Our Life, Our Family

Chapter 17

ony was shocked by the voice. He couldn't believe his ears. He thought that he;d never hear that voice again. He turned around to confirm what he thought he'd heard. "Jeanne?"

She smiled hesitantly at him. "It's been a while." She replied awkwardly.

"Yeah." Tony replied.

They let the silence hang in the air for a moment. Then Jeanne spoke up. "So, what have you been up to?" She inquired.

Before Tony could respond, AJ turned around in his seat, propped up on his knees. "Hi!" He greeted excitedly. "I'm AJ. Who you?"

A look of surprise came across Jeanne's face, but then she quickly composed herself and slapped a smile on her face. "My name is Jeanne." She replied.

"She's an old friend of mine." Tony told AJ. Then he turned back to Jeanne. "As you can see, I've been up to being a father."

"That's great." Jeanne said.

"Yeah, my wife is pregnant with our second child, a little girl." Tony told her.

"Sounds like your life is pretty great." She replied.

"Yeah...So how have you been?" Tony asked.

"Pretty good." She replied. "I've been working a lot. Going out and having fun with friends. That kind of thing."

"That's good."

Tony's phone suddenly began to ring. He pulled it out and looked at the screen. "It's my wife. I had better take this."

Jeanne nodded.

Tony put the phone to his ear. "Hey baby. What's up?"

A sniffling could be heard from the other end. "It's...terrible...Tony." She then became hysterical and Tony couldn't understand a word she said.

"Baby, calm down. Just slow down. Tell me what's going on?"

"It's...it's...Memaw. She h...ha...had...an...ano...another...str...stroke." She got out between sobs. "I...I'm...at the...h...hos...hospital...waiting."

"I'll take AJ to dad's, so he can watch him and I'll be right there. Okay?"

"Okay." She replied.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Tony then hung up his phone. "Sorry, we have to go. It's an emergency." Tony told Jeanne.

"Okay. I hope everything is fine." She said.

"Me, too." Tony said. Then he got AJ and they went and paid the bill and left.

Jeanne watched as Tony walked away with his son. I should have called him. I picked up that phone hundreds of times, but never followed through. Now, it's too late. Now, he's lost to me forever.

Tony...

Tony quickly drove to his old bachelor pad. He knocked on the door and his dad answered. "Junior," he greeted and then he looked down and saw his grandson, "and my little buddy."

"Gamps!" AJ replied excitedly. Then he ran to embrace his grandfather around the legs.

"Would you mind watching him for a while?" Tony asked his father. "Charity is at the hospital with Elizabeth Gardener."

Senior gave his son a questioning look. Then Tony replied, "The old woman, she and AJ are both so fond of."

Understanding lit Senior's face. "Oh, I see. Of course, I'll watch him."

"Okay, thanks, Dad."

"No problem. Now go be with your lovely wife."

Tony bent down to be on the same level as his son. "Come here, Little Man."

AJ let go of his grandfather and turned to his father. "Wha' Daddy?"

"You're gonna stay here with Gramps, okay? Daddy has to go take care of Mommy. Okay?"

"Otay." AJ replied. Then he gave his father a hug. "I wuv you Daddy."

"I love you, too, buddy." Tony replied, wrapping his arms around his son. Then he kissed the top of his head.

Senior then took AJ into the apartment and Tony headed back to his car. He drove to the hospital as quickly as he could. He knew his wife needed him and he would make sure he was there for her.