tell her about the face-lift.

  “She’s been in rehab.”

  “Ugh. For what?” Bridget thought if this woman had exposed something so private to a stranger, then it was okay to ask for details.

  “Alcoholism.”

  “Oh, how sad.”

  “Yes. I’ve known them all my life, and she was always a drunk. But about five years ago she had an epiphany, went to AA and then to a dry-out program, and hasn’t touched a drop since. It was hardest on the older boys, Joey, Tony and Mike.”

  “I guess I’m surprised you’re telling me this.”

  “You’re a keeper,” Candy said as Roberta and Joey came back into the room.

  Flushing, it was such a compliment that Bridget was speechless. You’re a keeper.

  She fussed, putting the cover-up away and getting out a diaper. She’d focus on a diaper change to stem the discomfort the veiled compliment had induced.

  “We’re going to Wild Pancake,” Roberta said. “Joey, do you two want to come with?”

  “I’d love it if Candy will.”

  “I shouldn’t, but I will.” She turned to Bridget. “I’m always dieting. My hips, oiy.”

  “Love those hips,” Joey said, reaching out for her.

  “You two and your PDAs. Knock it off in front of guests.”

  “Aw, I think it’s sweet,” Bridget said sincerely.

  “Tony’s a hugger,” Candy said.

  “I wouldn’t know. We’ve only been on one date.”

  “Well, you’re in for a treat,” Roberta said. “All my boys are horndogs.”

  “Mother, for God’s sake!” Joey said, laughing.

  “It’s true,” Candy said.

  “Let’s go eat,” Joey said, shaking his head. “I’ll help you with your stuff, Bridget, to make amends for my mother. My brother is going to flip out when he hears that our mother outed us.”

  “Tony loves me the way I am,” Roberta said. “He accepts that we’re one big happy family.”

  “That’s bullshit,” Joey said.

  “I know. But let’s pretend on Sunday.”

  They laughed and chattered on the way out to the car. They’d take a huge SUV with eight seatbelts. Joey got the car seat out of Tony’s truck and set it up for Flynn. Candy drove, Joey saying he was a danger, he was so tired.

  They arrived just as the next wave of church attendees were released, the throng of diners packed into the front vestibule of the diner. Roberta beckoned two young men to get up so Bridget could sit with baby Flynn, and she sat down next to her.

  “I’ll text the men to meet us here if they get done.”

  “I don’t think they’ll be coming home for a while,” Joey said.

  “Do you mind waiting? Because I do not. Big Mike won’t, so I take advantage of it when I dine without him.”

  “I don’t mind waiting either. What about Tony? What does he say?”

  “Tony takes after me,” she said, pleased. “He’s long suffering.” Here, Roberta studied Bridget’s face. “I don’t imagine you’ll make it difficult for him though. It’s so nice to see him smiling again! He was so unhappy last year. Patty, that’s his old girlfriend’s name, Patty betrayed him with someone Tony knows. It was like she went out of her way to seek this person out, because he isn’t even from this area. Then she made sure to leave evidence around. I believe it was her phone, with a text from the guy right where Tony was sure to see it.”

  Like she’d been splashed with a bucket of cold water, Bridget cringed. The time frame fit when Tony said they had broken up for a while and he dated another girl.

  “Did they break up over it?” she asked, knowing they had, but wanting to get the whole story. “I won’t say a word to Tony.”

  “Yes, let’s keep this private. He broke up with her and dated Katherine. Do you know Katherine? She’s a volunteer firefighter over at #34.”

  Bridget couldn’t help herself, she said, “Ugh. That’s probably why Katherine is so unfriendly.”

  “Probably so. They were mismatched from the beginning. After Patty’s indiscretion, as we shall call it, there was a summer party at the firehouse, and Katherine and Tony left together. It lasted about a week. Less than a week. He said her house was a pigsty. ‘She’s a hoarder, Ma.’” Roberta laughed out loud. “My boys are very particular. When Tony came home to change for church, he said, ‘Bridget is just like me, Ma. Not a thing out of place. You could eat a meal off her bathroom floor.’”

  “Oh my God, he’s nuts,” Bridget said, laughing out loud. “I cleaned it when I knew he was going to come by, but it wasn’t that clean.”

  “Well, he’s been impressed from the get-go. Charlie and Big Mike, too. Not many young people make an impression on my husband. He’ll be the first to say he hates millennials.”

  “That’s pretty funny,” Bridget said. “I didn’t do anything special. Getting to work on time is about it.”

  “It’s more than that,” Roberta said, looking at her sidelong. “You’re nice and pretty; you do a good job at work. And you were honest with my son. He really liked that. ‘Open and honest, Ma,’ he said. We have our share of pink elephants in the Saints family. I’m a recovering alcoholic. I don’t look too bad now, but I’ve had work done. I hated that people could see it on my face. My boys have been through a lot because of me. I do penance.”

  Bridget moved her hand over to Roberta to take hers, careful to do it as unobtrusively as she could.

  “Aw, you’re nice. Thank you.” Roberta happened to look up. “Aw, shit. Here comes Patty. Sit tight.” She squeezed Bridget’s hand, but didn’t let go.

  “Hello, Mrs. Saint,” Patty said, walking right up to them.

  Bridget had to bite her lip to keep from grinning. Patty was a stereotypical gorgeous Southern California blond, almost Barbie dollish. Tall, thin with huge boobs and a golden tan, she had unbelievably long legs, and it took every bit of willpower not to envision them wrapped around Tony’s waist. Blond hair, layered and curled, tumbled over her shoulders. For some reason, she wore a little tiara-like thing in her hair. Maybe she had just come from a wedding shower or something. A tiny waist accented those boobs, a white, low-cut tank top tucked into torn jeans, and those ever-present platform, impossibly high-heeled sandals on her perfectly manicured feet. Bridget vowed never to wear them.

  “This is Tony’s girlfriend, Bridget,” Roberta said, almost shouting it over the din of the crowd.

  “Anthony’s dating already? That was quick.”

  It was on the tip of Bridget’s tongue to say just one date, but she didn’t. It wasn’t her place to keep Patty informed.

  “Table for Saint,” the hostess called out.

  “That’s us,” Roberta said, standing up.

  She helped Bridget with the baby, although it wasn’t needed, going out of her way to let Patty know there was a baby, and she was okay with it.

  “It was nice meeting you,” Bridget said with her sweetest smile just as Candy and Joey came back from their huddle in the corner.

  “Likewise,” Patty said, moving aside so they could get by.

  “Bye,” Candy said, waving, and they moved on to the dining room. “What was with the tiara?”

  “Sh
e wears it all the time,” Roberta said. “Like I wear my cross and gold chain. It’s Patty’s tiara.”

  It was a huge fire, but fortunately not near any structures. Big Mike worked the tender while the younger men wielded axes and shovels. It was early in the season for such a big fire, and they hoped it didn’t portend what was to come. Tankers arrived and dropped fire retardant over the unburned hillside; then water-bucket-wielding helicopters dropped water on the fire, providing an end in sight to the battle.

  It was finally safe for the extra help to leave. Big Mike was exhausted, but he waited for his sons. Tony and his brother Mike climbed down the steep embankment arm in arm, and they saw their father waiting.

  “Hey, Pop, can we leave yet?” Tony called out, laughing.

  “My boys. I’m so proud of you,” he said, weeping.

  “Aw, we’re proud of you, too, Pop,” Mike Junior said, patting his back while Tony winked, taking Big Mike’s arm.

  They hiked back to the trucks and rode in silence back to the station. It was dark by the time they got there. Rather than wait for a shower stall to free up, they got out of their turnout gear and pulled on sweatpants and T-shirts so they didn’t dirty their dressy church clothes.

  “You two had better get out of here before another alarm goes off,” Mike said. “I wish I were coming along.”

  “We’ll see you tomorrow, son,” Big Mike said.

  “I hate to get into your car when I’m so dirty,” Tony said.

  “The car will wash up. I’m telling you, I was so relieved to see you two boys come down that canyon wall. I just had a feeling all day about it.”

  “Pop, we’re safe, okay. No worries. Why don’t you let me drive?”

  Never would a Saint boy suggest to their father that they drive, but tonight it seemed important, like Big Mike might be suffering. He threw his son the keys.

  “This is a stupid car for a big man,” he said, grunting to get down into it.

  “It’s the nicest stupid car I’ve ever driven.”

  “I tried to say no to Charlie, but he wanted me to have it. I hope you boys feel about each other the same way Charlie and I do.”