Back at the hospital Jackie and my mom had gotten back from their quick shopping trip.

Jackie – “Now I know I was only supposed to get a car seat but look at these.”  She holds up two matching jumpers.  “Aren’t they just darling?  And then they had these little matching hats.”

Me – “Jackie these are great but you didn’t have to.”

Jackie – “I know I wanted to.  I’ve been dying to be a grandmother for years now.”  I can’t help but smile as she shows me the rest of the stuff she bought.

Me – “Okay but I hate to ask, where’s the car seat?”  Mom and Jackie look at each other.

Goldie – “Did you put it in the car?”

Jackie – “I thought you did.”

Goldie – “I’ll call the store.”  She picks up the phone and dials the number off the receipt.  I can’t help but laugh.  The two of them are great together.  They make a bit of an odd pair.  My mom in her designer jeans and Jackie in a old fashion farmer’s wife dress.  “They have it at the store I’ll run back and get it.”

Me – “okay we’ll be here.”  She leaves, and Jackie gets up and closes the door.

Jackie – “I wanted to talk to you quick.  Just the two of us.”

Me – “okay.”

Jackie – “Me and you need to come to an understanding where these children are concerned.  Now I talked to your mom and she explained to me somewhat about why you did what you did.  I understand.  It’s really hard loving someone.  And I know you and Brian have a very tough time ahead of you, but I’m going to be completely selfish and tell you what I want out of all of this.”

Me – “okay.”

Jackie – “I just want to be part of their lives.  No matter what happens between you and Brian.  I want you to promise me that you will never tell me that I can’t see my grandsons.”

Me – “I can definitely promise you that Jackie.  I was all but raised by my Grammie Shirely, and I would never deny my kids the chance to know their grandparents.  No matter what side of the family tree they might fall on.”

Jackie – “Good.”  She winks at me.  “No we just have to work on that son of mine.”

Brian – “Are you two conspiring against me?”

Jackie – “hey don’t you know better then to come sneaking up on people.”

Brian – “It’s worth it if I find them plotting against me.”

Me – “We weren’t plotting.  Your mom got a whole bunch of stuff for Tommy and Noah.”

Jackie – “Yes and then I left the car seat at the store.”

Me – “My mom went back to get it.”

He holds up the other one.  “I got the one from your place.”

Me – “Did you have any trouble finding it.”

Brian – “No.  It’s a bit out there isn’t it?”

Me – “Yeah that’s why I liked it.”  The phone rings.  “Excuse me a sec.  Hello.”

Viv – “Hey it’s me.”

Me – “Hey where did you disappear to?  I called your hotel and they said you checked out and then I called Faith and Tim but they said they hadn’t heard from you either.”

Viv – “I’m in Las Vegas with Alex.”

Me – “You’re with AJ!”

Brian – “Where’s he at?”

Me – “Him and Viv are in Vegas.  You two didn’t get married did you?”

Viv – “No!  Well not yet, God knows what he has planned for today.”

Me – “What are you doing in Las Vegas.”

Viv – “I don’t know.  He asked me out for dinner and the next thing I knew we were in a convertible driving here.  He’s so great I’ve never met anyone like him.”

Me – “He’s an original.”

Viv – “Jess I think I love him.”

Me – “Really?”  I giggle.  “Oh Tim’s going to hate him.”

Viv – “He might be open minded.”  AJ starts waking up.  “Well he’s waking up I should go.”

AJ – “Who are you talking to Scarlett?”

Me – “Scarlett?”

Viv – “Long story.  I’ll call you later.”

Me – “Hey I’m getting discharged today so call at my house.”

Viv – “Okay.”  We hang up.

AJ – “Who was that?”

Viv – “I called Jessica quick to see how she was doing?”  He rolls over so he can see her better.

AJ – “And how is she?”

Viv – “Good they are going home today.”

AJ – “You’re thinking maybe we should head back.”

Viv – “yeah but I don’t want to.”  She lies down to face him.  He smiles.

AJ – “You are so pretty in the morning.”  He touches her hair.  “I like your hair all messed up and your eyes all sleepy.”  She stretches and moves closer in to his arms.

Viv – “So what are we doing today?”

AJ – “Don’t know what do you want to do?”

Viv – “I don’t know we’ve done so much.”

AJ – “Well maybe we should go shopping for the boys and then head back to Cali.”

Viv – “Sounds good.”

AJ – “Okay but first.”  He throws the blanket over both over their heads and starts tickling her.

Back at the hospital…

Me – “I would have never imagined the two if them together.”

Brian – “I don’t really know Vivian but this isn’t out of character for AJ.”

Me – “Well Viv is a little wild.  Hell she took me to a strip club when I was seven months pregnant, but to run off with some one who, to her is a complete stranger is odd.  Oh well, so how am I getting out of here.  I would like to try to avoid that mess down stairs.”

Brian – “I’ll go talk to Paul and see if we can get it figured out.”

Me – “Good idea.”

Brian – “I’ll be back.”

Me – “I don’t think we’re going anywhere.”

Goldie – “Here it is.  The boy offered to install it in my car for me but I wasn’t sure who was driving you home so I just brought it in the box.”

Me – “Brian went to talk to Paul.  I guess they are going to see if there’s a back way out of this place.” 

Nick – “There is that’s how we get in.”

Me – “Hey Nicky.  I was wondering where you were.  I thought we’d have to file a missing persons report on you two soon.”

Nick – “Sorry I got stuck on this level of Snowboarders.”

Sum – “And god forbide we leave during that.”

Me – “oh I understand.”

Nick – “I can show you where it’s at.”

Me – “Where what’s at?”

Nick – “The back door.”

Me – “Oh.  Yeah please.”  I get up and put on my little slippers and follow them.  We go down the elevator to the third floor.  And then we tip toe past some rooms.  Summer tells me that we are in the geriatrics ward.  We then take another elevator down to the garage.

Nick – “Okay now you just walk to the left and that’s where I park.”

Me – “What stinks?”

Summer – “I don’t know and I don’t want to know.”

Me – “Okay let’s go tell Brian.”

We get back upstairs and they are waiting with the finally papers to sign and a wheel chair to take us out.  I change and then sign some final papers.

Brian – “So how are we getting out?”

Me – “Nick found a way.”

Brian – “Where?”  Nick explains to him.  “Okay you come with me and we’ll put the car seats in my car and then you can distract the press while I get Jess and the boys out of here.”

So Brian and Nick leave and go down to the car.  Since it’s hospital policy, Betty wheels me out and my mom and Jackie carry the boys.  It took us a little bit longer to get down there.  Brian was waiting with the car running.

Summer – “Where’s Nick?”

Brian – “He’s holding his own press conference.”

me – “Oh that can’t be good.”

Brian – “Well he’ll run out of material soon so let’s go.”  Our moms have the boys strapped in their seats and I get in the passenger seat and buckle in.  “Ready.”

Me – “Yeap.”

In front of the hospital Nick sees Brian’s car pulling out from around the garage.

Nick – “And another thing.  I am seriously considering playing Batman in the next movie.”  All of the reporters are starting to look at each other like this kid’s got to be kidding.  One of them catches sight of Brian’s rental out of the corner of his eye.

Guy – “hey there they go!” 

They try to catch up with the car but Brian is able to turn on the street before anyone catches us.

Me – “That was close.  Next time maybe I should drive.”

Brian – “Oh no I want them to at least reach their first birthday.”

Me – “Hey I’m not that bad.”

Brian – “just when you’re trying to avoid the press or are late for work, or are trying to get to the hospital.”

Me – “Okay so maybe it is better that you’re driving.”