Caoilainn

When the nurse leaves with the baby, I close my eyes and sigh, smiling. I lean back against the pillow behind my head and take a cleansing breathe. When I hear a light knocking on the door to my room I open my eyes and look down at myself. I'm only wearing a gown but the blankets around me cover all the necessary parts. Everything has been cleaned up since the birthing process so it is safe for visitors at this point.

"Come in," I call out. When Walker pops his head cautiously around the door I laugh. "It's ok, Walker, you can come in. I'm decent."

"You sure, Caoi," he asks tentatively. "I can come back, if not."

"I'm sure," I reply cheerfully. "Come in, come in." Walker steps inside and I frown. "Where's Jenny?" Walker looks behind him instinctively.

"Oh, she's here," he says, laughing to himself. "No need to worry about that. She went down to the gift shop. She'll be right up. Don't worry."

I smile. "She didn't have to do that, Walker."

"Are you kidding me, Caoilainn?" He jokes. "We're talking about Jenny, aren't we? You know she's going to spoil the baby. Where is-" Walker's cut off, however, at another knock on my door.

"Hello," a welcome female voice says. "Is it ok for me to come in?" I look at Walker. His eyebrows have shot up and I can tell he recognizes the person knocking. He turns away from me to go to the door and open it.

"Candace?" he says surprised. "What are you doing here? I didn't know anyone had called you."

"Walker?" Candace replies. "I didn't realize you were visiting. I can come back later if-" Candace stops mid-point and looks at me. "Oh my goodness, how rude of me." Candace runs over and proceeds to hug me hello. I wrap my arms around her and return the gesture.

Finally, I get to meet Candace in person. No one knows it, but I've been talking to her via Facebook and on the phone for a few months now. When Tadhg came home and then disappeared, she got in touch. We've been talking back and forth ever since. I really like her. She's a great person.

Learning how good of a person Candace is, it's no wonder Jenny turned into the ugly, green, jealousy monster when  Candace arrived at Walker's cabin way back before his wedding. In addition to having a great personality, Candace is also gorgeous. All long legs, lush flowing hair and sparkling eyes that capture your attention. By her hug I can tell she's in very good shape as well. Unlike my own after-birth body, soft in all the right places for nourishing newborn babies, Candace's body is firm and trim. As a dancer, I can appreciate how hard that is to maintain. I bury my own envy by remembering the miracle of happiness that makes the two of us so different today. Speaking of which, where did the nurse get to with my-

"I've missed you so much!" I hear Candace say, embracing Walker in a hug. Walker looks at me uncomfortably and smiles, hugging Candace back. I can see his anxiety growing from here. I worry my bottom lip and try not to laugh. He sees my grin anyway and narrows his eyes accusingly at me from behind Candace.

Like a scene from a movie I watch Jenny bounce into the room full of balloons and plush and giggles. "Congrat...Congra...Congratulations, Caoilainn!" I watch the smile run from her beaming face as she takes in the scene before her.

Jenny doesn't have time to react, however, as the nurse enters the room. "Here we are, Little One. Back to your Mommy."

I smile as she hands the baby to me. I look up and thank her. She turns to leave and Jenny's cell phone rings.

"Hello?" I hear her say, while staring down at the bundle of joy in my arms.

"Un...Uncle Artair," Jenny says. "I don't un...understan...understand. What...saying?" Jenny looks up at me sharply and I can see alarm in her features. Walker has since unwrapped himself from Candace and goes to Jenny.

"What's wrong?" he asks, grabbing her free hand. He looks at Jenny with growing concern as she finishes the call.

"Ok...I...Ok, we...we'll...there...soon," she stammers. "Today, Uncle Artair. We...we'll...there today." Jenny looks between Walker and I before she hits the off button.

Walker looks at me and then back to Jenny. "What is it? What's going on?"

Jenny stares at the phone in her hand. She hasn't stop rubbing her screen since the call ended.

When she finally looks up she exchanges a look with Walker before turning to me. "It's Tadhg."

My breath hitches and a knot instantly forms in my stomach.

"He's ok," Jenny rushes to tell me before I begin to cry. "He.....Uncle Artair." Jenny shakes her head in frustration. Because of the Aphasia I know she has to slow down so she can speak coherently but if I could shake the words out of her faster I would. It's selfish of me, but I'm impatient for her next words. After all the months of not knowing it's hard to wait even one second longer than I have to.

"Tadhg...is...safe," she says slowly, taking her time to get everything out correctly. "He's...with my Uncle. He...went...to...him...to...g..help. Tadhg told...Uncle...he needs help...get better. Told Uncle...Art...Artair...knows he can help him....Ar...tair helped me."

Jenny turns to Walker. "We have...go. I...told Uncle...Artair...I...we...come."

Walker agrees, silently shaking his head. "You're right." He turns to me and comes over to hug us. When he pulls back, he stops and looks me in the eye. "I promise you, Caoilainn," he says. "We're going to bring Tadhg home. We're going to go get him and we're going to bring him home to you and his son."

I let out a gasp, the precursor to a sob I didn't realize I had been holding in. I reach up and hold Walker's hand, tears threatening to run. "Thank you."

I turn to Jenny and see her wiping some of her own tears away. "Thank you, Jenny. Thank you so much."

Before either of them can respond, Candace joins in the conversation. I had almost forgotten she was in the room.

"I'm going with you," she tells them. Jenny looks up at me and Walker flashes a glance towards Candace.

"Don't look at me like that. Tadhg's one of us, Walker. No man left behind. You know that. Do you think I'd walk away and not help?"

Walker looks wearily between Jenny and Candace helpless to know what to do. He's stuck. Does he piss Candace off, or his wife? He turns to Jenny. "Well?"

Jenny looks at him and then over to Candace. I can see her wheels turning. While she may not like Candace, I know she respects her, and more to the point, she respects the sense of honor and duty both Walker and Candace feel towards Tadhg. Jenny nods her head "Ok".

As the small tribe of family before me finishes their visit, each one holding the baby before getting ready to go, Ruari enters the room. He does a double-take when he sees Candace. Once again, I gnaw my lip in an effort not to laugh as he unabashedly looks Candace up and down. I can hear the low growl in Walker's throat as he watches the two of them.

"See something you like, Hotstuff?" Candace teases before Ruari jerks his head up to meet her eyes.

"Hotstuff?" he says coyly, smiling.

"Het-hem," Walker grunts, clearing his throat. Ruari notices Walker and Jenny for the first time and shoots Walker a dirty look. Jenny puts a hand on Walker's arm and looks at him pleadingly. Walker looks down at her and catches her eye. I can almost see him mentally swearing to himself. He shakes his head and steps forward, arm extended.

"Ruari," he says in calm restraint. "Good to see you. Congratulations on becoming an uncle."

Wiping the surprise from his face, Ruari looks at me before returning the handshake. "Thanks, Walker," he says. Then turning to Jenny, "Jenny, how are you?"

"I...ok, Ruari," she answers quietly. "How....you?"

"Good, Jenny," he says, softening. "I'm good."

Turning towards my bed, he comes around to my side and smiles. "May I?"

"Of course," I say, holding up my son. "Watch his head."

"What did you name him, Caoi?" he asks me.

"Oh, look. He has red hair," Candace comments adoringly before I can reply. She's leaning over Ruari's shoulder, gently touching the tiny wisps of hair peeking out of his infant cap.

Jenny and Walker gather their things while we're distracted with the baby. Ruari realizes what they're doing and turns to look at them, while holding my son on his forearm. The baby starts to fuss so Ruari plops him up and onto his shoulder. He gently bounces the baby in his arms, offering sweet murmurs of comfort.

"Where are you two headed off to so quickly?" he asks. "Aren't you going to say awhile?"

Jenny and Walker exchange a look with one another and myself. Ruari notices and turns back towards me. "What?" he asks. "Did I miss something?"

I close my eyes and shake my head, grabbing a tissue from the nearby table. Ruari looks at me alarmed. He hands the baby to Candace and kneels down next to my hospital bed. "What's wrong, Caoi? What happened?"

"It's Tadhg," I whisper. "They found him, Ruari. They found---well, actually, he found Jenny's uncle."

Ruari stands up and turns to look between us all. "I don't understand."

Candace walks over with the baby and hands him back to me. "Tadhg is with Jenny's uncle. He went to him to get help. We're going to go get him and bring him home to Caoilainn and their son."

Ruari stares between us all and then to my surprise crouches back down beside me again. "I'm going with them, Caoilainn.

I'll bring him home to you," he promises me.

"That's not necessary, Ruari," Walker interjects. "We got this."

Ruari closes his eyes and take a deep breath before standing up. He slowly turns to face Walker and takes two steps towards him. Walker, a dead serious look on his own face, looks at him and takes his own step forward, meeting his stance.

You can almost feel the testosterone in the air. I look down at my son and wonder when the stupidity of hormones will hit him for the first time. I roll my eyes and sigh. Before I can say anything, however, Candace jumps into the fray.

"Enough," she commands in a no-nonsense, take-charge voice. "We're here to visit Caoilainn and to meet her and Tadhg's son, not to watch you two beat your chests like a bunch of warring gorillas.

Ruari, you ride with me," Candace instructs him, brokering no option for rebuttal. "Walker and Jenny, you two go in your own cars. This way, no one's alpha male instincts will get out of hand. Jeesh."

I laugh.

My plan seems to be working already. I can't believe it is going to be this easy.

I lean over and rub my nose against my son's and whisper into his ear quietly. "Not only is Uncle Ruari going to bring your dad home, little one, but I think you'll be getting a new Auntee out of this deal as well.
Just you wait and see."