Meet Eddie

A bonus!  We haven't had one of those in awhile :)  Look for a third post sometime late Friday or on Saturday.  
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I used my Friday morning to finish up the rest of my wedding-related tasks for the week, including booking our rehearsal dinner at the place we'd decided on the night before.  Then I headed into town, went to the gym, stopped at the grocery store to pick up something to make for dinner and some snacks in preparation for Sarah to spend Saturday night.

I was looking forward to Sarah's visit.  I'd only talked to her a couple times since she had just showed up in Denver and called me in a panic.  She had been worried because she'd heard Nadine talking about how Sarah and AJ's mom wanted to try to get custody of them.  In our last conversation, she'd told me that they had to go to court in October but that it didn't sound like their mom would be successful.

After picking up a few groceries, I headed home.  I did a little cleaning and then started making dinner.  Brody, with his amazing timing, made it home just as dinner was done.  "You're earlier than I thought you'd be," I greeted him cheerfully, setting down the dish towel I'd just swiped over the counter to wrap my arms around his neck.

"Slow week," he replied, dipping his head down to kiss me.  "Though I probably shouldn't say that out loud, since I'm on call."  I wrinkled my nose and he laughed.  "How long until dinner's ready?"

"It's done," I said, peeling myself out of his arms and turning off the stove.  Brody tugged his tie off and laid it on top of his jacket, which he'd draped over the back of a chair when he walked in.  He grabbed plates and silverware and put them on the table, then unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled his sleeves up.  By the time I made it to the table, he'd pushed his hands through his hair, messing it up significantly, kicked off his shoes, and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt.  I chuckled.  He had gone from put-together businessman to half undressed in a manner of minutes.  "Why don't you just go change?" I asked.

"Because it's time to eat and I'm hungry," he replied.  "And because upstairs is really far away."

After we ate, Brody insisted on cleaning up.  I didn't make him argue too hard, and happily let him do the dishes I hadn't already done.  We spent the night relaxing on the couch with a movie, and it was an excellent night in.

On Saturday, Brody actually slept in with me and we got up and made breakfast together.  After we ate, he disappeared into his office for awhile to do some work.  He emerged again around 4.

"Leave in about a half hour?" he asked, looking at his watch as he moved my feet to sit down on the couch.  I promptly plopped my feet in his lap and nodded.

"I just need shoes and I'm ready," I replied.  Brody entertained himself for the next 20 minutes by rubbing my feet and distracting me while I tried to read.  Small price to pay for the foot massage!

We headed into town.  We were going to go meet Eddie, the dog Pete was looking for a home for, before we had dinner with Nadine, Jon, AJ, and Sarah.  Brody drove us to a nice residential neighborhood, and we stopped in front of a good sized, well cared for house on a corner.

When we rang the doorbell, we heard two sharp barks, a muffled command, then silence.  A second later, the door swung open.  Pete greeted us cheerfully and ushered us in.  "The wife is out running some errands," he said.  "She might be back while you're here, she might not.  Can I get you anything?"  We both declined and I took a second to appreciate the home's decor.

"That is gorgeous," I said, pointing to a print hanging on the wall above their couch.

Pete grinned.  "Thank you.  I'd love to take credit, but Serena has an eye for that kind of stuff."  He motioned for us to sit, and I did, noticing a huge, copper colored dog sitting near the corner of the room, warily watching Brody and I with large, intelligent eyes.  "This is Eddie Mac," Pete said, motioning to the dog.  One of his ears flicked towards Pete, but his warm brown eyes stayed locked on us.

Brody laughed.  "Eddie Mac?  He must have good hands."  I looked at Brody, confused.  "Ed McCaffrey was a wide receiver for the Broncos in the 90s and early 2000s."

"Oh," I said.  Obviously.

Pete released Eddie and he walked straight to me.  I let him sniff my hand, and after a thorough inspection he licked it once and dropped his head into my lap.  He leaned gently against my legs, nudging me with his huge head.  I laughed and scratched the top of his head.  He manipulated his head until I was rubbing his ear, then relaxed onto my leg, letting his tongue flop out happily.

"I think he likes you," Pete said, laughing.

"I'm feeling a little left out," Brody said, pretending to pout.

I withdrew my hand from Eddie's head and said, "Go lick him to death!"  He kept his head in my lap, nudging me gently, for a few more seconds, then trotted over to Brody and repeated the process.  He didn't get quite as comfortable, but he looked pretty happy.  "He's so well behaved," I commented.

"They were training him to be a service dog," Pete explained.  "Their son has seizures, and apparently service dogs can help.  He was almost done with the training, but then they had to move, and their son got really sick, and it just got to be too much for them."

Brody grinned, and Eddie pulled his head away from him and came back over to me.  "He could be a therapy dog," Brody suggested.

"You don't have to sell me on this," I said, laughing.  "I don't know why you think you do."  Eddie put an experimental paw on my leg.  When I didn't scold him, he sat up on his haunches and put his other paw on my other leg.

"That's bad manners," Pete said, chuckling.  Eddie gave him the dog equivalent of a side-eye and shimmied closer to me.  After a minute of slowly creeping, his chest and belly were shoved between my shins and his forehead was shoved against my stomach as I scratched his ears with both hands.

"He's hugging you," Brody crowed, laughing.  "You have a new friend."  

We stayed for another half hour, and Eddie happily laid on my feet the whole time.  When we got up to leave, he followed us to the door.  He obeyed Pete's command to sit several feet away from the door but watched me forlornly.  "Look," Brody said, "He's sad.  He wants to go with you."

"I would love for him to come with me, but then we'll have to leave him again in a few weeks and that's not fair to him," I said firmly, though my resolve was waning.  It hadn't taken me long to fall in love with Eddie.

"Well?" Brody asked as we left.

"I love him," I declared, grinning.

Brody chuckled.  "He loved you.  I was getting a little jealous."

I snorted.  "You got plenty of attention from me last night."

"Oh no, I meant jealous of you.  I wanted more attention from the dog!" He smirked and bumped my shoulder with his as he stopped to open his car door for me.

"Of course you did," I said, laughing.  He paused before he shut the door and leaned in to kiss me.

Once he was in, he looked at me.  "So, we'll pick him up when we get back from our mysterious honeymoon?" I asked.

Brody grinned.  "I guess that's okay," he replied, pretending to consider it.  "I'll let Pete know."

We got to the restaurant where we were meeting Nadine, Jon, AJ, and Sarah a little early, and we headed inside to get a table.  I kept an eye on the door, and waved when I saw them walk in.  We stood to greet them, and I hugged Nadine, then Jon.  Sarah smiled shyly but slid into a chair without hugging me, which was fine.  AJ gave me a quick hug and said, "You didn't tell us you were getting married.  Are you marrying this guy?" He pointed at Brody.

I laughed and Nadine scolded him.  "AJ, that's rude.  At least sit down first."

Once we were seated I said, "Yes, I'm marrying this guy.  This is my fiancé Brody.  Brody, you met Nadine and Jon briefly, you know Sarah, and this is AJ."

"I'm 10," AJ said matter-of-factly.

"That's awesome," Brody replied, grinning.  "I would have guessed 11."

"Really?" he asked, wide-eyed.  Then he turned to Nadine.  "See?  I told you I looked older in this shirt."  I pressed my lips together, trying not to laugh, as Nadine nodded patiently.

I caught Sarah rolling her eyes, and we exchanged and quick smile before she ducked her head back down, letting her curtain of hair fall in front of her face.  The streaks of color that had been purple the first time I met her were now bright turquoise.  "I like the new color," I said.

"Thanks," she said softly.  Her eyes darted to Brody and then back down to the table.  She was so painfully shy, which was the only thing about her that didn't remind me of myself at that age.

"So you must be so excited," Nadine said.  "3 weeks!"

"Yes, 3 weeks," I agreed, smiling.  "The last couple months have gone really quickly."

"Is there anything we can help with?"

I shook my head.  "I don't think so.  Thanks, though!  Brody's mom has been helping, and my parents will be here a whole week before to help with some of the last minute stuff."

"Oh," Brody said suddenly, looking like he just remembered something.  "I was supposed to have you call Jen.  She wanted to know if you wanted her to come early."

"When was I supposed to call her?" I asked, confused.

"A couple weeks ago, maybe?" he replied sheepishly.  "Sorry."

Jon and Nadine laughed, and Nadine nudged me and said, "Get used to that."

"I'll call her tomorrow," I said, laughing.

"So, speaking of your parents," Nadine said, quietly and hesitantly.  "Do they know we're coming?"

I smiled kindly.  "They do," I said reassuringly.  "My mom is happy that you guys are a part of my life."  Nadine looked visibly relieved.  I was stretching the truth just a little bit, I guess.  My mom didn't really care either way as long as I was happy, and had volunteered on her own that she would be perfectly polite and respectful--you know, just in case I was worried.  I hadn't been, until she had mentioned it.

The rest of the dinner went well.  Brody charmed the entire table as usual, and I longed for that skill.  He was truly comfortable around just about anyone.  That was probably what made him so good at his job and so successful with his business.  Sarah was quiet, but she was at least making eye contact by the end of dinner, which was a success in itself.

After dinner, Brody and I walked to Nadine and Jon's car to get Sarah's overnight bag.  She was spending the night with us.  Brody offered to take the bag and Sarah surprised me by handing it over.  I touched her shoulder gently and smiled.  "Ready to go?  Do you need to grab anything else, or is there anything we should stop and pick up while we're in town?"

"No thanks, I'm ready," she replied, smiling a real smile for the first time since she'd walked into the restaurant.

Attack of the Clones

I sat in the parking lot of the restaurant in my car until I saw Nadine and Jon's car pull up and park.  I got out, feeling nervous again, and walked towards them.  By the time I got there, everyone was out of the car and I couldn't hide my smile as I watched a small boy bounce around, excitedly talking to Nadine about something.

"Hi again," I said in greeting.  The little boy stopped and stared awkwardly at me for several seconds before breaking into a huge grin.  I smiled back.

Nadine introduced us.  "Sarah, AJ, this is Olivia.  Olivia, this is Sarah.  She's 14.  And this is AJ, he's--"

"NINE!  I'm nine!" AJ shrieked joyfully, before turning back to Nadine.  "Can we go inside?  I'm hungry!"

Jon chuckled.  "These kids can eat.  You'd never believe it, with how small they are."

"Actually, I would believe it," I replied.  I looked at Sarah.  She was peering sullenly at me through a curtain of long, blonde hair with bright purple streaks.  Aside from the purple streaks and the scowl, she was the spitting image of 14-year-old me.  It was actually a little off-putting.  She was tiny--they both were, and any lingering doubt I might have had about whether or not these kids were related to me was wiped away.

"Hi Sarah," I said to her, smiling kindly.  "It's nice to meet you."

"Hi," she replied, her voice so soft I barely heard her.  She didn't smile, she didn't say anything else.  Just stared up at me.

"Have you been here before?" I asked, motioning towards the restaurant we were starting to walk towards.  She shook her head silently.  "Me neither.  I haven't lived here very long.  I've heard it's good."  She nodded, looking for a second as though she was going to speak, then she lowered her eyes and said nothing.

Ahead of us, AJ was babbling away to Nadine and Jon.  His sandy blonde hair flopped into his eyes from his cowlick just like mine does when it's shorter.  I suddenly felt completely overwhelmed by the fact that these people were the relatives of a father I never knew, were my relatives, my siblings.  Once we were seated, I excused myself to go to the bathroom, but slipped outside instead.  I pulled my phone out and dialed Lauren's number, praying she'd pick up.

"Hey Liv!  How'd the meet and greet go?" she asked cheerfully when she answered.  I sighed in relief.

"I'm having lunch with them and the kids.  The kids, Lauren.  My god, they're like....mini mes.  It's so weird."

"Wait, you're doing what?  With the kids?  Seriously?  Wow.  Are you okay?"  She paused for a second then said, "You're not okay, because you're calling me when you should be eating lunch with them."

"I don't know.  I was fine, but then I just got really overwhelmed.  This was a bad idea.  Maybe I should just go.  I should have just stuck with meeting Nadine and Jon today, and met the kids another time.  I'm freaking out."  My hands were starting to shake and I sat down heavily on a bench near the door.

"Breathe, Olivia," Lauren prompted me.  "If you need to go, then go.  I'm sure they'll understand.  I think you might regret leaving now, though."  I knew she was right.  Just talking to Lauren had a weird, calming effect and I was already feeling a little better.

I heard a familiar male voice in the background, and Lauren said something back that I couldn't hear.  "Are you with Alex?  I can let you go, I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"Don't be dumb, Liv.  Yes, I'm with Alex, but you have nothing to be sorry for.  If I was busy, I wouldn't have answered.  We can talk as long as you need to."  Thank god for Lauren.

"Thanks, Laur.  I think I'm okay, I should get back in there.  Thank you for listening."  We said goodbye and hung up.  I took a deep breath and walked back inside.  I made my way back to the table.  "Sorry," I said sheepishly.  "I got a phone call I had to take.  I hope you weren't waiting for me."

"The kids ordered, but we haven't yet," Nadine said kindly.  I looked at the menu quickly and was ready to order when the server came back.  We ordered and Nadine instructed him to go ahead and bring the kids' food out as soon as it was ready.  Sarah sat across from me, and I'd notice her watching me from behind her hair occasionally.  As soon as I'd look over and smile, she'd return her eyes to her cell phone in her lap.  At one point, Nadine leaned over and whispered something to her.  Sarah scowled and shifted, presumably shoving her phone into her pocket.

Sarah barely said 3 words through the whole meal.  AJ, on the other hand, talked my ear off about school, movies he'd seen, and skiing lessons.  He had so much energy and enthusiasm, and I couldn't help but smile every time he talked.  Nadine and I tried hard to pull Sarah into the conversation, but she resisted our efforts.  My heart went out to her.  Her dad had died, she had been removed from her mom's care, moved to a new town, and entered the awkward adolescent phase, all within a few short years. No wonder she was sullen and quiet.

We were at the restaurant for over an hour, and I relaxed throughout the meal.  As we walked out, a small hand on my arm stopped me right outside the door.  I turned to Sarah, who said, "Do you think...could I text you sometimes?  Grandma is great, but she's kind of, well...old, and she doesn't get it sometimes."  I was surprised to hear full sentences coming from her, and even more shocked that she was asking to contact me.

"I'd be okay with that," I replied carefully, "but if you don't mind, I'd like to check with your Grandma first.  I don't know what her rules are, and I don't want you to get in trouble or anything."  I smiled warmly to show her that I was interested in talking to her more.

"That's fine, I don't think she'll mind," Sarah said.  Then, she dropped her head, hiding once again behind her cascading blonde and purple hair, and walked towards the car.  When we got there, I pulled Nadine aside and explained Sarah's request.  She beamed at me, her eyes shining.

"If you're okay with that, it would be wonderful.  She's been through so much, and we have her in therapy but she won't talk much with her therapist.  It would be so great for her to have someone to talk to."  Nadine looked like she was starting to get emotional again, and I started to feel a little overwhelmed for the second time in the last hour.

I nodded, though.  "Yeah, it's totally fine with me.  I'd be happy to chat with her sometimes.  I'll give her my number."

Nadine's face got stormy for a second, and she said, "Olivia?  I...worry about her sometimes, and well...if she tells you anything..." she trailed off, her eyes pleading with me to understand what she couldn't say.

"If she tells me anything concerning, I'll let you know right away," I assured her.  "Otherwise, her crushes and friend dramas are safe with me."  It was my way of letting her know that I'd tell her anything that was alarming but I wouldn't be providing a full report of every conversation.  That seemed to satisfy her and she nodded happily.  I walked over to Sarah and we exchanged cell numbers.  She flashed me the smallest, briefest smile before she got into the car--the first time she had smiled since she got out of the car.

AJ threw his arms around my waist in a surprising and hasty hug before bounding back into the car.  Just watching him run around was making me tired.  Jon shook my hand and patted my shoulder before climbing into the driver's seat.  Nadine turned to me.  "Would it be okay if I hugged you?" she asked tentatively.  I smiled and gave her a hug.  We said goodbye, with Nadine promising to let me know the next time they were in the area.

I got into my car and blew out the deep breath I had been holding while I walked from their car to mine.    I sat for a few minutes while I gathered myself, and I sent a quick text to Lauren that said, "You were right, glad I stayed.  Went well, tell you later."  Then I sent one to Brody letting him know I was on my way home and he could come over whenever he was done.

When I got home, I thought about calling my mom and filling her in, but I decided I wanted to wrap my head around it all a little more first.  Instead, I called James.

"Who can I investigate for you today, Miss Olivia?" he answered.

"Do you ever just say 'hi'?" I asked.

He laughed.  "Sometimes.  How are you?"

"I'm good.  I just wanted to let you know that I met Nadine and Jonathan today and it went well.  So thanks again for the info on them.  I really appreciate it."

"Good to hear.  And I told you, it's no problem and I was happy to help.  Did they tell you anything about the kids?" he asked curiously.

"Actually," I replied, "I met them too.  They look just like me.  It was really weird."

"Well, at least you know they're related to you then," he said.

"Yeah, they definitely are."  We talked for a few more minutes and then said goodbye.

I still felt a little unsettled but got up to take care of the cleaning I wanted to get done.  I was vacuuming when Brody walked in.  I quickly finished and turned off the vacuum.  He hugged me.  "Good thing you gave me that key," he said with a grin.  "I rang the doorbell twice and knocked."

"So what you mean is that you can't take a hint?" I asked, smirking at him. 

He laughed.  "I guess I'll go then," he said, starting to turn back towards the door.

"Noooo," I said, laughing.  I flopped on the couch and he took off his shoes and sat next to me. 

"How'd lunch go?" he asked, once we were settled. 

I grimaced and shrugged.  "I'm not entirely sure.  The kids are obviously related to me.  Something about that made me panic, and I almost left.  Lauren talked me down, but I literally walked out of the restaurant and called her, freaking out.  The boy, AJ, is 9, and he has tons of energy and was lots of fun.  Sarah is 14, and she said about 5 words until we were walking out.  She pulled me aside and asked if she could have my number.  Nadine says she's in therapy but doesn't talk to her therapist.  She looked so...beaten down.  But I bet there's a really sweet girl under there somewhere.  I ended up having a nice time and relaxing, so I'm glad I didn't leave, but it was definitely a little unnerving to see two carbon copies of younger me get out of their car."

"I bet," Brody replied, putting his arm around me.  "I'm really impressed that you went and met them, especially the kids.  I was thinking about it and I'm not sure I could have done it."   

"It was mostly curiosity.  I'm really glad I did it.  I hope Sarah gets in touch with me.  She looked like she could use a friend."

Brody stayed for a couple hours.  We ate leftover pork from Friday and did absolutely nothing else besides lay on my couch.  Brody left around 7 after we made plans to meet for dinner on Wednesday. 

I called Lauren and filled her in on how the rest of lunch went, and made plans to meet her, Kinsley, and Cassie for dinner on Tuesday.

After I hung up with Lauren, I thought about how I'd never have made plans to go out with friends so much in Wisconsin.  Between dinner with the girls, dinner with Brody, and happy hour on Thursday, I'd barely be home this week.  I was such a homebody in Wisconsin--granted, I was in school and had so much homework to do most of the time that I didn't have time to make fun plans, but it was crazy how much that had changed.  I wouldn't trade it for anything.