Celia's Puppies (15 page)

“
Go ahead,” he
said.

“
Meg?” Jill
asked.

“
Jill! Katy’s having some
kind of a seizure. Steve and Leslie are here for dinner. Steve said
she’s not having a seizure, because he’s seen them at work… you
know in the NICU. He says it’s more like a fit. Her temperature
spiked and her eyes rolled back. She was like that for a while then
woke up. She seems okay. We called the nurse on call and she agreed
with Steve. The nurse said to watch her. But...”

“
I’ll be right there,”
Jill hung up her phone. “I’m sorry Jacob, but Katy’s
sick.”

Jacob popped to his feet. Within moments,
they were on the sidewalk stepping into a cab.

“
She spiked a fever and
her eyes rolled back,” Jill said. “I guess she seems okay
but...”

“
What?” Jacob stunned face
unnerved Jill. “What do you mean?”

“
She spiked a fever and
her eyes rolled back,” Jill repeated.

“
Jill.” Jacob’s intense
look caught Jill of guard. “Was she responsive?”

“
I don’t think so,” Jill
said. “Why?”

Jacob shook his head and looked out the
window. Jill put her hand on his sling.

“
You’re scaring me, Jacob.
What are you thinking?”

Jacob turned back to her. His eyes reviewed
her face.

“
I’ve thought and thought…
I’ve gone over everything I can think of...”

“
Jacob! What is
it?”

“
How is it possible that
Katy is my child?”

Chapter Thirty-Five
Things are changing

Friday morning — 6 A.M.

“
Where’s Mommy?” Katy
asked the moment she opened her eyes.

“
Mommy has a very big day
today,” Jacob said. He lowered the gate to Katy ‘s crib.

“
But Mommy always helps me
wake up. Always. Always. Unless I’m at Aunt Megan’s house. Mommy
wakes me up.”

As if hoping Jacob would turn into her
mother, Katy didn’t move to get up.

“
I know,” Jacob said.
“Your Mom was very upset when she realized she wouldn’t be able to
help you get started this morning. She thought you’d be at Aunt
Megan’s.”

“
Oh.” Katy sat up.
“Where’s Mommy?”

Jacob sighed. How to explain to a three year
old something he didn’t quite understand?

“
She’s getting beautified.
All day.”

“
That’s silly.” Katy
laughed. “But Mommy’s already beautiful.

“
That’s exactly what I
said but she went anyway.” Jacob gave an exaggerated sigh. “You’re
stuck with me. Your Mommy was very worried but I assured her that I
could do this. It’s a trial run at being a Daddy.”

“
I’ll help you, Daddy,”
Katy said. “First, you tell me how much you love me. Then you ask
me how my sleep was. When I won’t get up, you tickle me and kiss my
face.”

Katy flopped back onto the mattress and
pulled her covers up to her nose.

“
Go ahead,” Katy said. She
made fake snoring sounds.

Laughing, Jacob recited his part. By the
time he got to ‘How was your sleep?,” Katy was giggling. He tickled
her and kissed her face.

“
How was that?” Jacob
asked. He helped her out of the crib.

“
Good,” Katy
said.

“
We need to get you into
your big girl bed,” he said.

“
I know,” Katy said. She
took his hand and they walked across the apartment to the bathroom.
“But Mommy hasn’t decided if I should have zoo animals or states or
angels on my walls. It’s a big decision. Uncle Mike is waiting for
her to decide.”

“
Can you do the bathroom
yourself? Or do you need help?”

“
I can do it,” Katy said.
“I do it at school.”

“
Okay, I’ll pick out
something for you to wear.”

“
NO! That’s WRONG, Daddy.
I pick out my OWN clothes.”

Katy crossed her arms and glared at him.
Jacob laughed.

“
Yes, ma’am. How about if
I wait right here?”

Katy nodded her head then primly closed the
bathroom door.

Shaking his head, Jacob waited by the
bathroom.

By now, he should know to expect almost
anything. Last night, after what he was sure was a psychic vision,
Katy was fine. Healthy and giggly. But when he asked Katy what
happened, she said, “Naomi says I shouldn’t tell you now.” The
little girl laughed at his shocked face.

And there was no doubt that Trevor was
Katy’s father. Jill was absolutely certain. Everyone else must just
be wrong. Wishful thinking, that’s what she said.

Today, with a little help from Delphie,
Jacob was going to find out what was going on with Katy. Or so he
promised a weeping, anxious Jill last night.

“
All done?” Jacob
asked.

“
I didn’t brush my hair,”
Katy said. “I wanted to keep my Mommy braid.”

“
Good plan,” Jacob said.
“She’s going to get you ready for your nap. She’ll do your hair
then. Remember we have a big party tonight.”

Katy nodded. “Lots of kids are coming to our
house while their parents dance and stuff.”

“
Yep,” Jacob said. “Mommy
and I will take care of you most of the time.”

“
Except when Uncle Mike or
Uncle Steve are there. Paddie’s coming after nap.” Katy jumped up
and down with glee. “Can I wear my pretty dress now?”

“
Let’s save it for later,”
Jacob said. “Mommy is excited to help you get ready. We don’t want
to spoil it for her. Do we?”

Katy shook her head. She ran across the
apartment to the big closet and opened the door. Jill and Katy’s
few clothes filled only half of the left side of Jacob’s walk in
closet. Katy picked her favorite ‘orangey gauzy’ dress and pink
‘flippy floppies’ for today. She was almost dressed when Delphie
tapped on the door then stuck her head in. Trailing Jacob, Katy
threw herself into Delphie’s arms. Jacob finished buttoning Katy’s
dress while she hugged Delphie.

“
Naomi said you’d come
today.” Katy beamed.

Jacob and Delphie shared a look over Katy’s
head.

“
Who’s Naomi, honey?”
Delphie asked.

“
My Grandmommy!” Katy
grabbed Delphie’s hand and pulled her into the apartment. “Are you
going to help Daddy take care of me?”

“
I wanted to ask you about
Naomi,” Delphie said. “Would you like some cereal for
breakfast?”

“
I want the smiley guy,”
Katy said. “But Daddy can’t have any cereal.”

“
It’s a sad day,” Jacob
said.

“
Daddy is working to get
well,” Delphie said. “He’s off the cereal for a while.”

“
I’ll eat
DOUBLE.”

Katy laughed at her own joke. She held her
arms up and Delphie lifted her to her booster seat. Within moments,
Katy was devouring her Captain Crunch. Delphie sedately ate a bowl
of Kashi Go Lean. And poor Jacob sipped his protein berry smoothie
with ‘this and that’ added to build his ‘blood and chi.’ Taking a
bite, Delphie nodded to Jacob.

“
Katy, I was wondering if
you could tell us what happened last night?” Jacob
asked.

“
You mean going to Aunt
Megan’s or eating spaghetti or playing light saber with my cousin
Ryan or when I had the dream or when Daddy and Mommy came
or…?”

“
The dream,” Delphie
said.

“
Oh.” Katy blushed. She
furrowed her brow then returned to eating her cereal.

“
Katy?” Jacob
asked.

“
I’m deciding.”

“
Deciding what?” Jacob
asked.

“
Well, I don’t talk about
my dreams because people get upset,” Katy said.

“
We won’t get upset,
honey,” Delphie said. “We understand what it’s like.”

“
You do?” Katy’s dark eyes
blinked at Delphie. Delphie nodded. Katy looked at
Jacob.

“
I started having them
when I was a little younger than you,” Jacob said. “How long have
you had them?”

“
I had my first one the
day I met Naomi,” Katy said. “My old Daddy hit my Mommy with his
fist. He was drunk and mad. So Mommy hid me in the closet. Naomi
came to visit me. She told me he wasn’t my REAL Daddy and I
shouldn’t be afraid. Then I had a dream.”

Jacob opened his mouth to say something but
words didn’t come out. Somewhere between ‘hit with fist’ and ‘drunk
and mad’, his mind went blank with anger. Delphie put her hand over
his for comfort.

“
What did you dream?”
Delphie asked.

“
I dreamed that I would
meet you and Daddy would be my Daddy,” Katy said. “That’s why I
asked him in that hospital place.”

“
Do your dreams always
come true?” Jacob asked.

“
Not all of them. Just the
ones that happen when I’m awake.”

“
What do you mean?”
Delphie asked.

“
You know, I’m awake then
I have a dream.”

Jacob and Delphie nodded their heads.

“
My mother used to have
them,” Jacob said.

“
Naomi,” Katy said. “She’s
your Mommy.”

“
Yes, that was one on her
names,” Jacob said. “You know that she’s d… not real,
right?”

“
She’s real, Daddy. She’s
just not here,” Katy said. “She told me last night that
Grand-Delphie would help me. She said you should practice too
Daddy.”

“
Only your mother can
scold from the grave.” Delphie laughed.

Jacob laughed.

“
I’m ready,” Katy said.
She pushed her bowl away. “But... Daddy will you do it with me? I’m
scared I’ll have the bad one again.”

“
The bad one?” Jacob was
half way to the sink with Katy’s bowl when he turned.

“
The one where my old
Daddy steals me away.”

~~~~~~~~

Friday morning — 11 A.M.

Sam stepped back from the window to admire
his work. He’d forgotten how much he enjoyed carpentry. With Aden
and Blane at the helm of Lipson Construction, he was able to spend
the afternoon installing windows. Hearing a sound, he turned to see
Jacob come up behind him.

“
The master returns,”
Jacob said.

“
We’ll see. I have three
more to go,” Sam said.

“
Looks like you’re doing a
great job,” Jacob said. He moved to the second window. “Oh, thanks
for fixing the rotten piece on this frame.”

Nodding, Sam picked up the next window.

“
I heard to oddest thing,”
Jacob said.

“
Uh huh.” Sam slid a
window into place. “These are nice. Double paned, low e. I didn’t
know this was even possible.”

“
It’s relatively new. Most
people can’t do it because...”

“
They jack up the frames
taking them out,” Sam finished Jacob’s sentence.

“
Exactly.” Jacob gave Sam
a can of spray insulation to fill the gaps around the
window.

“
This insulation is great
too,” Sam said. “Why didn’t you replace the windows at
home?”

“
I love the wavy lead
windows at the Castle. They’re especially beautiful in your room,”
Jacob said. “It’s a heat loss, but we’ve done a great job filling
the gaps, double insulating and using Delphie’s insulated shades.
New windows would only give us a minor difference.”

Sam nodded then moved to the next
window.

“
I hear I picked up a new
business partner.”

Jacob used his left hand to help Sam lift
the largest, heaviest window. Sam installed the window rather than
respond to Jacob.

“
What do you think about
that?” Sam asked.

“
It’s about time,” Jacob
said. “Do you want part of the business? You could...”

“
Nah,” Sam said. “I worked
for your mother for most of my life. I’ve worked for you for the
rest. I’d rather work for you. If that’s Ok.”

“
Sure,” Jacob said.
“Compensation?”

Sam laughed.

“
Son, let’s sell one
company first,” Sam said.

“
Let’s get through a
Valerie party first.” Jacob countered.

Sam laughed. Turning, he hugged Jacob. Jacob
groaned in pain.

“
I never tell you enough,”
Sam said. “I’m so grateful that you’re my son.”

“
Love you, Dad,” Jacob
said.

“
Did you ever figure out
how Katy is your child?”

“
God, not you too,” Jacob
said.

“
You never met your
mother’s father, Delbert. Katy looks just like him. Especially when
she laughs.”

“
Yeah, okay, Dad. We’ll
get you a grandchild as soon as possible.”

“
Eh, I already have one,”
Sam said. “You should do the DNA.”

“
Okay, whatever. Katy is
my daughter no matter who her biological father happens to be,”
Jacob said. “You can finish this?”

“
Uh huh. You heard that
Jill’s going to help with color. Did you know she was your color
gal?”

“
No,” Jacob
said.