Post by larue on Sept 11, 2006 10:07:39 GMT 10
He didn’t see her when he pulled himself out of the cab and glanced around the park. He pulled his wallet out of his pocket and handed some bills to the cab driver. He rapped on the top of the cab and then replaced his wallet as the cab drove off. He straightened and looked around as he walked down the sidewalk. Then he saw them.
Abby and Joe.
She sat on a plaid blanket leaning her back against a tree. There was a small picnic basket next to her as well as the backpack they used for Joe’s things. She was holding the baby up against her raised knees and was talking animatedly to him. Luka stood and watched them for a moment. He grinned softly. He loved watching her at moments like this....when she wasn’t aware that he was doing it. She’d been so worried...so frightened....about doing the right things. She was so relaxed with him usually. So good. She’d been worried about nothing at all. Luka sauntered across the grass toward them and Abby looked up as she saw him approach.
“Hi,” she said as she blinked in the sun when she looked up at him. Luka dropped down on to the blanket next to her and chucked Joe under the chin. The baby ‘s mouth spread into a wide toothless grin and his dark eyes crinkled in delight. Luka laughed and then kissed Abby lightly on the lips. He turned back to the baby and then lifted him from Abby’s grasp. He lay back on the blanket and sat Joe on his chest. Abby straightened the collar on the baby’s soft shirt and adjusted the straps of the denim overalls.
“Thought you’d like a little break from take out,” she said. “And it’s probably one of the last few times we can do this before it’s too cold.” Luka nodded and glanced around the busy park. They weren’t the only ones taking advantage of the last of the season’s warmer weather. He sighed heavily and looked up into the bower of orange and yellow leaves above him. His eyes shifted to her face and he smiled slightly. She was watching him with a bit of a worried frown.
“Rough shift?” she asked. Luka shrugged and lifted Joe over his face and kissed his cheek. He straightened his arms and Joe grinned as he was held aloft and Luka swung him gently as if he were flying. Abby stretched her legs out and smiled at the two of them.
“It’s better now,” Luka said. His eyes met her’s and she smiled as she drew her fingers gently through his rough shock of hair. Luka brought Joe down to his chest and closed his eyes as he held him there in his hands. The warmth of the sun. The crisp smell of Autumn air. The sounds of laughter around them. Abby. Joe. This was a moment of pure perfection.
“Maggie called today,” Abby said as she stroked the top of his head.
“She did?” Abby nodded and sighed heavily.
“She’s trying to make some plans for the holidays this year. Time off work...that sort of thing.” Luka nodded and grinned as Joe shoved a fist into his mouth and drool spilled down his chin onto the overalls. He reached up to wipe it away with the sleeve of his dress shirt.
“Think he’s teething already?” he asked. Abby shrugged.
“Maybe.” She glanced out over the choppy waters of Lake Michigan and sighed.
“I’ve never known my mother to make...plans....for much of anything like this,” she said with a frown. “It worries me. Like she’s trying to be all normal family or something.” Luka chuckled.
“What’s wrong with that?” Abby looked down at him and bit her lip.
“I didn’t know what to say to her,” she said. ‘We...you and I.... haven’t really talked about what we want to do this year. I mean, I usually work on the holidays so that people with families could spend time with them.....”
“Not last year,” he interrupted. “We spent last Christmas together.” Abby smiled and leaned down to kiss him.
“Yes...” she said softly. “We did.” They were both quiet as they remembered the days they had spent alone....agonizing about the decision they - she - had to make then.
“So.....by all rights.....we should be scheduled to work this year.....a rotating kind of thing?” Abby sighed. Luka handed her the baby and then rolled over on his stomach to look at her.
“I want to take some time off to go home this year,” he said. “I want to take Joe...and you....to meet my family.” Abby’s eyes widened a bit and she shifted Joe to her shoulder and patted his back absently.
“Maybe your mother can come here for Christmas,” he went on. ‘We can spend time with her, still work the holiday and she can watch him for us. After the holidays we can plan a longer trip to Croatia...together.” Luka’s eyes searched her face to see her reaction. He frowned a bit at her hesitation to the suggestion.
“I’m still working through the ‘she can watch him for us’ part,” she said. Luka laughed and dropped his head to the blanket.
“Abby....he will be fine,” he mumbled in frustration. He lifted his head and then grinned as he saw the twinkle in her eye.
“So, you really want to take us to meet your family?” she asked.
“I do,” he replied emphatically. ‘It’s time.”
“It’s time?” He grinned and nodded.
“It’s definitely time.” Abby shrugged and hugged Joe to her shoulder and pulled her feet up on the blanket.
“I guess I’d better apply for a passport then,” she said. Luka grinned and sat up on the blanket. He slipped a hand to the back of her neck and drew her mouth to his in a slow, lingering kiss. Abby gasped slightly and he laughed as he drew back and she shifted Joe in her arms. Her pager beeped and she pulled it out of her pocket. Luka took Joe as she read the text line and shook her head.
“They need me at work early,” she said. She slipped her feet back into her sandals and kissed the back of Joe’s head. She grinned and then kissed Luka. He looked disappointed.
“Not my fault,” she said as she stood up. “The ER chief scheduled me for the overnight shift.”
“Yeah...yeah...you know it was your turn again,” he grumbled. “But we’re both off tomorrow.....”
“Great!” she laughed as she backed away toward the sidewalk. “We can spend the entire day in bed!” His face brightened and he waved as she turned and jogged down the sidewalk to the street. He held Joe away from him and studied the baby’s somber little face. He grinned and then Joe smiled and kicked his feet. Luka snuggled him close and then reached for the picnic basket she’d made for him.
Yes...it was time that he took her to meet his family. Definitely.
Abby and Joe.
She sat on a plaid blanket leaning her back against a tree. There was a small picnic basket next to her as well as the backpack they used for Joe’s things. She was holding the baby up against her raised knees and was talking animatedly to him. Luka stood and watched them for a moment. He grinned softly. He loved watching her at moments like this....when she wasn’t aware that he was doing it. She’d been so worried...so frightened....about doing the right things. She was so relaxed with him usually. So good. She’d been worried about nothing at all. Luka sauntered across the grass toward them and Abby looked up as she saw him approach.
“Hi,” she said as she blinked in the sun when she looked up at him. Luka dropped down on to the blanket next to her and chucked Joe under the chin. The baby ‘s mouth spread into a wide toothless grin and his dark eyes crinkled in delight. Luka laughed and then kissed Abby lightly on the lips. He turned back to the baby and then lifted him from Abby’s grasp. He lay back on the blanket and sat Joe on his chest. Abby straightened the collar on the baby’s soft shirt and adjusted the straps of the denim overalls.
“Thought you’d like a little break from take out,” she said. “And it’s probably one of the last few times we can do this before it’s too cold.” Luka nodded and glanced around the busy park. They weren’t the only ones taking advantage of the last of the season’s warmer weather. He sighed heavily and looked up into the bower of orange and yellow leaves above him. His eyes shifted to her face and he smiled slightly. She was watching him with a bit of a worried frown.
“Rough shift?” she asked. Luka shrugged and lifted Joe over his face and kissed his cheek. He straightened his arms and Joe grinned as he was held aloft and Luka swung him gently as if he were flying. Abby stretched her legs out and smiled at the two of them.
“It’s better now,” Luka said. His eyes met her’s and she smiled as she drew her fingers gently through his rough shock of hair. Luka brought Joe down to his chest and closed his eyes as he held him there in his hands. The warmth of the sun. The crisp smell of Autumn air. The sounds of laughter around them. Abby. Joe. This was a moment of pure perfection.
“Maggie called today,” Abby said as she stroked the top of his head.
“She did?” Abby nodded and sighed heavily.
“She’s trying to make some plans for the holidays this year. Time off work...that sort of thing.” Luka nodded and grinned as Joe shoved a fist into his mouth and drool spilled down his chin onto the overalls. He reached up to wipe it away with the sleeve of his dress shirt.
“Think he’s teething already?” he asked. Abby shrugged.
“Maybe.” She glanced out over the choppy waters of Lake Michigan and sighed.
“I’ve never known my mother to make...plans....for much of anything like this,” she said with a frown. “It worries me. Like she’s trying to be all normal family or something.” Luka chuckled.
“What’s wrong with that?” Abby looked down at him and bit her lip.
“I didn’t know what to say to her,” she said. ‘We...you and I.... haven’t really talked about what we want to do this year. I mean, I usually work on the holidays so that people with families could spend time with them.....”
“Not last year,” he interrupted. “We spent last Christmas together.” Abby smiled and leaned down to kiss him.
“Yes...” she said softly. “We did.” They were both quiet as they remembered the days they had spent alone....agonizing about the decision they - she - had to make then.
“So.....by all rights.....we should be scheduled to work this year.....a rotating kind of thing?” Abby sighed. Luka handed her the baby and then rolled over on his stomach to look at her.
“I want to take some time off to go home this year,” he said. “I want to take Joe...and you....to meet my family.” Abby’s eyes widened a bit and she shifted Joe to her shoulder and patted his back absently.
“Maybe your mother can come here for Christmas,” he went on. ‘We can spend time with her, still work the holiday and she can watch him for us. After the holidays we can plan a longer trip to Croatia...together.” Luka’s eyes searched her face to see her reaction. He frowned a bit at her hesitation to the suggestion.
“I’m still working through the ‘she can watch him for us’ part,” she said. Luka laughed and dropped his head to the blanket.
“Abby....he will be fine,” he mumbled in frustration. He lifted his head and then grinned as he saw the twinkle in her eye.
“So, you really want to take us to meet your family?” she asked.
“I do,” he replied emphatically. ‘It’s time.”
“It’s time?” He grinned and nodded.
“It’s definitely time.” Abby shrugged and hugged Joe to her shoulder and pulled her feet up on the blanket.
“I guess I’d better apply for a passport then,” she said. Luka grinned and sat up on the blanket. He slipped a hand to the back of her neck and drew her mouth to his in a slow, lingering kiss. Abby gasped slightly and he laughed as he drew back and she shifted Joe in her arms. Her pager beeped and she pulled it out of her pocket. Luka took Joe as she read the text line and shook her head.
“They need me at work early,” she said. She slipped her feet back into her sandals and kissed the back of Joe’s head. She grinned and then kissed Luka. He looked disappointed.
“Not my fault,” she said as she stood up. “The ER chief scheduled me for the overnight shift.”
“Yeah...yeah...you know it was your turn again,” he grumbled. “But we’re both off tomorrow.....”
“Great!” she laughed as she backed away toward the sidewalk. “We can spend the entire day in bed!” His face brightened and he waved as she turned and jogged down the sidewalk to the street. He held Joe away from him and studied the baby’s somber little face. He grinned and then Joe smiled and kicked his feet. Luka snuggled him close and then reached for the picnic basket she’d made for him.
Yes...it was time that he took her to meet his family. Definitely.