Chapter 22: Relative Calm

December 26, 1993, Chicago, Illinois

“Before my parents get here, I wanted to tell you that Tom and I found a place. We’ll be moving at the end of January.”

Bethany and I were drinking tea before breakfast on Boxing Day. I’d already read the newspaper and cuddled with Birgit, and had a cup of coffee.

“Where?” I asked.

“Just south of the university. A townhome. We’ll close on the 21st. It’ll take a few days to get everything moved from the apartments.”

“Good! How is Nicholas handling that?”

“He likes Tom, but we’re struggling with what Nicholas should call him. I know you’d most likely suggest ‘Tom’ because of how you handle names with little kids, but we’re concerned about a little brother or sister.”

“Bethany, are you trying to tell me in a round-about way that you’re pregnant?” I asked with an arched eyebrow.

“I’m two days late, and I’m happy about it. So is Tom. But obviously, it’ll be a week or so before I could get an accurate result from an EPT.”

“Congratulations! Well, that may be a bit premature, but you know. How long before you break the news? I mean, assuming...”

“After we move into our new place. I guess I’d be about six weeks along at that point. Other than Tom, only you know, and we’d like to keep it that way. We’ll have to have a talk with Nicholas, obviously.”

“Obviously. So if he’s not ‘Tom’ and he’s not ‘Daddy’, then what?”

“Tom suggested ‘Papa’ but that seems so old fashioned.”

“It does, but if you rule out the two obvious answers, I’m not sure what else to do. Are you getting married?”

“Once we get settled in the new place, we’ll probably just have a small party and announce we’ve had a civil wedding.”

“As long as you’re happy, Sweetheart!”

She smiled, “I am. You like Tom, which is a major plus, and he seems to fit in OK with the rest of the guys.”

“A major plus?” I asked.

“You don’t have a veto, Mr. Adams!” Bethany said with a smile.

“No, but you would listen to me if I felt he was bad for you for some reason.”

“True.”

“It’s Nicholas who has the veto!”

“Also true.”

“And it’s kind of late to object with you being pregnant!”

“I’d say!”

“I’m glad you’re happy, Sweetheart. I really am. He has no problems with the diamond?”

“No. He knows most of the story. Not all of it, but enough. He won’t have a problem with you calling me ‘Sweetheart’. Or with me being close to you.”

“Good.”

“How are things with Jessica?” Bethany asked.

“She’s trying,” I replied. “That’s about the best I could hope for. We kept our pajamas on. It’ll probably be like that for a while. We aren’t out of the woods yet. Heck, we can’t even see the edge of the woods from where we are. I have to be very careful to ensure Kara is comfortable. I was clear with Jessica that I wouldn’t put up with anything that hurt Kara or the kids.”

“I hear through the rumor mill that you’ve limited yourself to your wives, Michelle, and occasionally Elyse.”

“You hear correctly. Jess asked for that, but I was already doing it.”

“So it wasn’t really a concession in your mind?”

“No. But honestly, asking me to not play around while we’re working things out is hardly a request I would call out of line!”

“Who decides when you’re free again?”

“I do.”

“I think that’s a good thing. On another topic, how are you dealing with Jorge’s death?”

I sighed deeply, “Mostly, I’m not thinking about it. I pray for him each morning when I do my daily prayers, but otherwise, I don’t dwell on it. I’ve learned how to deal with death from Birgit, Stephie, Nick, and Don Joseph. I miss talking to Jorge, but I’m not obsessing over the situation. Jess, on the other hand, isn’t grieving properly. She’s trying to keep all the emotion in, and she blames herself for his death.”

“Have you talked to Doctor Mercer about it?”

“There isn’t much to say, really. I’m not numb, or ignoring it, or anything like that. I’ve learned how to deal with it without getting depressed. I miss Jorge, but life has to go on. For my kids, my wives, my friends, my business and for me. I suppose that sounds a bit cold, but I’ve been through this before.”

“Me, too,” Bethany said. “And Jessica? You said she’s not grieving properly.”

“I think she blames herself for his death. I insisted she talk to her counselor about those feelings. We’ll deal with the relationship stuff with Doctor Green, but the guilt needs to be handled one-on-one.”

Bethany smiled, “You have paid attention, though in some cases, like with Nick’s death, a support group helps a lot. But you’re right that it’s not something to address with Doctor Green unless it’s interfering with your relationship.”

“It’s not.”

“Have you talked to Elyse?”

“Elyse? Not really. Why?”

Bethany lowered her voice a bit, “She was very upset with Jorge for taking Jessica’s side. She even called him a traitor.”

“That’s a load of crap and you know it,” I sighed. “I supported what Jorge was doing because Jessica needed the help. Elyse wanted me to simply wash my hands of her, but I couldn’t do that, mostly because of the kids, but also because, in the end, I still loved her. Elyse doesn’t think I did the right thing. I’m pretty sure she still doesn’t.”

“You should talk with her about it.”

“I know. I will, but obviously I’ve had to focus on Jessica, but without hurting Kara, the kids, or Michelle.”

“Elyse is pretty resilient, but she’s not completely immune to emotions.”

“I know. I’ll talk to her.”

“Good. When do you go back to work full time?”

“January 3rd. I’m allowed to start running and driving again and also go back to karate once a week. More importantly the cast comes off on Tuesday!”

The doorbell rang, interrupting our conversation, and Bethany went to greet her parents. It was going to be a crazy several days with the Krajicks, the Blocks, the Dolans, the Clarkes, Nancy and Paul, my parents, and the Wiltons, though they were only staying a day before heading to New York City. The Krajicks arrival signaled the start of the procession of grandparents and any other concerns had to take a back seat.

December 27, 1993, Chicago, Illinois

“Are you sure?” Jessica asked on Monday morning.

“Yes. I thought you might want to go because the fundraiser is for the ER at UofC Hospital, but Kara will go with me if you don’t.”

“I’m just not up to it,” Jessica replied. “I have a full shift today, and when I come home I just want to relax.”

“I don’t plan to stay late, and even if I wanted to, Al is not going to let me do that!”

Jessica laughed, “He has you on a shorter leash than anyone has ever managed!”

“I know he has my best interest in mind, but you know why I chafe under that kind of control. Who’s driving you to work this morning?”

“One of the nurses from Cook County lives close and we basically have the same shift today. That saves Elyse from having to get up early. Speaking of her, her parents didn’t react too well to the whole ‘Eduardo’ thing.”

“Her parents have always been a bit uncomfortable with her choices, and I think they worry that somehow this is going to cause problems with the grandkids. They don’t understand the complex relationships here. Troy and Angela have similar issues.”

“True,” Jessica said with a smile. “They can only take Cirque du Steve in very small doses. They did ask if we’d let the kids come visit them over the summer. I told them we’d talk about it.”

“They’re two and four; someone would have to take them,” I said.

“I really don’t want to go and you’re heading to Japan.”

“Then tell them ‘no’ and let them deal with it. Honestly, I really wish we could tell everyone the truth.”

Jessica shook her head, “Not before Doctor Barton retires, if even then. The risk is too great.”

“I know. But someday...”

“Hopefully. I should head out to the porch; Tabitha will be here any minute.”

“Bundle up,” I said. “It’s cold.”

We exchanged a quick kiss and I walked with her to the foyer. She put on her winter gear, and looked out the window. She saw the car, kissed me again, and headed out for work, carefully walking down the steps with her walking cast which she’d be done with in another week or so. I waved as she got into the car, then shut the door, and went to the sunroom to cuddle Birgit until Kara came down for breakfast.

Birgit got about twenty minutes of cuddles before Kara and Michelle came downstairs and we went to the kitchen so I could make breakfast for them. They were both off until school started again in January, though Kara would be working on her research and preparing for teaching the next quarter.

“Are you staying home today, Daddy?” Birgit asked.

“Until tonight. Mommy and I are going to dinner with Samantha and Brian, Jeri and Howard, and Uncle Al and Belinda.”

“And Fawn?”

“Maybe. I know she and Georg are here, but I don’t know if they were invited. Why?”

“I miss her! She was a good babysitter!”

“But you like Shanita and Kayla, right?”

“Yes, but Fawn was better!”

“I like her too, Pumpkin, but she’s in school in New York now.”

“And she has a boyfriend!”

“Yes, she does. How are your boyfriends?”

“Good!” she giggled. “Mommy said they could come to the party!”

I laughed, “Kara, you are a troublemaker!”

“Jesse is having a New Year’s party, but it will end at 9:00pm. They’ll use the sunroom. I figured we could spare it given our guests won’t arrive until 8:00pm for the most part. Some of the parents will be here earlier.”

“How many people are coming to Jesse’s party?”

“I think the last count Elyse and Jennifer had was twenty-nine. Most of our friends’ kids, plus his, Matthew’s, and Birgit’s friends from school.”

“And why am I just finding out about this now?”

“Because we didn’t want to bother you with it, and we knew you wouldn’t have any issues.”

“I’m helping manage the party,” Michelle said. “And so are Abbie and Jason. We’ll join the regular party once the kids are settled down for the night in the coach house, their rooms here, or head home.”

“All the school friends will be picked up at 9:00pm,” Kara added. “Otherwise, it’s just like our usual New Year’s.”

“OK. I’ll leave the party planning to Elyse and the rest of you. It always works out pretty well.”

We spent a nice quiet day together until about 4:30pm when Kara and I had to dress for the Foundation dinner. I was very pleased that Jeri had kept her word about it being ‘adults only’, and had advised her to keep things that way in the future. There was no reason to tempt fate or give anyone any opportunity to point fingers.

The limo arrived just as we finished dressing. We said goodbye to the kids and headed out to the car which, after stopping to pick up the Bartons, including Fawn and Georg, whisked us downtown to the hotel where we joined the small line of people entering the ballroom. There was a small receiving line which we quickly went through, then walked over to the bar to get a drink.

I spotted a vaguely familiar black man talking to Gina Swanson. I wracked my brain and then remembered he was the guy who we’d seen at The Woodlawn Tap about nine years earlier. We walked over and said hello to Gina.

“Steve and Kara Adams, this is Professor Barack Obama, who teaches constitutional law at the University.”

He extended his hand and I took it and shook it warmly.

“We met, briefly, about nine years ago,” I said. “Kara and I were talking to some professors and you came over to the table to talk to them.”

He smiled, “I vaguely recall that evening. But I’m being rude. Allow me to introduce my wife, Michelle.”

We shook hands, though only softly.

“It’s nice to see you both,” I said. “And I’m very glad you’re here for this worthy cause.”

“Steve is on the board of the Lundgren Foundation,” Gina said. “He’s close friends with Doctor Al Barton as well. I’m sure you’ve seen Kara in faculty meetings.”

Both Kara and Barack laughed.

“The Chemistry department and Law School faculty don’t mix much,” Kara said. “Though I have seen professor Obama on campus.”

Others came over and began talking with the Obamas, so Kara and I excused ourselves and got our drinks. We saw Samantha and Brian come in and walked over to greet them.

“He does look good in those dress blues,” Kara said, winking at Samantha.

“Hey, if guys can have arm candy, so can girls!” Samantha said. “It’s all about equality!”

“Arm candy?” Brian asked, but he was smiling.

“Be quiet, look good, and you’ll get your reward!” she giggled. “I know you don’t want to be here.”

“Neither does Howard!” I chuckled. “But he likes to keep his wife happy.”

“Self-preservation,” Brian laughed. “They didn’t teach us that at the Academy, but you learn pretty quickly! Where’s the bar?”

“Scotch, right?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll get it for you.”

I walked over to the bar and bought a glass of scotch for Brian, then rejoined the group which had now expanded to include Jeri and Howard.

“Thanks for coming,” Jeri said. “How are you feeling?”

“Good. I’ll feel better when I get this cast off tomorrow!”

“How’s Jessica?”

“She’s home. For real.”

“Good.”

Alec and Wendy Glass joined us just then.

“I see you’re up and about,” he said.

“I’m feeling a lot better. How are things going with you?”

“Work is fine. The other thing is very difficult.”

I nodded, “I’m sure.”

“She’d like you to come see her.”

“I’m not sure that’s the best idea,” I said.

“She wants to apologize. If you won’t do it for her, would you do it for me? As a friend?”

I nodded, “Sure. Call my office after the New Year’s and we’ll work it out.”

The evening went along as I expected - dinner, a number of speeches, and then more social time. Kara and I left a few minutes after the last speech, and the Bartons decided to join us.

“How are things in New York?” I asked Fawn.

“Good! Georg is settled into his new firm. We’re getting married in late July.”

“Wow! Congratulations! Between work and school you guys aren’t going to have much time together.”

“We don’t now, but living in the same apartment will help!”

I nodded. I knew they spent most of their time at Georg’s apartment. Belinda knew as well, but it was a closely guarded secret from Al who would not have approved. Getting married solved that problem, though I knew that wasn’t the reason they were doing it. They were madly in love and wanted a future together. Belinda had, at Fawn’s request, kept me up to date on how things were going. It was clear from a few things Belinda said that she knew Fawn and I had been together, but she wasn’t about to let that secret out.

“Are you getting married here or in New York?” I asked.

“Are you kidding? My mom and dad would kill me if I didn’t get married here! We’ll be at the same church your friend Jeri used and then the reception will be in the main ballroom of the hotel where the fundraiser was being held.”