Chapter 40: A Bolt From The Blue

January 1, 1992, Chicago, Illinois

“Well, THAT puts a completely new spin on things,” I said.

“It does,” Jennifer agreed. “She had thought about you as a possibility, but when we talked it through, we knew she could never ask because of what happened with Carla. And now it’s a moot point, obviously.”

“I told Jess and Kara this, but Katt and Mikael are having trouble conceiving, and the tests show it’s most likely him. They asked me to help, if you will, when I was in Sweden. I had to turn them down flat because of Jess.”

“That would make sense both ways. They asked because Mikael has no trouble with you and Katt being together, and would have no trouble raising your child as his own. But Jessica could never accept such a thing. I’m surprised you told her.”

“It’s complicated, but I didn’t have a choice. Can we leave it at that?”

“Yes. You are actually allowed some privacy!”

“Tell Elyse!” I chuckled.

“You know?”

“YOU know?” I gasped.

“She came to me for advice before she did it. We sat there with the key on my kitchen table and talked while she stared at it. I think her analysis was correct, and it would seem you do as well.”

“I do.”

“So, with you out of the picture, conceiving the way I did wasn’t possible.”

“Bummer!” I chuckled.

“I’ll tell her you said that! She’ll be amused. But that calls into question the whole fidelity thing.”

“Does it? Really? Fidelity is faithfulness. If the two of you agree something is within the bounds of your relationship, whatever it is, you’re being faithful to your partner and the relationship.”

“A much nuanced, very mature answer. I’m impressed.”

“Don’t be,” I chuckled. “I’m still an idiot on many ways.”

“True!” Jennifer smirked.

“Jesus, Jen! You could have let me have five seconds of feeling good!”

“No way! Your ego needs constant whipping to keep it under control.”

“Just ask Elyse,” I chuckled.

“Flogger?”

“Yes. Steve was a bad boy. And when Kara found out, she took the opportunity to swat me on the butt a couple of times.”

“What the hell did you do?”

I quickly explained what happened with Crystal and Mitsuko.

“Damn, Steve, that’s low and idiotic even for you!”

“Tell me about it!”

“Well, if Crystal wants you, you need to fuck her into next week. No, next month!”

“Nobody can owe anyone sex,” I protested.

“No, but from what you just said, if she asks, you’ll do it. And I was wrong. You need to fuck her into next YEAR!”

“Yes, Jennifer,” I said deadpan.

“So, anyway, Josie and I got past that bump in the road and began talking about the kind of guy she’d want, or if she’d go to a sperm bank, or whatever. The value of a sperm bank is zero contact. The negative of it, is she feels the same way I do. Conceiving is too important to be left to science and a syringe or test tube.”

“Katt feels the same way, though obviously they’ll go that route if push comes to shove.”

“But, Josie does not want a guy involved in our relationship. It’s too complicated. You do an admirable job in staying out of our business, and we’re both grateful for that. You’ve managed to be a good dad to Jesse without interfering in our family, so to speak. Finding another guy like that, who we could trust to do that, seems like an impossible task. I knew you well enough that I knew you could handle it. And, as I said, you’ve done a perfect job.

“That presents the problem of finding the guy who meets Josie’s general criteria, but who would not only butt out, but give up all parental rights of any kind, forever. And sign a legal agreement to never see Josie, me, Jesse, or the child after Josie conceives.”

“That’s a tall order,” I said.

“I know. And Josie knows. We tossed around a bunch of ideas and most of them run into the same problem; how do you actually prevent it from happening. We landed on a foreigner. That greatly reduces the risk, especially if the birth certificate lists no father, Josie denies paternity, and refuses to seek child support.”

“Did you talk to Gwen?”

“Yes. While it’s not foolproof, between US and Illinois law, it would be nearly impossible for a foreign man to make any kind of claim in such a situation. Even demanding a DNA test would be nearly impossible.”

“But it doesn’t prevent that man from visiting the US and showing up one day unannounced.”

“No, it doesn’t, but if Josie is circumspect about what information she provides, she can make it more difficult.”

“I think you’re overthinking this thing completely!” I chuckled.

“Oh?”

“Did either of you two dopes stop to think to ask Larry or Drew?”

Jennifer started laughing, “No! Oh my gosh! Duh! Larry would probably be willing. And he’s a total hunk. Josie always complains it’s a waste of a hot looking Italian guy!”

“The bisexual chick complains that the good looking guy is gay? How does that even make sense?”

“Because she’s bi, you idiot! You know, attracted to women AND men! Including you, if you recall!”

“Vividly!” I smirked.

“Jerk!” Jennifer laughed, playfully swatting my arm. “And I know those two do not want kids, and have no interest in kids. They call ME a breeder!”

I chuckled, “I’ve heard that one repeatedly. I’m the worst of the lot!”

“Public Enemy Number One for the childless gay men who feel their tax dollars support your lifestyle.”

“Income taxes are something of a wash,” I replied, “though some Federal money does find its way to schools, daycare, and so on. But certainly their property taxes fund the schools, and as you know, at least here, property taxes are outrageous. And there are other automatic advantages of being married and a parent. It isn’t fair, to use the hated ‘F’ word. Or equitable, I guess if I want to avoid that word.”

“True.”

“Is this leading somewhere?” I grinned, being fairly certain of the answer.

“Well, if it had been you, it could have been the same as when we made Jesse. But that’s out. So the question is, do I get a chance to be with you in exchange for her getting pregnant.”

“You are NOT going to use me as a bargaining chip for THAT,” I protested.

“No, of course not! Relax, Steve! It’s not a quid pro quo, but a request. She can say ‘no’ and I’ll accept it.”

“And if she were to say yes?”

“Then we move to the next hurdle. And the next one. If that’s what we both want.”

I stopped, took Jennifer’s hands in mine and pressed my lips to hers. They parted and our tongues tangled for a solid minute. We stopped, both gasping for breath.

“You were saying?” I chuckled.

January 2, 1992, Chicago, Illinois

“What time is this announcement?” I asked Bethany as she, Kara, and I walked Jessica to the hospital just before 6:00am.

“2:30pm, in the main auditorium. Jeri’s mom, plus the Foundation Board of Directors, and the hospital Board of Directors, Doctor Barton and a bunch of other senior doctors, and the Press.”

“Press?” I asked.

“Of course! You don’t think the Lundgren Foundation would pass up a chance at a press conference about this, do you?”

“No! Forget I asked.”

“Anyway,” Bethany continued, “Jeri will make the announcement, and then her mom will take questions from the press. I’d guess about twenty minutes, total. Jeri’s speech is only about five minutes.”

“OK. I’ll be over before then with Kara. Jess, where should we meet you?”

“Just come to the ER. You’re wearing your suit, right?”

“Yes, why?”

“Because I’ll be mentioned as the doctor who submitted the proposal.”

“Gee, thanks for the heads up, Babe! I am NOT talking to the Press and I do NOT want my picture in the paper!”

“Jeri said you would say that! She told me to tell you that if you don’t behave, we’ll tell Kimmy and Penny.”

I laughed, “You know, there are days when I regret this whole setup!”

“No you don’t!” all three of the girls said simultaneously.

We reached the hospital and Kara and I exchanged our usual soft kisses with Jessica, and Bethany hugged her. When she went inside, we turned for home.

“You knew I’d refuse, didn’t you?” I asked.

“Of course!” Kara responded. “We know you! We figured the longer you had to think about it, the more likely you were to find a way to be out of town, or otherwise engaged.”

“Now that’s low,” I groused.

“What was it you said about smart girls?” Bethany teased.

“Never mind!”

“So, no more Soviet Union, at all?” Elyse asked, changing the subject.

“The Supreme Soviet met for a final time on Boxing Day and formally dissolved the Soviet Union. They adjourned sine die, with no intention to ever meet again. As of the New Year, all Soviet institutions are gone!”

“Your friends chose the right side.”

“Yes, they did!” I agreed.

After breakfast, I headed to the office with Elyse. That afternoon, about 1:15pm, I walked home, ate a late lunch, changed into my suit, and then Kara, Bethany, and I drove to the hospital in Jessica’s BMW, because it had the ‘ER Doctor’ tag that let us literally park anywhere we wished. We parked a few steps from the side door to the ER, and went inside. Jessica was waiting in her informal gray skirt and jacket combination that she wore when she had meetings or presentations. Over it was her white lab coat, with ‘Doctor J. Adams’ stitched above the pocket. Her ER ID card hung from a clip on the pocket.

We made our way to the auditorium and despite my repeated attempts to sit in the back, my wives and Bethany nudged me forward. I sat down in the seat Jeri pointed to in the front row and scowled at her. She just laughed. To my surprise, I saw Howard walk into the room in his full dress blues. Somebody had pulled some strings, though I couldn’t imagine Margaret Lundgren doing so, and that was confirmed when I saw her frown when she noticed him.

“Lieutenant,” I said standing to shake his hand.

“I take it you hate being here as much as I do?”

“Amen, brother,” I grinned as he moved to greet Jeri.

As was typical of hospital events, this one started about ten minutes late. The Chairman of the hospital Board made a short speech, and introduced Jeri.

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman, members of the Hospital Board, Doctors, and distinguished guests. Today, the Lundgren Foundation is entering a new era. One of direct, concrete action in the healthcare arena. Today, we are focusing on women’s health, by announcing the ‘Michelle G. Easton Center for Crisis Counseling’.”

Michelle Easton, known as Missy to her friends, was a young woman who Bethany had encountered during her PhD work at Loyola. She’d been sexually abused by her father, and at age fourteen had committed suicide by hanging herself, naked, in the family room of her suburban Chicago home, with a sign that read “Daddy’s Little Whore” hung around her neck. Bethany had been involved in counseling Missy’s younger sister, who in the end, had been committed to a mental hospital. The father was sitting on Death Row in Illinois. The mother was serving life in prison.

“The Foundation has created a grant and endowment that will fund a director, who is also a licensed psychologist, and expert in counseling of rape, incest, and sexual abuse victims. It is our hope that in the future others will step forward to add to the endowment. In fact, I have the pleasure of announcing the first gift, which comes from the doctor who proposed this center. Would Doctor Adams and her husband please stand?”

I’d been truly had, but all I could do was turn with Jessica to face the cameras that were snapping away. After about a minute we sat down.

“I’m going to kill you,” I whispered.

“You said I could do whatever I wanted with my money, Tiger!” she said, laughing softly.

“Yes, but NOT surprise me like that!”

“I believe we told you why this morning.”

“Am I that bad?”

“Yes!” Kara hissed. “Now be quiet!”

“Doctor and Mr. Adams, thank you for your generous gift of $25,000 to the endowment fund. I hope your fine example is followed by others, so that the center can, in the future, fund full, 24-hour-a-day crisis intervention and counseling. Next, I would like to introduce the woman who helped write the proposal and crafted both the charter and plan for the center, Doctor Bethany Krajick, a graduate of Loyola University, who is currently practicing in the Greater Cincinnati Area. Doctor Krajick, would you please join me?”

Bethany stood and walked up to the platform and stood next to Jeri.

“Doctor Krajick, herself a rape survivor, has dedicated her life to helping other women who have suffered the trauma of rape, incest, and sexual abuse. She is the author of a soon to be published book for sexually abused women, entitled Why Me? A Woman’s Guide to Surviving Sexual Abuse, Rape, and Incest. Doctor Adams’ husband has, already, graciously agreed to fund the provision of free copies of this book to anyone who comes to this hospital in need of help. Steve, would you stand again, please.”

Me and my big mouth! I stood and let the photographers take their pictures again, and at a nod from Jeri, I sat down.

“The last thing I wish to do today is to introduce the first director of the new clinic. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to present to you the new director of the Michelle G. Easton Center for Crisis Counseling, Doctor Bethany Michelle Krajick!”

There was thundering applause, and it was a good thing I was sitting down. Otherwise, that bolt out of the blue would have knocked me down. I should have seen it coming. All the signs were there, and I missed them. I could tell from the look on Jessica’s face that she knew, though I couldn’t tell for sure if Kara had known. Bethany had obfuscated, by telling me about the house she was looking for, but as was true with me, her exact words could be taken as true, even if they had misled me.

I noticed everyone standing, and carefully got to my feet and applauded. My knees were a bit weak, but otherwise I was OK. Suddenly my head spun and I quickly sat back down in my seat. Jess turned and knelt next to me and seconds later Al Barton was there at her side.

“I warned you,” he said harshly to Jessica.

“Sorry,” she said.

“Steve, are you OK?” he asked.

“Just light-headed. I’ll be fine.”

“Stay sitting. We’ll examine you when this is done. And Jessica, be in my office at 4:00pm sharp.”

She grimaced, “Yes, Doctor.”

I’d need to tell Al to back off. He didn’t know the dynamics, and he had no idea why they couldn’t tell me before today. But they did. Now I was sure that Kara knew as well, and probably Elyse. And that was fine. What had made my head spin was the gravity of what had just happened. I was pleased that Bethany had this role, and I was sure she was the best person on the planet for it. But it meant she was moving back to Chicago. And THAT put an entirely new spin on the question Jessica, Kara, and I were trying to answer.