Becoming Part of the Team

Chapter 5

In Andy's mind, breakfast had gone quite well. While Robert wasn't particularly verbose, she was proud of how he had reacted to Dean's remark and what he said when he addressed the team. She was hopeful that things would be a lot easier on all of them moving forward. As they drove home, Andy decided to see how Robert was feeling about things. "So," she said, "That wasn't too horrible, was it?"

"It was actually really nice," Robert replied. "I have to admit, you and Warren were right."

The inclusion of her teammate's name into the conversation surprised Andy. "Warren?" she asked. "When did Ben get involved in this?"

"He and I talked after you left the break room last night," Robert explained. "He helped me see how hard this must be on you. The team really is your extended family, and I'm your husband. You shouldn't have to split your loyalties."

Andy turned in her seat to face her husband. While she was glad that Robert was making strides in getting closer to the team, she couldn't believe that it was a chat with Ben that had been the tipping point. "So, I'm on you for almost 2 years to get to know the team better, and it takes one conversation with Ben to get you to join everyone for breakfast?" Andy asked with a hint of exasperation in her voice. "Thanks a lot."

Robert heard her annoyance, and decided to deflect it before their pleasant morning was disrupted by an argument: "How about instead of getting frustrated with me, you say, 'Thanks, Robert, for finally admitting I was right.'"

"Good point," Andy said with a grin. "Any time you want to point out how right I am, and have been for the last two years, I might add, go right ahead."

"Smartass," Robert quipped.

"You know it," Andy sassed back, "and you love me for it."

"That's very true," Robert said, his tone more serious, as he reached over to grasp her hand and squeeze it gently. His conversation with Ben the previous night had driven that point home. One of the many reasons he loved his wife was her willingness to go toe-to-toe with him and not back down.

Robert returned his hand to the steering wheel, and they drove in companionable silence for a few minutes before he brought up a new topic of conversation. "So," Robert began, "about what was said at breakfast..." Andy had a hunch where this conversation was going. It was becoming increasingly obvious that her husband found the car to be a safe place to begin conversations about important life decisions. First, he essentially proposed to her in the car after they left lunch with her father. Now, she assumed, he wanted to talk about babies, or more specifically, the babies they might, or might not, have together. However, she never missed a chance to mess with her husband, and this seemed to be the perfect opportunity to have some fun.

"What about what was said at breakfast?" Andy said evenly, feigning ignorance. "We talked about Pru's sleep schedule, the calls we went on last shift, and who the new chief might be..."

As she trailed off, and he brought the car to a stop at a traffic light, he turned to look at her. The mischievous smile on her face told him all he needed to know; she knew exactly what he was asking her. "Well, as interesting as all of those things are," he replied, "I was specifically talking about Vic's comment about us having a baby. You looked pretty good with Pru in your arms."

"You think so?" Andy asked, still not giving in to the conversation she knew he was trying to have. "She's a great baby. Dean is so lucky to have her."

Robert, his eyes returning to the road as the light turned green, decided he needed to take a more direct approach if he ever wanted to get a straight answer from his wife: "It's one of those conversations we probably should have had before we got married, but what do you think about us having a kid or two together one of these days?"