THIRTY-FIVE

Cate shivered as she stepped out of the cab, an icy blast of howling wind hitting her square in the face.  She cursed and hunched her shoulders, trying to shield at least part of her face with the wool wrapped across her throat.  Her auburn hair whipped wildly around her head as she turned up the block and hurried for the glass door under the familiar green-and-white sign.

“Jesus!” she gasped as she stepped across the threshold and out of the frigid weather.  She shivered again despite the warmth of the coffee shop.  Blinking back cold-induced tears that iced her lashes, Cate scanned the room, looking for a familiar face.

“Cate!”  Dorothea waved from a small table in the corner.

Cate tipped her head in acknowledgement before pushing through the queue of customers waiting to place their orders with the barista.  She tugged at her scarf, loosening it now that it was no longer needed.

“Hi.”  Cate greeted her companion a bit breathlessly.  “Sorry I’m late.”

Dorothea waved a hand dismissively.  “It’s okay, I know you’re busy.  Besides, you’re only a few minutes behind.”  She gave Cate a little smile.  “Thanks for coming up to meet me on your lunch break.”

“No problem.”  Cate unbuttoned the top of her heavy wool coat and unwound the muffler from her neck.  She breathed with a sigh of relief, rapidly warming in the small, crowded room.  “I have an appointment away from the office this afternoon, so it worked out well.”

“Do you want to get a coffee before we go?” 

Dorothea’s question caught Cate by surprise.  “Go?  Go where?”  She paused, her woolen scarf hanging suspended from her hand.

“I wanted to take you to see the place I found for Jon’s party.  It’s just up the block.”  Dorothea gestured vaguely toward the street.  “That’s why I asked you to meet me here instead of someplace closer to home.  I thought maybe we’d have a cup of coffee and go over some of the details first.”

“Oh.”  Cate hadn’t given Dorothea’s requested meeting location a second thought.  “I just figured you were in midtown for something else.”

Dorothea smiled half-apologetically.  “No, just for this.  I guess I wasn’t too clear on the phone.”

“Well, okay… Um…”  Cate glanced at the long line of people in front of the register.  “I don’t want to hold you up, and there’s a line.  Let’s just go.”

“You sure?  I don’t mind waiting.”

Cate shook her head and raised her hands to loop her scarf behind her neck again.  “Nah, I don’t really want anything right  now.  And I only have about  forty-five minutes until I need to head to doc…” She checked herself before revealing her personal errand.  “To my appointment.”

“Oh. Well, okay...”  Dorothea pushed back her chair and stood, reaching for her coat that hung on a nearby hook.  “Then we probably should head over.  I told the events manager we’d drop by, so I guess she can go over the plan with us.  The tentative plan,” she corrected herself quickly, before Cate could respond.

Cate re-wound her scarf over her throat, then watched as Dorothea pulled on her coat.  “You found a place near here?  I thought you were looking for something Sinatra-related.”

Dorothea nodded as she loosely knotted her own scarf over the neck of her wool coat.  “I was.”  She picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder, then gestured toward the door.  Cate turned and preceded her to the front door, bracing herself for another frigid assault.

Once they were out on the street Dorothea stepped up beside Cate.  “It’s down 56^th,” she directed a bit breathlessly.  “Fuck, it’s cold.”

Cate nodded, shoving her gloved hands in her coat pockets and ducking her chin to her chest, shielding the lower half of her face with her scarf.  “At least the wind’s at our backs,” she muttered, falling into pace with Dorothea as they hurried down the sidewalk.

“So anyway, I originally thought about the Copacabana…” Dorothea continued to answer Cate’s query.  “But it’s not the original club.  The old place closed, then somebody bought the rights to the name and moved it.  It’s a Latin dance club now, on 47^th.”  Dorothea gasped in a breath as a more forceful gust of cold air pushed at their backs. 

“Anyway, they rent out the place for events, but it just didn’t feel right.   Wrong vibe, too… well, new-ghetto, I guess.”  Dorothea gave Cate a little sideways smirk.  “Then I thought about Patsy’s, but it’s just too small.  So I called them up and told them what I was thinking about, and asked for suggestions.”

Cate turned her head to give Dorothea an inquisitive glance.  The biting wind immediately abraded her bare cheek, making her snap her head forward.  “How many people are you thinking, Dorothea?” she asked breathlessly.  “I thought we were going to keep this kind of small.”

“Well, I have a list just short of fifty.” She paused as they approached the corner, nearing a cluster of pedestrians waiting for the walk signal to turn.  Dorothea and Cate weaved through the small crowd and rounded the corner onto 56^th Street.  The buildings on the cross-street provided some shelter from the frigid north wind, giving the women a brief respite.

“Fifty?”  Cate hoped her response wasn’t too sharp.  “Isn’t that… I thought we’d just invite family and close friends.”

“Cate, that is just family and a few close friends.”  Dorothea reeled off the names.  “Not counting the Guest of Honor, we have you, me, the kids, Matt and Tony and their families, John and Carol, Obie and his family, Richie, Dave, Tico, Bobby, Hughie, Mike, Johnny and their guests, and Craig and Barb, Ron and Anna… and of course Sister Mary…”

Cate nodded slowly in agreement with Dorothea’s quick spiel.  “Yeah, I guess that is pretty much the inner circle…”

“Yes, and you’ll probably have a few people you want to add to that list too.  But just with that bunch, we’re already too big for Patsy’s.”  Dorothea pointed a gloved hand ahead, to the next block and the opposite side of the street.  “Up there, under the scaffolding.”

Cate squinted at the lettering on the glass-fronted entry, but couldn’t make it out.  “Patsy’s recommended this place?”

“Yes, and they can cater here.  Usually places like this won’t let you go outside their group.”

“Dorothea, what exactly is ‘this place’?”  Cate’s exasperation with Dorothea’s cryptic explanation was beginning to creep into her tone.  “I know where we are, that’s the Russian Tea Room.”

“We’re not going there.  The place I want to show you is a cocktail and cigar lounge, very upscale and very elegant.”  Dorothea stepped ahead of Cate, off the curb.  With a quick glance to her left and right she trotted across the street, leading her companion in a mildly-daring jaywalk.  Cate strode quickly behind Jon’s ex-wife, peering at the brass-accented doors as they drew closer.  Finally, when they were almost in front of the building, Cate could make out the letters.

“We’re at Carnegie Hall.”  Cate’s brow furrowed with confusion.  “Dorothea, I don’t think we need a place this big.”

Dorothea chuckled and ducked into the plywood-encased corridor under the scaffolding.  She automatically breathed with relief at the shelter from the wind.  “Not Carnegie Hall, the Carnegie Club.  Wait ‘til you see it.”

“The Carnegie Club?” Cate’s brow furrowed.  “I’ve heard of if, but I didn’t realize it’s actually at the Hall.”  She slowed her pace, dropping behind Dorothea to walk single-file in avoidance of oncoming pedestrians.

“Actually, it’s behind the Hall,” Dorothea replied over her shoulder.  “And it’s not part of the Carnegie.  The proprietors just took named it for the location.”

“Oh.”  Cate almost bumped into Dorothea when the woman stopped abruptly in front of her, her path blocked by another pedestrian.  “Sorry.”

“S’Okay.  It’s just up here.”  Dorothea pointed ahead to a green awning that bisected the plywood tunnel.  Cate caught a glimpse of a dingy maroon carpet leading up to a wide mahogany-colored door with heavy brass handles. 

Once the woman ahead of her began to move, Dorothea led Cate to the door and pulled it open.  Together the women stepped into the dimly-lit vestibule, finding themselves surrounded by polished wood paneling instead of ragged plywood.

“Ladies?” the red-jacketed young man at the walnut podium addressed them with a hint of annoyance.  “I’m very sorry, but we are not yet open for business.  Our hours for today are two p.m. to two a.m.

Dorothea was unfazed by his rebuke.  “Please tell Sabrina Ms. Hurley is here.  She’s expecting me.”  Her directive was firm.

“And this is about?”  The young man raised a brow at Dorothea’s tone.

“A private engagement.”

The maitre’d calmly looked down at the gilt-edged ledger on his podium.  He slid his finger along a column, then looked up.  “I don’t have a note here regarding an appointment, Miss…”

“Hurley.  I just spoke to her less than an hour ago.”  Dorothea’s reply was clipped, her patience with the man exhausted.   She stepped forward, to the closed leaded-glass interior door that separated the entry vestibule from the main room.  “I know where her office is.  Cate, follow me.”

Without awaiting a response from the maitre’d Dorothea yanked open the door and marched inside.  Cate gave the now-bewildered young man a sideways glance, unable to hide a little smirk.  As she stepped through the door, Cate’s eyes automatically turned upward, her attention drawn to the ornately-tiled high ceiling in the elegant room.  She hesitated, gasping softly.

“Wow… Dorothea…”

Dorothea turned her head to give Cate a smile of agreement.  “I know.  It’s beautiful, isn’t it?  Never woulda guessed a place like this is tucked into this block, huh?”

Cate’s gaze swept across the room, taking in the green-topped curved bar, the dark leather chairs arranged around carved dark-wood tables, and the iron-and-walnut-bannistered staircase that led to a cozy looking loft.  Behind the second-story rail Cate could see leather wingback chairs arranged in comfortable clusters, and a huge wood-and-glass humidor against the back wall.  The room’s distinctive scent left no doubt as to the type of establishment, a rich-but-pleasant aroma of combined wood, smoke, leather, and whiskey. 

“It’s perfect.  Jon will love this place.”

Cate smiled.  It was easy to picture Frank Sinatra in this very manly room, reclining in a leather banquette or crooning into the vintage Unidyne microphone on the small corner stage, cigar in one hand and glass of scotch in the other.

“Ms. Hurley?” 

Cate and Dorothea both turned toward the woman’s voice.  Dorothea smiled and extended a hand to the slender blonde woman who approached from a small staircase in the room’s back corner.

“Hello Sabrina.  Nice to see you again.”

“You as well.  And is this Mrs. Bongiovi?”  Sabrina turned her calm, professional smile to Cate.

Cate noticed a tiny flinch in Dorothea’s expression at the Manager’s question.  Her jaw tensed before she answered.

“Yes.  Sabrina McCarron, Cate Bongiovi.”  Dorothea gestured at each woman as she introduced them.

“Hello, Mrs. Bongiovi.  A pleasure to meet you.”

Cate accepted Sabrina’s proffered hand.  “Nice to meet you too.  And actually…I go by Sullivan, my maiden name.  But please, call me Cate.”  Cate felt her cheeks flush lightly at her hasty correction.  She wasn’t sure why she felt the need to clarify her surname; Dorothea knew she had legally taken Jon’s name but used her own name for professional reasons.  Dorothea had done the same herself.

“Very well.  And please call me Sabrina.”  The Manager looked back to Dorothea.  “Would you prefer to speak in my office, or I can bring the file out here…”

“Let’s do it out here,” Dorothea directed.  “Cate only has a limited amount of time, so it might be easier to give her the full picture where she can see the space.”

“Excellent.  I have one call waiting, but I will be right back in a few minutes.  Please have a seat.”  Sabrina raised her chin to call across the room to a white-shirted bartender who was busily polishing bottles.  “Jamie, please give these ladies some refreshments while they wait.”

“Sure.”  The handsome young man looked up at the two women moving toward the table Sabrina indicated.  Dropping his towel on the bartop, he sauntered around the end of the counter and over to their location.  He reached hastily to pull out a chair first for Cate, then for Dorothea, then smiled as they settled into the seats.

“Ladies?  What’s your pleasure?  Wine?  Or maybe something to warm you up?”  His green eyes sparkled beneath his dirty-blonde curls.  Deep dimples curved his stubbly cheeks, bracketing a dazzling grin.

“I’d just like a cup of coffee, please.”  Dorothea was the first to answer.  “Skim milk and one sugar.”

“Certainly.  Would you like me to make that Irish for you?”  Jamie gave Dorothea a conspiratorial wink.  “It’s wicked cold out there.”

Dorothea chuckled softly.  “No thank you.  Tempting, but no.”

“Ah.  And you?”  The bartender turned his handsome smile to Cate.   “A wee something warm for the red-haired lass?”  His voice took on an exaggerated Irish brogue.

Cate felt herself blush as she giggled at his attention.  She raised a hand, shaking her head as she returned the handsome bartender’s smile.  “No thank you.  I’m on duty.”

“On duty?  Oh, are you a cop, now?”  Jamie gave Cate a mischievous grin.

“Actually, yes I am.” Cate countered, grinning back.

“Can I see your gun?” Jamie arched a playful brow.

“Sorry.  I make it a point not to show my gun to men I’ve just met.”

“Ah.  A shame, that.”  Jamie returned her banter with a smirk.  “Well, if you’re a cop, then you must drink coffee.”

“No, thanks.  Just a glass of water is fine.”

“Very well.  Twist of lime?”

“Sure.  As long as you don’t ‘twist’ anything else in there.”  Cate gave the friendly bartender a little wink.  “Irish or otherwise.”

Jamie laughed.  “Comin’ right up, Ladies.  Welcome.”

Both Cate and Dorothea automatically tipped their heads as the young bartender turned his back on them to and strolled back to his post.  Their eyes lingered on his taut behind as he moved.

“Nice,” Dorothea murmured, a little smirk turning the corners of her mouth.  “We’ll have to be sure he works the bar during the party."

Cate chuckled.  “Yeah. That’ll do.”  She and Dorothea exchanged a look, then a grin.

“So, anyway…”  Dorothea straightened and looked around the room.  “I think this will work nicely.  They say capacity is seventy-five for dinner, one-fifty for a cocktail reception.  I’m sure we’ll want to do dinner, right?”

Cate nodded.  “Yes, I think so.  Especially if we’re going to have entertainment as well.  I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not be on my feet all night.”

“And I was thinking we could use that banquette back there…” Dorothea pointed to a large circular booth in the back corner.  “… For the littler kids, set up some games or a coloring station or something.  I figured I’d bring Elise to keep her eye on them.  I’m sure she won’t mind.  Besides, she’s practically one of the family, too.  She’s been with Jon and me since Stephanie was a baby.”

“That’s a good idea.”  Cate nodded again at Dorothea’s mention of the lovely Nanny who still helped with the youngest Bongiovi boys.  “Especially with Matt’s littler ones.”

“That’s what I thought.  And since I’m not letting Jake and Romeo bring their DSes to this party, they’ll need constant surveillance.  Lord knows what mayhem they could think up if they’re not distracted.”  Dorothea rolled her eyes.  “Jesse has pretty much had it with the babysitting thing now that Steph’s out of the house, so he won’t be much help…”

She paused as, with a discrete clearing of his throat, Jamie approached their table with a small, laden tray.  “Ladies, I took the liberty of bringing you a little something extra.”  He grinned and set a plate adorned with an assortment of elegant tea cookies on the table between Dorothea and Cate.  “For your sweet tooth.”

Dorothea chuckled.  “Thanks.  You certainly do know the way to a girl’s heart, don’t you?”

Jamie shrugged lightly and winked.  “You pick up a couple things here and there in this line of work.”  He carefully placed Dorothea’s coffee in front of her, then set out tiny silver containers of milk and sugar. 

“And for the Five-Oh…”  The young bartender gave Cate a playful grin as he set a tall stemmed glass adorned with a lime wedge and a sprig of mint in front of her.  He took the last item from his tray and slipped the circular server under his arm before twisting open the lid on a green glass bottle.  A soft hiss rose from the glass as Jamie poured the sparkling water into the goblet.

“Thank you.”  Cate gave the bartender a grateful smile.

“You’re welcome.  So now do I get to see your gun?”  Jamie’s eyes sparkled with his tease.

Cate kept her smile friendly, though inside she privately swooned a bit at the handsome young man’s playful flirt.  “Mmm… sorry.”  She smiled apologetically.  “I’m married.”

“Ahhh, ain’t that always my luck,” Jamie sighed melodramatically.

Cate heard Dorothea’s quiet snort of amusement.  She shot Jon’s ex-wife a smirk, then tipped her head.  “But she’s not.”

“Oh?”  Jamie perked up, turning a dazzling grin to Dorothea.  “Really?  Perhaps ‘tis my lucky day.”

Dorothea gave Cate a wide-eyed faux glare before smiling sweetly at the flirtatious bartender.  “No, don’t think so.”  She raised her hand, displaying the elegant emerald-crusted band on her ring finger.  “Not married, but very taken.”

“Drat.”  Jamie dropped his head in playful disappointment, then gave the women a warm smile.  “Well, I’ll just slink back away to my hole, then, and leave you lovely ladies to your conversation.   Please do call if you need anything.”

“Thanks, we will,” Dorothea chuckled.  She turned her attention to her coffee, sweetening it with milk and sugar.  Watching her, Cate sipped from her water glass.

“Alright, I’ll be the first…” Cate giggled softly and reached for a round shortbread cookie.  She nibbled at the edge, then let out an approving hum at the lemony-buttery flavor.  “Wow.  These are good.”

“Well, I’m gonna have to have one, then…” Dorothea reached for her own biscuit.  She nodded her approval with her bite.

“So, what do we want to do about entertainment?” Cate asked, her gaze again moving to the small stage setup in the corner.  “I looked on line a little bit the other day for singers, but I didn’t really find much.  I thought about asking Bobby to play, but I really just want him to enjoy himself and not have to work…”

Dorothea shook her head emphatically, her mouth full.  She held up a finger, giving Cate the “one moment” signal while she chewed and swallowed, then took a sip from her coffee.  “Sorry.”  She smiled.  “Got it covered.  In fact, it was almost too easy.”

“How so?”  Cate felt a little twinge of guilt at her lack of contribution to the party-planning effort.  She had told Dorothea she would at least look for some entertainment options, but her busy schedule had thus far prevented her from doing anything more than a cursory web-surf.

“Well, when I told the folks at Patsy’s our big-picture idea, they took it to heart.”  Dorothea chuckled.  “You’re not gonna believe it, but on Saturdays this place actually has a Sinatra show.  An impersonator, who is apparently fantastic.  And he’s backed by his own orchestra.”

Cate’s jaw dropped.  “You’re kidding.  My God, Dorothea… that’s perfect!  Is he available on a Friday night, especially on such short notice?”

Dorothea nodded.  “I asked Sabrina to check.  She said he’s available, and he’s holding the date for us.”

“Holy crap.”  Cate took another sip of her water and looked again at the stage.  Her eyes settled on the vintage microphone and she smiled.  “Jon is going to be blown away.”

“If we can get everybody to keep their big mouths shut, anyway.”  Dorothea chuckled.  “I’m almost afraid to tell Richie.  And I’m not telling the boys, so be sure you don’t slip and mention it in front of them.

Cate nodded her agreement.  “Good point.”  She was quiet for a moment, picturing the room filled with Jon’s friends and family, the music he loved rolling through the beautiful space.  She sighed.

“Dorothea… thank you.  For doing all this.”  Cate’s eyes met  Dorothea’s.  “Honestly, I never would have even thought to do all this for Jon.  And God knows, I would never have found all this stuff, especially so quickly…”  Her voice trailed off and she shrugged sheepishly.  “I’m so bad at this kind of thing.  I just…”

Dorothea smiled back at Cate, then fluttered a hand dismissively.  “It’s no problem, Cate.  Really.  I’m glad to do it, and I have the time on my hands when the boys are in school, so…” Her voice gentled.  “And truthfully, I’m grateful you’re letting me be part of this.  Jon and I have been friends forever, and he’ll always have a special place in my life.  Even though… well, you know.”

“I know, Dorothea.  He feels the same about you.  You’ll always be special to him.”  Cate swallowed, hoping her smile didn’t falter.  She meant her words but felt strange actually hearing herself speak them.

Dorothea looked down at her coffee cup.  “You know, Cate… I guess I’ve never said this, but...”  Her smiled turned bittersweet.  “Well, I’m just… thankful, that we get along.  A lot of women would have a problem with the relationship Jon and I still share.”

“Well…” Cate took a breath, this unexpected turn in the conversation catching her a bit off-guard.  “I guess I’m just not the jealous type.  I mean, I know Jon loves me…” She tried not to cringe at the awkwardness of  the statement.  “And the history you two share, and the kids…”

Dorothea looked up, her eyes meeting Cate’s.  She gave her a serious look.  “But still… it’s a strong woman who can see her husband continue a close relationship with his ex-wife, kids or no kids.”

Cate blinked, the bluntness of Dorothea’s comment hitting her full-on.  She responded automatically.

“And it’s a strong woman who can support the father of her children when he wants to have a baby with another woman.”

Dorothea’s eyes widened slightly, the dilation of her pupils betraying her surprise.  She and Cate stared at each other for a long moment, before Dorothea was the first to look away.

“Cate… I do hope you and Jon have a baby.  I honestly do.  Being a mother is the most wonderful and important thing I’ve ever done, I’ll ever do.  I hope you can feel that joy.”  She smiled, a little sadly.  “And I hope Jon can experience it all over again.  And that this time he can savor it.”

Cate felt her eyes mist at Dorothea’s quiet blessing.  She blinked rapidly and picked up her glass, taking a drink to disguise her reaction.  The moment gave her the chance to pull her emotion back into check.

“Thanks, Dorothea.”  Cate’s response was soft and calm.  “Knowing you're in our corner… well, it makes this all a little easier.”

Dorothea nodded and gave Cate another little smile before raising her coffee cup for a sip.

“Ladies, I’m so sorry to keep you waiting… that call went on a few minutes longer than I thought.”

Cate and Dorothea both breathed silent sighs of relief at the Manager’s inadvertent intrusion on their moment.  While their conversation hadn’t exactly been uncomfortable, both women had been slightly taken aback by its gravity.  Sabrina’s return brought the focus back to their reason for being here together in the first place.

Sabrina dropped a short stack of files on the table before pulling out a chair and settling in it.  “Here you go…” she prompted Cate, handing her a gold-embossed navy folder, then giving an identical item to Dorothea.  “So, why don’t we start with dinner options?  Patsy’s has done a number of things here in the past – buffet style, full service…”

Cate glanced at her watch, noting the time.  Her eyes widened when she saw that she had only twenty minutes until she needed to be in a cab on her way to Dr. Klein’s office. 

“Umm… Actually…”  Cate interrupted Sabrina’s introductory pitch.  “I have to go in a few minutes, so can we start with the big-picture logistics and the contracts?”  She gave Dorothea an apologetic smile before addressing the Manager directly.  “I’m sure you and Dorothea can decide on the menu and other details without me.  Dorothea has impeccable taste, and she knows exactly what Jon will like.  Probably better than I do.”

“Oh!  Well, certainly, Mrs. Bongiovi…”  Sabrina shuffled through the files in her stack.  “I have the base contract here, and we can add in options as we go, but I really won’t be able to give you an accurate quote until we know what we’re doing for catering and liquor and desserts…”

“That’s fine.”  Cate nodded and waved a hand, signaling Sabrina to dispense with the small talk and get to the point.  “If we can just hit the high points really quickly, then I’ll give you my credit card for whatever deposits you need…”

“Cate, don’t worry about it… I already put a deposit on the Club and the entertainer.”  Dorothea quietly interrupted.  “And I can take care of Patsy’s too.”

Cate’s eyes widened as she turned her gaze to Jon’s ex-wife.  “Dorothea!  No!  I can’t let you pay for all this… It’s my husband’s party and I’m already dumping most of the work on you.  Hell, and now I have to run off…”  She shook her head firmly.  “No.  No way you’re springing for this.”

Dorothea smiled patiently, then gave Cate a direct look.  “Cate, look.  You’re busy.  I’ll take care of all this, and we can figure it out in the end.”

“But Dorothea…”

Dorothea snorted and gave Cate a light smirk.  “Look, if it makes you feel better, it’s all Jon’s money anyway.  You know what our settlement was.”

Her sarcastic tease stopped Cate’s protest.  Realizing she had no good argument for Dorothea’s practical analysis, Cate closed her mouth.

“Good.”  Dorothea smiled.  “Okay, Sabrina… let’s go over the base contract before Mrs. Bongiovi has to go.”  She gave Cate a sideways glance.  “She has a very important appointment, for which she can’t be late.”

Cate saw in Dorothea’s look that Jon’s ex-wife knew her next destination.  She gave Dorothea a small grateful smile before turning her attention to the document handed to her by the Manager.

*****

“So, Doc?  What’s the word?”  Jon gave Cate’s hand a little squeeze as he peered at the LCD monitor.

Dr. Klein smiled at the excitement in his male patient’s question.  “Well, I’d say the word is ‘Go.’”  He raised a hand to point at several circular gray shadows.  “We have a nice cluster of mature follicles here, and a matching set on the other ovary.”

Cate let out a little sigh of relief from the examination table, where she lay on her back with her feet in the stirrups.  After dozens of exams, tests, scans, procedures, and transvaginal ultrasounds, she hardly even realized any more just how immodest her position was.

“So I’ll get the trigger shot today.”

“Yep.  I’ll have Edie mix it up for you right now.”  Dr. Klein smiled and rolled his stool back away from Cate’s midsection, snapping off his latex gloves with the movement.  “You can put your legs down.”

Cate pulled her feet from the stirrups and closed her knees, then let Jon help her sit up on the exam table.  She cringed as she felt the gooey gel lubricant from the ultrasound probe trickle downward.

“What’s the procedure going to be this time around?” Jon’s voice was still upbeat but betrayed a note of anxiety.  “Since we’re trying the IUI?”

Dr. Klein smiled patiently and stood from his perch on his wheeled stool.  “Tell you what.  Cate, go ahead and get dressed.  Then I’ll meet you both in my office to go over the protocol.  After that I’ll give you the trigger shot and you’ll be done for the day.”

“Okay.” Cate nodded her agreement.  She slid from the end of the table and moved over to the hook where her clothes were neatly hung.

“Need any help, Baby?”

Cate chuckled. “I can dress myself, Jon.”  She lifted her slacks off the hook and shook them out, then bent to step into them.

As she dressed Cate smiled at Jon’s impatient sigh of response.  He hadn’t attended her last few appointments because his shooting schedule for his television role had conflicted.  Cate knew that bothered him, not just because he wanted to support her but because he felt like he was missing out on important information.  As if he had any control over her hormone levels or egg-follicle development.

But she was glad that Jon had been insistent on attending this appointment.  When he saw that he had scenes on this afternoon’s call sheet Jon had gone immediately to the Director and informed him that the filming of his scenes would have to be postponed.  Though he didn’t reveal the true reason for his insistence, Jon had prevailed.  He wasn’t scheduled back on set for three days, much to Cate’s relief.

This month was important.  They were taking the next step in their fertility journey, and Cate needed Jon by her side through the entire process.  The fact that he would be physically required to contribute aside, Cate’s fragile psyche needed all the support he could provide.

Slipping her holstered weapon into her waistband at the small of her back, Cate turned to face Jon.  She saw the crinkles of his worry lines around his mouth and eyes were a little deeper, though his lips curved into  gentle smile.   She stepped into her shoes, then smiled back at him.

“Okay, so let’s go get our marching orders.” 

Jon followed Cate out of the exam room and down the hall, holding open Dr. Klein’s office door for her to enter first.  They settled into the twin chairs in front of his desk and looked expectantly at the doctor.

“Okay, Cate.  Everything looks good again this month.  Your body has responded well to the hormone treatments, and your blood work is much more consistent this month.  Looks like you’re evening out, which is good.”  Dr. Klein nodded as he regarded Cate’s medical chart, which was flipped open on his desk.  He looked up at his patient.  “You’re right where we want you to be for IUI.”

Cate’s gentle smile of relief was contrasted by Jon’s thoughtful frown.  “So now what?” he asked directly.  “Once she gets the trigger shot how much time do we have?”  His serious façade cracked  with a little grin.  “It’s been almost a week, Doc.  I’m ready for a little relief, if ya know what I’m sayin’.”

Dr. Klein chuckled at Jon’s mostly-serious confession.  “Well, Jon… you’re gonna have to last one more day.  Abstention from ejaculation for at least three days is to ensure you’ll have a nice, dense specimen for us to use in the insemination.”  He raised a brow.  “You haven’t held off for more than a week, have you?”

Cate shook her head, answering for him.  “Today’s five days.”

Jon arched a brow at his wife, turning his face to give her a little smirk.  “How do you know?” 

“Because, Jon.  The last time we had sex was Thursday.  Remember?  We were watching the Flyers?”

“That was the last time we had sex.  How do you know what I did or didn’t do in the shower?  Hmmm?”

 Cate stared at Jon for a moment, then felt a blush creep to her cheeks.  “Jon!” she hissed in a half-whisper.  Then she realized the truth of his statement.  “Wait… you didn’t… Jon, I told you….”

Jon laughed and shook his head.  “Just kidding, Baby.” He looked back at Dr. Klein, who was watching the exchange with an amused half-smile.  “She’s right, Doc.   Today’s Day 5.  And for the record, the Rangers beat the Flyers Thursday.”

Dr. Klein chuckled.  “I know.  I was there.”  He flipped Cate’s chart closed, then picked up a pair of light blue papers from the corner of his desk.  “Okay, so…”  He reached to hand the papers to his patients.  Jon and Cate immediately quieted, scanning the text on the form letters.

“The next steps.”  Dr. Klein launched into his explanation.  “All the basics for your next appointment are there.  It is very important you follow the instructions closely, especially once you arrive here at the clinic.  We want to be sure we get the best semen specimen possible from you, Jon, and that your uterus is in optimal condition to receive the insertion, Cate.”

Cate chuckled softly, even as she nodded.  “I’m not really sure what to do differently to ensure ‘optimal condition,’ Doctor.”

“Not much.  Just what you’ve been doing, for the most part.  Don’t bathe or sit in water, no douches or feminine wash products.  Other than that it’s just general good health:  diet, exercise, no alcohol, smoking, drug use… and of course, no sexual intercourse or manual stimulation.”

Jon looked up from his instruction sheet, his expression more serious than it was during his earlier playful tease.  “So, in layman’s terms, what exactly is gonna happen?”

Dr. Klein leaned back in his chair, resting his elbows on the chair arms and steepling his hands.  “We’ll have you come in together, eight to twelve hours prior to the predicted time of ovulation.  Jon, you’ll go to the lab and produce a semen sample, which will be processed by ‘washing.’  In the washing process the sperm is separated from the seminal fluid and the quality and quantity of the sperm will be analyzed.  If the quality is good, those are the sperm we will implant in Cate’s uterus.”

The doctor turned his gaze to his female patient.  “Cate, about an hour after Jon’s sperm are prepared, we’ll conduct the insemination procedure.  It only takes a few minutes and is very simple, usually with no discomfort to the patient.  I will insert a very small catheter through the cervix and into the uterine cavity, and inject the sperm directly into the uterus.”  He paused to smile at her.  “Quick and painless.” 

“So basically, you’re just bypassing the sex part.”  Jon observed drily.  “The biology without the fun.”

“Well, it’s a little more than that.”  Dr. Klein chuckled.  “By using IUI we control more factors than through simple sexual intercourse.  While we know from test results that your sperm were actually penetrating the cervix and making it into the womb, we don’t know if there was some reaction between your seminal fluid and the hormones or biochemicals in Cate’s uterus that was either making the sperm unable to reach the tubes for fertilization, or preventing implantation of a fertilized egg, or for some other reason creating an inhospitable environment for development of a pregnancy.” 

“In IUI we won’t deal with cervical mucous or seminal fluid or other hormones or secretions that surge during male or female sexual arousal.   Basically, we’re trying to make the process as pure and clean as possible without taking it outside the body, as happens with IVF.”

“And what about after?  Does Cate have to stay off her feet for a couple days or something?”  Jon gave his wife a worried sideways glance.

“No, she’ll be able to resume normal activity immediately following the procedure.”  Dr. Klein gave Cate a little smile.  “Although we don’t want you doing something extremely strenuous, like running a marathon or climbing a mountain or something.  But for the most part you can go about your normal lives.”

“What about sex?  I read that we should avoid intercourse for a few days after the insemination procedure.”  Cate’s question was calm and clinical.

“Well, that’s a matter of debate,” Dr. Klein replied.  “Some physicians recommend abstinence for up to 72 hours, and some say anything goes.”

“What do you recommend?”

“I personally advise moderation.  Since we’re doing the insertion about twelve hours before we expect you to ovulate, I say give the fertilization a chance to occur.  If you wait 36 to 48 hours before sexual intercourse, that should be plenty of time for the sperm to reach the eggs.”

“After that, it doesn’t really matter?”  Jon interjected.

“Not really.  There’s always a chance that if fertilization wasn’t achieved a ‘second wave’ could result in pregnancy, but given your medical history I’d say that’s unlikely.  The optimum fertilization window would have passed.”  Dr. Klein smiled again.  “But you never know.  Biology is funny like that.”

“And how soon will we know if it was successful?”  Cate’s question held a hint of quiet wariness.  Jon glanced at her, seeing she had put on her emotional armor, steeling herself for another disappointment.  He bit back his automatic optimistic response, to assure her they would be successful this time.

“We’ll test for pregnancy ten days after ovulation.”

Cate nodded, then turned her face to look at Jon.  “Okay.”  She gave him a little smile, then looked back at Dr. Klein.  “So, when do we need to be here for the procedure?”

“Tomorrow evening”  Dr. Klein reached for his electronic tablet, tapping at the screen to raise his calendar.  “I do IUIs in early evening, so my patients can go straight home and rest or go to bed.  We have your lab time scheduled from five-thirty to six-thirty p.m., insertion at seven.”

“Ah, shit.”  Jon’s little growl of frustration made Cate look back at him in surprise. 

Dr. Klein tipped his head at Jon’s swear.  “Did you have Valentine’s Day plans?”

“Oh,” Cate gave Jon a disappointed little smile.  “I’m sorry, Baby.”

Jon shook his head, then sighed.  He looked up at Dr. Klein.  “Anniversary plans.  We were married on Valentine’s Day.”

“Oh.  Well, congratulations will be in order tomorrow then, I guess.”  Dr. Klein smiled apologetically.  “But this isn’t really something we can delay or reschedule.  We need to stay within the time parameters to ensure the best possible chance of fertilization.”

Jon nodded.  “Of course.  Hell no, we’re not postponing this.  I’ll just cancel our dinner plans and see if somebody else wants our theater tickets.”  He gave Cate a little grin.  “I’ll make it up to you later, Baby.  Promise.”

“It’s okay, Jon.  We’ll just have a nice quiet dinner at home, after our appointment.”   Cate shook her head, giving him a gentle smile.   “Besides, it’s kind of fitting we spend our anniversary – and Valentine’s Day – here, trying to make our Baby.”

“Yeah, nothing says ‘Happy Anniversary’ quite like romancing a plastic cup in a urologist’s lab,” Jon quipped ironically.

He and Cate both turned their heads toward the sound of the opening office door.

“Dr. Klein, I have Mrs. Bongiovi’s HCG ready to go.”  Nurse Edie half-leaned around the door and gave the couple a friendly smile.  “If you’re done with her I can administer the shot.”

“Any more questions, Cate?”  Dr. Klein asked his female patient.  When she shook her head he nodded toward the door.  “Then Edie can take care of your trigger shot and we’ll start the countdown.”

Jon chuckled as Cate stood from her seat beside him.  She paused and looked down at him, smirking amusedly.

“What?”

Jon grinned.  “You get Cupid’s shot in the ass this year, huh?”

Cate smacked him lightly on the head, ruffling his hair before leaning down to kiss his cheek.  “Here we go,” she breathed in his ear, her whisper laden with excitement and apprehension.

“Right beside you, Baby.  All the way,” Jon replied gently, turning his head to brush his lips over her cheek as she pulled back.  Pushing himself up from his chair, Jon followed Cate from Dr. Klein’s office.