Blame it on the Stars (The Blame Game) (30 page)

“
Did you bring me any?” Catlin teased her son.

“
No, Steve and David ate them all.” He rolled his eyes.

Catlin gave Steve a questioning look.

He shrugged. “They were good.”

She frowned.
“Yeah, so was the Jell-O I had to eat. Next time, bring cookies!”

Chris
said, “I bet we can make some more tomorrow.”

“
Well, okay.” Catlin ruffled his hair. “Is tomorrow Monday? What about school?”

Steve answered
, “I told the kids they didn’t have to think about school for a few days. There’s a lot going on at the house.”

Catlin nodded
“I suppose I should call Frank, and let him know I won’t be in for a few days.”

Steve
shook his head. “I’ve talked to him, several times, actually. He knows you’re out for at least two weeks.”

She raised her eyebrows
, and he nodded.

Catlin smiled then, and nodded back. She
looked at Chris. “I’m so sorry about your dad, honey.”

He fought back tears as he nodded his head.

“It’s okay to cry,” she whispered in his ear. “I’ve been crying all day, myself.”

He buried his face in her chest and let it go. His little shoulders heaved with each sob, and Catlin thought her heart might break.
“Oh, my sweetheart.” She rubbed one hand over his back. “I’m so sorry. It’s all going to be okay.” Tears were running down her cheeks again.

Steve stood up next to her, and put one hand on her head, and the other on
Chris’s. They stayed that way for a few minutes, until the boy’s crying subsided. Steve reached for the tissues, and handed some to Catlin.

She dried her eyes, then
Chris’s. “I know it’s hard to understand,” she told her son “But we believe that you dad is in a better place now.”

Chris
rubbed at his face with the back of his hand. He nodded at her somberly. “Steve said dad’s in Heaven. He said it’s a happy place, and that dad is happy there now.”

“
That’s right.”

“
How can Dad be happy? He was happy when he was here. I don’t think he wanted to leave.”

Catlin put her hand on his cheek.
“I know it’s hard to understand. Of course your dad didn’t want to leave, but people don’t get to make those decisions. God called him to Heaven, and it’s a very good place. Your dad will be happy there, and he can look down on you, and be so proud of you as you grow up.”

Chris
had a strange look on his face. “Do you really think Dad’s in Heaven?”

“
Yes, I really do. He was a good man, and good people go to Heaven.”

Chris
looked down. “But what if...” he trailed off.

“
What, sweetie?” she asked softly.

He hesitated.
“I know he was a good man. But what if he did some bad things? Can he still go to Heaven?”

“
Oh, Chris.” Catlin pulled him into her arms. She looked up at Steve.

Steve sat on the edge of the bed and spoke to them quietly.
“Hey, nobody’s perfect. Everyone makes mistakes, and bad choices. But maybe that stuff is all weighed out in the end, you know, compared to everything good someone has done.” Steve moved his hands up and down like a scale. “And look at the good things your dad did. He raised you to be a great kid, didn’t he?”

Chris
smiled shyly.

“
And Chris, there’s one other thing he did that I haven’t told you. But I think you need to hear about it now. He saved your mom’s life after their car accident. He pulled her out of the car just in time, because there was a fire and with the gas in the car... well, the car blew up.”

Chris
’s eyes grew wide. “It did?”

“
Yeah.” Steve shook his head. “I loved that car. But it can be replaced. Your mom, on the other hand, is irreplaceable.”

She was crying again.

Chris looked at her, too. “I’m so glad he pulled you out.”

She could only nod her head in agreement.

Steve went on, “I am too. For that I will always be extremely grateful to your dad.”

Chris
nodded, and yawned. “Maybe Dad
is
in Heaven.” He laid his head on his mother’s shoulder. In just a few minutes, he was asleep.

Steve wiped the last of the tears from Catlin
’s face.

“
Thank you.” She leaned against him, and put her head on his shoulder. “Thanks for being so nice to him.”

“
He’s going to be part of my family.”

“
He lied to you, you know. That weekend I spent in Kansas City. Nothing happened with me and Nick.”

“
I know. I should have believed you then, but it was too raw. I was a mess.”

“
You needed closure with Barbara before we could be together. I understand that now.”

“
Hindsight, again.” He sighed and leaned against her.

“
Yep.” Catlin remained still for a while, but had to say one last thing on her mind. “I just need to be sure. Now that you know Chris lied to you that day, are we going to be okay? Can we get past that?

He kissed her temple.
“We already have. I love you, Catlin. And because of that, I’ll love your son. It’s what a dad should do.”

“
You’re a good dad. My kids are as lucky as I am.”

He chuckled.
“I hope you always feel that way.”

Catlin laughed, and then remembered
one more thing she wanted to ask him. “What’s going on at the house?”

“
Hmm?”

“
You’re keeping the kids home from school because there’s a lot going on at the house.”

He kissed
her earlobe. “Well, since the hospital wouldn’t let the reporters stay here, they have camped out in my yard. I guess they’ve seen me come and go, and there’s no sign of activity at your house, so they’ve designated me as the one to pester.”

“
I’m sorry.”

“
It’s no big deal.” He shrugged. “I’m certainly used to dealing with reporters. This isn’t going to be much of a story for long. There’s just not enough drama in it for them.”

“
Oh, if they only knew.” She smiled.

He laughed
. “Be glad they don’t. I think they’ll be gone in a couple days. Especially once the funeral is over.”

“
I’m going to think about that tomorrow. Can we not talk about it tonight, please?”

“
What do you want to talk about?” His face was inches from hers.

“
Who says I want to talk?” She puckered up and he kissed her. “Much better.” She sighed. “Kissing you doesn’t make my head hurt.”

“
Let’s hope not.” He chuckled, and they kissed again.

Chris
stirred, and opened his eyes. “Can I go swimming?”

Catlin
blinked. “Well not tonight. Maybe this summer.”

He held his arms out to Steve, who reached across Catlin to take the boy.
Chris snuggled up on Steve’s lap with his head on his shoulder. He reached for Catlin’s hand and held it, then fell back asleep.

“
Well, look at that,” she murmured. Her son was nestled in the crook of Steve’s arm, resting peacefully. “What a beautiful sight.”

Steve smiled at her, but since he couldn
’t reach her to kiss her now, he kissed the back of her hand.

She whispered
, “I wonder where the swimming business came from?”

“
We were in the backyard tonight. He’s pretty excited to have his own pool.”

She gave him a look.
“Since when is it
his
pool? He doesn’t live there.”

“
Well, I just assumed...”

“
You know what they say about assuming,” Catlin teased.

“
Yes. Are you going to give me a hard time about absolutely everything I do?”

“
I just don’t want to make promises to him we can’t keep.”

“
Oh, we can keep this one.” Steve shifted the boy so he could reach Catlin. “I’ll be more upset than him if you’re making promises
you
can’t keep.”

She shook her head.
“I’m not. It’s just too soon. I haven’t even met Teresa yet. I can’t think about this. It makes my head hurt.”

He kissed her cheek.
“I didn’t bring it up.”

“
I know.” She sighed. “Can we go back to not talking?”

“
Come here then. I could kiss you all night long.”

They were kissing again the next morning when the door opened, and Drs. Jonas and Marcus arrived.

“
Rest, I said rest,” Dr. Marcus bemoaned loudly.

Steve and Catlin separated.
She smiled at the doctor. “This is the most restful thing I can imagine.”

He rolled his eyes at Dr.
Jonas, and Steve got out of their way. They examined Catlin, and Dr. Jonas said, “The baby’s readings look fine. Maybe, while you’re so
rested
, we should get you up to walk again.”

“
Now?”

He nodded.
“Let’s do it while you have so many people here to look out for you.” He unhooked the baby monitor from her stomach, and turned to Steve. “You want to help her stand up? She might be a little shaky on her feet.”

Steve
nodded. “Yes, I do. Come here, you.” He helped her to her feet, and she leaned on him. She walked around the room, with one hand on his arm. She stopped in the bathroom to look in the mirror.

“
Yikes.” She grimaced at her reflection, and pointed to the big bandage across her forehead. “What have I got going on under here?”

Dr. Marcus smiled.
“Oh, it’s kind of a Frankenstein lightning bolt thing. It’s a good look for you.”

She
chuckled. “Great, thanks.”

“
Just kidding. I don’t know what you hit your head on, but it’s a long, jagged cut. The surgeon did a remarkable job. You shouldn’t be able to see it after a while. If you can, a little plastic surgery down the line should take care of it.”

“
Okay, thanks. Can I use the bathroom while I’m up?”

“
Sure,” Dr. Marcus said. “Want me to get Margie?”

“
Nah.” She clutched Steve’s arm. “We’ll be fine.”

She
dragged him into the bathroom with her.

Dr.
Jonas called, “We’re not staying out here all day, so hurry up in there.”

“
Keep your pants on!” she hollered back.

T
he doctor grinned at Steve, who smiled at them as he shut the door.

Catlin used the toilet,
and washed her hands.

“
Okay?” Steve asked, leaning against the wall.

“
I think so.
Oh! No!”
She doubled over and clutched her stomach.

“
Contraction?” Steve grabbed her arm.

She nodded. Steve threw open the bathroom door
. “Here we go again.”

The doctors were by her side immediately.
“Get her back to bed,” Dr. Jonas said. “I’ll go get the shot.”

Dr. Marcus and Steve led Catlin to her bed, and helped her lay down. The doctor fastened the baby monitor around her stomach, as
Margie came in and adjusted it. “All right now,” she told Catlin “Try and take deep breaths.”

Tears were streaming down Catlin
’s face. “It hurts,” she whispered.

Steve got on the other side, out of the doctor
’s way, and brushed her hair back. “It’ll be okay. Relax. Try to be calm.”

She looked into his eyes, and he smiled. Catlin found strength in those eyes, and slowly nodded.

Dr. Jonas returned and injected some medicine into an IV bag. He handed it to Margie, who hooked it up to the port on Catlin’s arm. “Here you go. Even breathing, slow and steady. Give this a chance to kick in.”

Catlin grimaced as another contraction hit her. She squeezed Steve
’s hand hard.

“
It’s fine,” Steve told her. “It’s all going to be okay. Catlin, look at me.”

She
gazed into his eyes.

“
They’re going away now. The contractions are stopping.”

She nodded, and clutched his hand while looking into his eyes. Slowly, her eyes grew heavy, and she shut them. Steve settled her back into her pillow. He looked at the doctors.