7. Harrison
harrison
. . .
I 'm almost to the house when Katelyn's name displays on the screen. I tap the notification and listen to the artificial intelligence read Katelyn's message aloud. She wants me to meet her at one of our favorite restaurants. A little hole in the wall Mexican place, as it's often described, with the best brisket flautas I have ever tasted. The best part, the paparazzi never seems to come in, which means Katelyn and me, and sometimes JD and Jenna can enjoy a nice quiet meal without someone bothering us for a picture. Autographs are rarely asked for these days because it's all about the 'gram and how many likes you're going to get.
After turning the SUV around, it takes very little time to arrive at the restaurant. As soon as I open the door and step in, Katelyn is there. I smile at the love of my life and make my way toward her. Rosa, the third-generation owner, hollers out, "Hola, Mr. Harrison."
"Good evening, Rosa."
"I'll be over in a minute for yours and Ms. Katelyn's order."
When I reach Katelyn, she tilts her head up, waiting for a kiss, and I happily oblige her. "This is a delightful surprise," I say as I sit down across from her. I don't bother with the menu because I order the same thing every time I'm here.
"I was at the hospital and left late. Figured we'd stop here for dinner."
"Well, you know I'm always up for Rosa's cooking," I say this as she approaches our table. She blushes and sets our drinks down in front of us.
"Mr. Harrison, you sure know how to make a woman feel good about herself."
"He does have that charm," Katelyn says with a sigh and smile.
Katelyn and I place our orders, and I reach for her hand. My thumb plays with the diamond on her ring finger, moving it back and forth. People, mostly the media, often ask why we've never married. I suppose for some people it's odd. We adopted each other's children, took each other's names, and have always acted like we're married. There have been many times when I've referred to her as my wife, and she has called me her husband. So, why not make it official? People want to know, and the answer is a piece of paper does not define our love for each other or the life we're living, or the lives of our kids. The bottom line, this works for us, and that's all that should matter. If something happened to me, Katelyn's taken care of, as are the kids and any future grandchildren.
"You look troubled."
Katelyn smiles softly and leans forward to rest the elbow of her other arm on the table. "There are a few things I'd like to discuss."
"I'm all ears."
"Josie, Jenna, and I had a video chat today," she pauses, which I take as an opening to say something sarcastic.
My mouth drops open. "What did Liam do now?" The likelihood that he did anything wrong is so far-fetched, it's laughable. For the past, however many years, that boy has been on the straight and narrow, and he took JD and me right along with him.
Katelyn rolls her eyes and lets out a small giggle. "Josie has invited us all, kids included, to go away for the holidays. She rented this massive lodge that will fit us all comfortably. According to her, the house sits at the base of the mountain, right by the ski lodge. The Davises are going, and I told Josie we'd go as well."
"I'm game. When do we leave?"
"End of the week. We'll fly to Vermont."
"The land of Ben & Jerry's, maple syrup, and cider donuts. I'll be one happy man." I lean back and pat my stomach.
"You'll be fat if you eat like that."
"And you'll still love me," I point out. Katelyn gives me a side-eye glance but doesn't confirm she will. Her avoidance of my statement hurts a little bit. "What about the kids?"
"Josie is going to call Noah and Peyton. I'll take care of Quinn and Elle. I'm not sure if Quinn and Nola are going to her parents’ or not. We really hadn't talked about the holidays."
"That's a bit odd for you. Normally, you know everyone's plans before Thanksgiving. What's going on?" Over the past few weeks, I've noticed something has been on Katelyn's mind, but each time I've asked, she's brushed me off, saying it's nothing. The thing is, I can't fix the issue if it's nothing, and the last thing I want is for Katelyn ever to have to worry about anything. I tug slightly on her hand to get her attention. "Talk to me."
Katelyn inhales deeply. "I'm fine, I promise. The kids are as well. But there is something I want to show you after we eat."
"Okay," I say without hesitation.
As if on cue, Rosa is back with our food and a loud growl bellows from my stomach. I don't bother trying to cover it up with my hand or even apologizing. It knows what I'm about to feed it.
"Plates are hot," Rosa says as she sets them down. "I'll get you some more drinks." I rub my hands together and pick my fork up.
"You act like you haven't eaten all day," Katelyn says.
"I've been with JD, which means we ate at In-N-Out Burger. He's like a kid with a sugar high when it comes to that place."
"Which I don't get. It's not like Jenna tells him he can't go."
I shrug. "It's JD. Who knows with him?"
"What did he get for a tattoo?" Katelyn asks.
"One of Jenna's drawings of a sugar skull. He did it as a surprise."
"That's very sweet of him."
I stifle a laugh because sweet and JD do not go together in a sentence. Although, when it comes to Jenna and Eden, he's an entirely different person.
When Rosa arrives at the table with our bill, I have my credit card out and ready for her. She takes it and tells us she'll be right back.
"Make sure you leave her a good tip since we won't be back until next year."
"Of course," I reply. "As if I'd do anything different when it comes to Rosa."
When she returns, Rosa sets the slip down with a pen and walks away. "How much are you leaving her?" Katelyn asks.
I don't bother to answer her and write the total, plus tip onto the piece of paper and scribble my name. Katelyn takes it from me, writes on it, and hands it back. I say nothing, as I get up and reach for her hand to help her out of the booth.
"Merry Christmas, Rosa," Katelyn says as we begin to leave. "We'll see you next year."
"Next year? What?" Rosa yells out, but we're already at the door. With Katelyn's hand in mine, I look down at her and smile.
"She'll be happy."
"Rosa's good to us." And we're good to her. We always make sure to tip above the normal and more so during the holidays. "A two-thousand-dollar tip will help her tremendously."
"You're a good woman, Katelyn."
She stops and pulls me to her. I don't hesitate to kiss her, not caring if someone has their camera out. Please blast this all-over social media with the caption, "Harrison James kisses his wife on the street corner." So scandalous.
I open the car door for Katelyn and make sure she's situated before closing it. The plan is to leave her car and come back and get it after she takes me to this super secretive place. Once I'm in the flow of traffic, Katelyn is giving me directions. She points to the right or left, but the best is when she says, turn here, and I'm stuck in the middle lane.
"Advance warning, babe."
"I know, I'm sorry."
Clearly, wherever we're going and whatever is on her mind is weighing heavily on her. I hate that for her and want to relieve her of what she's feeling. When she tells me to turn into the hospital entrance, I figure it's to turn around, but she directs into the first open spot she sees.
"Follow me," Katelyn says as she gets out of the SUV. I do as she requests and fall in step behind her. The hospital is busy, with an influx of people milling around. Honestly, it's my least favorite place to be, and I start to wonder if Katelyn has befriended a fan of 4225 West and their dying wish is to meet me. I find this odd because Katelyn would've said something, and I definitely would've made sure the fan received the full treatment.
We step into the elevator with a few other people, and Katelyn presses the sixth-floor button. We ride in silence until the doors open for us and step out. At the nurse's station, Katelyn checks us in. I'm given a sticker that says visitor with my picture on it.
"What are we doing here?" I ask.
"You'll see." Katelyn motions for me to follow, and I do. We walk through a set of double doors that Katelyn opened with her badge and around the corner. She stops at the large window and sighs.
Babies.
"Did someone have a baby that we know?"
Katelyn shakes her head and again motions for me to follow her. We go into the nursery, and she greets one of the nurses, who introduces herself as Mary.
"Are you here to see Baby John?"
Katelyn nods and takes my hand. Being in a place like this, full of babies, is something new for me. I wasn't there when Quinn was born and obviously the twins. Katelyn and I never considered expanding our family either and are both anxious for grandchildren.
"Sit here," Katelyn says as she points to a rocking chair. I do and keep my eyes on my wife. She goes to one of the cradles and scoops up a baby wrapped in a hospital-issued blanket with a blue hat on. Katelyn sits next to me and, for a moment, is entirely focused on the baby she's holding.
"I don't know how long I've volunteered here. It's probably going on two years now. I love coming in and holding the babies and helping the new moms. This job or whatever you'd call it has been rewarding. When I leave, I know the babies are loved, and the parents are walking out with their bundles prepared for sleepless nights. When I go home at night, I'm content and ready to bug Peyton and Noah for a grandchild."
Katelyn gently places the baby she's holding into my arms. I'm nervous but not afraid because I know my wife is by my side. I look down at the little guy and take in his features. He's tiny with blue eyes and the smallest nose. He wiggles and squirms, almost as if he’s trying to break out of his swaddle.
"What's his name?"
"He doesn't have one."
"Why not?" I ask, without taking my eyes from him.
"His mother abandoned him at the fire station a week ago. He's been here because the state is having trouble finding him a home so close to Christmas. They call him Baby John because they don't know who he is."
Instantly, my eyes go to Katelyn. She tries to smile, but there are tears in her eyes. "Why are we here, Katelyn?"
"Because I want us to foster him and eventually adopt him."
"Katelyn," I say her name as a warning.
She sets one hand on me and the other on the baby. "I get it, our kids are grown and hopefully starting families of their own soon, but this guy, he doesn't have a chance. He'll live in a foster home until he's adopted—if he gets adopted. He's small for his age. A full-term baby should weigh at least six pounds, he’s barely tipping the scale at five. He may or may not have health issues the older he gets and right now he needs oxygen to breathe at night before he forgets to do it himself. We can take care of him and give him a good life. Give him a chance. We can make sure he has the best medical care."
I glance back at the baby and swear he smiles at me. I haven't thought about more kids since the twins were probably eight. It just didn't make sense. Not with the band touring all the time, and the kids pulling Katelyn in every direction possible. She's right though. We have something to offer a baby.
"We leave on Friday," I point out.
Katelyn nods. "Which means we need an emergency hearing giving us temporary custody of him and listing us as his foster parents until we can proceed with the adoption. I’ve already spent time with his caseworker. Ramona thinks we have an amazing chance of becoming his foster parents. If we can’t take him out of the state, I’ll stay home. All we can do is ask.”
"And what if his mother comes back?" I ask her. "We've been down this road with Alicia. It's not pretty."
"No, it's not, but if she does, we'll help her, because I can't imagine Elle or Peyton being so scared that they'd leave their baby at the fire station. I hate that his mom went through this alone. If she comes back, we'll be there for her."
I study my wife for a long time, looking for any signs of apprehension. I finally lean over and kiss her. "After I'm done holding him, I'll make the call to our lawyer."
"Are you sure?" she asks hesitantly.
"I am." Katelyn's eyes go wide and brim with unshed tears. Her hand covers her mouth as I nod, sending the message home. I'll do whatever I must to make her happy, and if that means bringing this little boy home, who desperately needs a family, then so be it. Starting over as parents isn't ideal, but I feel as if this is the right thing to do in my heart.
"I love you, Harrison. So much." She leans down and kisses me. Her long hair tickles against the bundle in my arms. He fusses, which sends a welcoming jab to my heart. We were meant to be in each other's lives.
"I love you more. We should probably think of a name for this guy. I'm not a fan of John."
"Oh, don't worry, I have a list," she says as she places her arm around my shoulder and leans in. I watch her for a moment, wondering if this was how she was with the twins, and can’t believe it’s taken us this long to expand our family.