Chapter 2: First Home

Susan Wilson and Sheila Delgado opened the front door for Liz and Ben as the Cavalla's pulled into the circular driveway. This wasn't one of those fancy circular driveways you see in the movies. The ground was bare desert when the house was first built and no one had time to install landscaping yet. It was easier to drive across the desert from the road than it was to park on the street and walk to the house. The circular path the vehicles made on the bare desert became the default driveway when they got around to putting gravel down.

Liz called before she left for home from the hospital with the exciting news that Arizona Department of Health Services was placing baby Sean with them until an adoption family could be found. Every one of the women was excited about it because all of them were attached to the little boy. Actually, Ben was a little attached too, but he couldn't' show it because it wasn't manly. It was hard not to be attached. Sean was a good baby and even at five days old he seemed interested in everything around him. Newborns weren't supposed to be interested in their surroundings at that age, but Sean was.

Liz was the first to exit Rambler station wagon with Sean in her arms. Ben slid out the other side with the allotment of supplies the hospital provides for newborns. Liz was already attacked by squealing women by the time Ben got around the to the passenger side.

"You got to hold him all the way home," Sheila accused, as she reached for the baby to claim her turn. Sheila was a manipulator, but never in a mean or controlling way. She just knew what was right and proceeded to arrange people, and circumstances, to make them fit her image of right.

"Well, what did you expect?" Liz asked in her normal brusque manner. "Let him run along behind?" Liz was a shift supervisor, and her manner in dealing with people was the only way she was able to be successful because of her soft heart.

"But, don't you think we should get a turn before he has to take a nap?" Susan asked. She was the one always looking for a compromise or an equitable solution.

"I think all you ladies are nuts," Ben commented as he swept by Liz. He caught her around the waist with his free arm, and swept her into the house, baby and all. "Why don't we worry about who gets to hold him after he gets settled in bed? He's been up for a while and probably needs changing.

"You just want your turn first," Susan teased with a grin as she followed the couple into the house.

"Sure, why not," he threw over his shoulder with an answering grin. "I'm bigger than everyone else, so I can make the rules."

"Bully," Susan accused.

"You might be bigger, but I can still take you, two rounds out of three," Sheila declared as she trailed Susan into the house. "So watch out with what rules you make, buster, or I'll break you."

"Hey," Liz protested. "No breaking the hubby. I'm still trying to get him trained."

"Yeah, I hear you training him on my nights off," Susan snickered. "That's why I try to get a shift opposite you, so I can get some sleep."

"Don't listen to them Sean," Liz said, warmly, to the baby as she laid him in the crib. "They're just jealous."

"She's right about that Sean," Sheila said, as she looked down at the red haired baby. "We're still waiting for Doctor Frankenstein to figure out that cloning thing so we can make copies of Ben."

"Unless of course Liz gets tired of trying to train him, and gives up. If that happens, then Sheila and I have first dibs on him," Susan giggled, as she gazed down lovingly at the baby.

"Sean," Ben said, from the foot of the bed. "Don't let these women corrupt you. Something you need to remember is that women will talk about anything, and nurses are worse than most women."

There was quiet in the room for a moment before Ben asked, "Is it normal for a five day old newborn to be able to track conversations?"

"Maybe not normal," Liz said slowly as she watched Sean's eyes flick to her when she spoke. "But probably not unheard of either."

"He's just more alert than most babies," Sheila said. She reached down and let one of his little waving hands grab her finger. "Aren't you, Sean?" she asked, gently. "You're just more alert."

"So, are you guys going to adopt this one?" Susan asked.

Liz sighed looking at Sean before looking up at Ben. "I'd like to, because I don't ever want to let him go, but..." She didn't know how to continue.

Ben nodded his understanding, and said, "But it doesn't feel right. It feels right for you to be here, Sean," Ben explained to the baby. "Adoption just doesn't feel right, yet. We still have hopes of having our own." He didn't understand why he was explaining this to a five day old newborn, but it felt right too. Liz's nod of agreement confirmed that he was right in explaining it.

"So practice, practice, practice," Susan said, brightly.

Sheila rolled her eyes and said, "Don't encourage them. You get to go to work tonight. I have to stay here, and try to sleep."

Susan giggled like a little girl, before saying, "Speaking of work, I need to hurry up, and get ready." She kissed her finger tip, and leaned down to press the finger tip gently against Sean's. "Hey! I think he kissed me back."

"It was probably gas," Liz laughed, and turned to put away the baby supplies. "What the hell..." she muttered in amazement.

The rest of them turned around, and stopped stunned.

The three dogs were lined up on one side of the door, and sitting as if at attention. The four cats were sitting on the other side of the door, also sitting at attention. The fat little hamster that had the run of the house dashed through the door and under the crib. As soon as he got under the crib he rolled over onto his back. The two birds, one a parakeet and the other a cockatiel, flew through the door. The parakeet landed on the head of the crib, and the cockatiel landed on the foot.

The adults looked around in shock and amazement but none of them could speak. It seemed that all of them were afraid to be the first to speak. This just wasn't normal. These animals were never still. One was always trying to climb another rung on the pecking order ladder with the other animals. Buster, the smallest dog, hated cats. He couldn't be in the same room with a cat without at least growling. Buster was always the first target for the cats in the pecking order game, and he didn't appreciate it.

Ben was the one that finally broke the silence. "OK, you three are the experts. Tell me how this can be normal."

"Hey, you're the guy. Guys are supposed to be experts on dogs. You tell us how this can be normal," Sheila protested.

"We're only experts on babies," Susan agreed. "We don't know anything about animals. Right Liz?"

"I don't think I'm an expert on anything any longer," Liz said weakly. "This is really strange."

"I agree," Ben said in a shaken voice. "This really is strange. I could understand one or two at a time coming in to meet the new person in the house. But this is like ... uh ... like they were passing in review."

At his words all the four legged animals rose, and walked out of the room. A moment later the parakeet flew out of the room.

There was silence for another long moment before Ben said, "You know, maybe we should drink more."

It was just what was needed to break the tension. Liz snorted, and said, "Don't you mean start drinking? You haven't had an alcoholic beverage since the spiked eggnog at the Christmas party last year."

"No," Ben said thoughtfully as he glanced at Sean then back at the door that all the animals left through. "If Christmas has been my one time a year for an alcoholic beverage then maybe we should select another occasion for another drink. The Fourth of July would be good. That's coming up, isn't it? That would be good, wouldn't it?"

It was Sheila's turn to snort, but hers was in laughter. "Ben, going from one drink a year to two six months apart is not drinking more. I don't know what it is, but it certainly doesn't count as ... drinking ... more..."

Her sentence had tapered off, because the cockatiel had flown out of the room. Immediately upon his exit, the big yellow tomcat entered the room. He glanced at the humans as if asking them if they had completed their chores for the day. You know the chores; food in the dishes, cat boxes cleaned. He jumped over the rail of the crib, and sat at the foot of the bed at attention, the same as he had sat earlier when they were all in a row.

The tom let out a yowl as it settled, but didn't make another sound. Sean's little arms and legs waved and kicked, and he continued making the burbling sounds he was making with the cockatiel.

The adult's shocked silence only lasted a moment before Susan said, "OK. I just passed weird into nuts, so I'm out of here. I've got to go to work," she said, walking towards the door. She stopped in the doorway, and looked back at all of them. "Sheila, you can let me know when you come on shift if ya'll have these animals acting like animals again. I'll come home anyway, but it will be easier if I know before I get here."

Sheila looked at Sean thoughtfully before she answered. "I'll let you know but I don't think it'll be any different. I think I remember some stories my great grandma used to tell us."

"What kind of stories?" Liz asked.

Sheila shook her head and said, "I think I need to think about it first. I don't know if I remember them right or not. I may need to make some calls."