FORTY-EIGHT

"...and this morning the State Department released its official report of investigations into security breaches at overseas..."

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"...and I jumped at the chance to work with this director and this incredible cast..."

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"...expected at Madison Square Garden for tonight's faceoff between the Rangers and Flyers..."

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"...But wait!  Call now and you will get not one, but TWO..."

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"...lives in a pineapple under the sea... Sponge Bob Square Pants!"

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"...suffer from mesothelioma, call the law firm of Devon and..."

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" ...to the jungle, we take it day by day... if you want it you're gonna bleed but it's the price you pay... You're a very sexy girl, who's very hard to please... you can taste the bright lights but you won't get them for free... in the jungle, welcome to the jungle..."

Cate sighed impatiently and stabbed the remote toward the television mounted on the opposite wall.  The volume reduced with her finger on the button, the heavy guitar licks dropping to a soft whine.  The screen flashed with the wild imagery of the music video, but it didn't hold her attention.

Dropping the remote onto the bed by her leg, Cate stared absently at the screen.  Her hand moved to rest on her abdomen, rubbing in a gentle circle as her lips pursed into a bored pout.  She wasn't in the mood to watch TV or a movie, or even to lay here in bed.  She had plenty of work to do, and she felt perfectly fine.  But she had to humor her husband.

As if on cue Jon appeared in the bedroom doorway, a self-satisfied grin stretching his handsome face.  He swaggered into the room, carrying a small tray.  Cate couldn't help but chuckle at his demeanor, her own lips curving to a sweet smile as she eyed the contents of the tray.

"Brought you something to drink."

Cate chuckled again as Jon rounded the bed and leaned to set the tray next to her on the mattress.  "You didn't have to go to that much trouble.  All I wanted was a bottle of water."  She nodded at the tray, which bore an ice-filled glass, a green glass bottle of San Pellegrino sparkling water, a small silver bud vase containing a pair of lavender daisies, and a small plate of crackers and cheese.

"Thought you might be a little hungry too."  Jon sat on the edge of the bed and gave her a wink.  "You didn't eat earlier."

"I couldn't eat earlier," Cate corrected him.  Though she knew that wasn't technically true, she had learned long ago that  she should always visit Doctor Klein's office with a full bladder and an empty stomach.  Any number of tests may be run on her various bodily fluids during one of her appointments, and it was best to be prepared.

"Well you can now.  And you should."  Jon picked up a cracker and offered it to his wife.

She gave Jon a half-mischievous smirk.  "You're the one who worked up an appetite.  All I had to do was lay there and stare at the ceiling."

Jon nodded and sighed melodramatically.  "I know.  It ain't easy to conjure a mid-afternoon orgasm at my age."  He gave her a dirty smirk.  "At least not my own."

Cate snorted and rolled her eyes, but grinned.  She waved a hand toward Jon's proffered snack.  "Thanks, but I'm not hungry.  I'll eat something later."

"You better."  Jon dropped the cracker back onto the plate and shook his finger at Cate in a gentle scold.  Then he reached for the green bottle.  "You feeling okay?"

Cate resisted the urge to roll her eyes again.  She knew Jon was trying to be sweet and his concern was genuine, but she was fast becoming impatient with his mothering.

"I feel fine, Jon.  Completely normal."  She paused and watched Jon half-fill the glass with water, then reached for it when he offered.  She took a sip before resuming.  "And I really do need to do some work on my file...."

"Nope."  Jon cut her off with a firm shake of his head.  "Dr. Klein said you should take it easy for the rest of the day.  Relax, get some rest, let your body recharge.  That means not work."

"Actually, I think that means not go out and run ten miles." Cate half-grumbled as she raised the glass to her lips again.  "I'm pretty sure it doesn't mean not read or write."

"Cate, you promised.  You said you were taking the afternoon off."  Jon gave his wife a stern look.  "You're not getting paid for these hours, so you're not gonna work.  Got it?"

Cate sighed.  "Fine."  Her hand circled over her belly again.  "I'll just lay here and practice being a petri dish."

Her sarcastic remark made Jon chuckle.  He glanced at the television, noticing the old music video flashing on the screen.  He cringed at the familiar faces under the shaggy manes and garish makeup.  "You want me to find you a movie?"

"No, it's okay.  I'm not even watching this."  Cate gave Jon a teasing smirk.  "Well, not now anyway.  I was watching Slash."

"But unfortunately your daydreams of your Rock God were interrupted by the doofus you married?" Jon's sarcastic reply was delivered with a smile.

"Well... yeah.  You still got that wig?"

Jon snorted and shook his head.  "I think you left it in Vegas."

"Well, I may have to find..."  Their playful banter was interrupted by a burst of music from Cate's phone, signalling an incoming call.

Jon frowned, not recognizing her ringtone.  "That better not be your office."

"It's not."  Cate smiled as she raised the device to her ear, then directed her next words to the caller.  "What's up?"

"Cate, I swear to God, if that's work you better hang up..."  Jon's expression turned serious as he ignored etiquette and spoke over her call.

Cate rolled her eyes, then grinned.  "Yeah, sorry.  He doesn't believe this isn't a work-related call."

"Is that Gus?"  Jon held out his hand, demanding Cate's phone.  "Lemme talk to him."

Cate chuckled, then narrated Jon's reaction into the phone.  "I know.  He wants to talk to you.  You wanna explain?" She paused, her blue eyes twinkling as they met Jon's.  "Okay, here ya go..."  Cate pulled the iPhone away from her cheek and handed it to Jon.

Jon gave a little nod and raised Cate's phone to speak.  "Listen, Man... whatever it is, just deal with it, okay?  She's busy right now."

"Jesus, Jon... Lighten up!  Slick ain't gonna strain anything talkin' on the phone..."

Jon relaxed at the familiar, gruff rumble in his ear.  He gave Cate a sheepish grin before responding.  "Oh, hey Danny.  I thought you were Gus, bugging her again..."

"Well, I did call to bug her.  But not about her case.  Didn't know I needed to go through the Gatekeeper, though."

Jon laughed and shook his head.  "Sorry, Man.  Hey, glad to hear you made it back safe and sound.  Welcome home."  He swung his legs up onto the bed and leaned back against the pillows, settling in for the conversation.  Cate gave Jon a half-amused, half-annoyed look as she watched her husband hijack the call from her best friend.

"Thanks.  Good to be back."

"I bet.  Was it pretty crazy?"  Jon glanced at Cate and saw her arched brow.  He waved his free hand dismissively at her expression.

"Yeah, it was wild.  Got some good work done, though.  Important shit."

"Well, I bet Charity's glad to have you back home where you're not being shot at."

Danny snorted.  "Yeah.  Well, at least not by anybody but students."

Jon laughed at his friend's stock response, one that was frequently used by the federal firearms instructors with whom Cate had once worked.  "At least students have bad aim.  At first, anyway."

"True that."  Danny chuckled.  "Speaking of aim, you get your wife knocked up yet?"

"Workin' on it."  Jon reached to pat Cate's belly.  "That's why she's not at the office today.  And I'm screening her calls."  He grinned when Cate brushed his hand away with an annoyed sigh.  "She's getting a little pissy with me though, since I won't let her work on her case file.  She's supposed to be resting."  Jon emphasized the word directly to Cate as he spoke into the phone.

"Alright, that's enough... Gimme."  Cate held out her hand, demanding Jon return her phone.

Jon grinned and continued his conversation with Danny.  "And you know what a pain in the ass she gets to be when she's supposed to take it easy."

"You ain't kiddin'."

Jon leaned away from Cate as she reached for his phone-wielding hand.  "And now she's trying to attack me."  He smirked at Cate as he continued to evade her attempts to regain control of her iPhone.  "Maybe you can calm her down."

Danny chuckled.  "Doubt it, but I'll give it a shot.  Good to talk to ya, Man.  Maybe we'll get a chance to get together soon."

"That would be cool.  Let me know, okay?"

"Will do."

"Alright... before she takes my head off... here she is."  Jon surrendered the device to Cate with a triumphant smirk. 

"Oh, for fuck's sake..." Cate sighed as she raised her phone to her cheek.  "Why did you let me marry such a pain in the ass?"  Her tease was gentle.

"You knew exactly what you were getting into, Slick."  Danny's deep chortle made her smile.  "Besides, you love the guy."

"Yeah, yeah."  Cate gave Jon an affectionate glance as she muttered the agreement.  "So, what's up?"

"What's up with you?  I called the office, they said you were out today."

"I'm fine.  Just taking some comp time."

"What, to stay home and shtup your hubby?  Jeez, I know he has a crazy schedule, but..."  Danny's tease was warm and knowing.  Cate had told him a little about her fertility challenges in their sporadic communication over the past months.

Cate smiled and glanced down at her hand on her abdomen.  "Not exactly.  Today was our second IUI.  Just got home about an hour ago."

"Oh.  Oh! Gee, Slick... I didn't realize.  So I guess you are supposed to be resting, huh?"

Cate rolled her eyes at Danny's response.  Her best friend's protective instinct was almost as strong as her husband's.  But at least Danny knew how to mask it.

"Kind of.  Dr. Klein told me to take it easy today, not over-exert myself.  That doesn't mean I have to be chained to the bed."

"Hey, whatever kinda Fifty Shades of kinky shit you guys are into is your business..."

Danny's immediate joke made Cate giggle.  "You know what I mean."

"Yeah, yeah.  And Jonny-Boy is being sure you follow doctor's orders, right?"

"Yes, he is.  To a tee."  Cate couldn't stop a sweet smile as Jon leaned over to press a kiss against her cheek before climbing off the bed and wandering to the door.  He gave her a wink before leaving her to continue the conversation in semi-privacy.

"Good.  You never did know when to slow down."  Danny chortled softly again.  "Seriously, though... everything okay?"

"We hope so."  Cate absently patted her womb.  "The procedure went fine.  Jon's sperm count and motility were excellent, my follicle count is good, the insemination was easy.  Now we just wait."

"You gotta go back to the doctor when?"

"A few days, just for some blood tests. But it'll be about two weeks until we know for sure."

"Well good.  Good.  I'm glad it went well."  Again a deep chuckle sounded in Cate's ear.  "Seeing you as a Mommy is gonna be quite an adjustment."

Cate took a deep breath, settling a little flutter of nervousness in her stomach.  She smiled.  "Yeah, I know.  I just hope I don't completely suck at it."

"You won't."

"Thanks, Danny."  Cate cleared her throat before speaking again, her tone brightening.  "So, anyway... what's up?  Why did you try to call me at the office?"

"Well,  I was just wondering what you're doing a week from Wednesday."

Cate smiled hopefully at what his query hinted.  "Well, this week I'm in Newark, then Buffalo... but next week I'm here, I think.  Just typical case work, some meetings.  Why?"

"What the fuck are you doing in Buffalo at this time of year?"

"I'm speaking at the State Police convention. Why?"  Cate shook her head, distracted by Danny's question.  "What the hell does that have to do with a week from Wednesday?"

"Nothing."  Danny chuckled.  "I'm just surprised.  You hate Buffalo."

"I hate anywhere cold.  Now, what about a week from Wednesday?"  Cate's impatience came through in her question.

"Any chance you'll be in Philly?"

"I probably can be.  Why?"  Cate smiled, knowing what Danny's answer would be.

"Well, I thought I'd let you buy me dinner.  And you can bring that guy you live with if you want."

Cate giggled at Danny's egotistical invitation.  "Well, I suppose I can buy you dinner.  But sorry to disappoint you, Jon will be out of town."

"He goin' to Buffalo?"

"No."  Cate rolled her eyes as she laughed.  "He'll be in L.A.  Recording.  What are you doing in Philly?"

"I have to go to Fort Dix and do a couple debriefs, then I gotta meet with the Assistant U.S. Attorney.  Remember the Zapata case?"

"Yeah... the one that got shut down by the Agency?"

"They're trying to resurrect it, found another angle.  The AUSA who inherited it wants to talk to me about all that surveillance we did in Cincinnati."

"Wow.  Well, good luck with that, I guess..."  Cate tried to ignore the little spark of excitement she felt at Danny's news.  The case was one from their glory days as field agents, one they had worked hard on and believed in only to watch it be shoved aside in the interest of "national security."

"Yeah, well.  I have no idea what they have up their sleeve, I just do what I'm told.  So I'm goin' to Philly."

Cate nodded, a smile on her lips.  "Cool.  Where are you staying?"

"Don't know yet.  I'll email you my itinerary when it's worked out.  Sure you can come meet me, it won't be a hassle?"

"Of course it's a hassle.  But for you, I'll do it.  I've missed you.  It's been a long time, Danny."

"Yeah, it has."  She could hear the smile in his gruff voice.  "Alright, I gotta go.  Floyd's back and I gotta get my new class assignment."

"Tell him I say hello."

"Will do.  And you... listen to your husband.  No fucking case files.  Just lay there and be lazy."

Cate sighed. "Yeah, yeah."

"Gotta give those swimmers a chance for a little boom-chicka-wow-wow in your tubes, a'ight?"

Cate burst out laughing at Danny's comical rendition of porn-film music.  "Alright.  Got it.  Jesus, just stop singing!"

"Okay.  Slick..?"

"Yeah, Danny?"

"Looking forward to seeing you again.  Miss you down here."

Cate's eyes moistened as her heart squeezed.  "Miss you too."

"Gotta go.  Adios."

"Bye."

Cate dropped the phone from her ear, smiling to herself.  She closed the call, then tossed the phone onto the mattress next to the tray.  She reached again for her water glass and took a drink.

Jon's head appeared in the doorway.  "What's up with Danny?"

Cate chuckled and set her glass back onto the tray.  Suddenly peckish, she picked up a cracker and a piece of cheese.  "You can't deduce what's up from your eavesdropping?"

Jon strolled into the bedroom, his mouth curved into a smirk and a small, flat item in his hand.  "Thought you might want your iPad.  And who says I eaves-dropped?"

"You appeared in the doorway pretty damned fast after I said goodbye."

"Coincidence."  Jon dropped the tablet onto the nightstand and crawled onto the bed.  He paused on all fours and gave Cate a sexy grin.  "You two plotting something?"

"A date."  Cate took a bite of her cheese-and-cracker snack and chewed slowly.  The corners of her mouth turned upward and her blue eyes sparkled.

"Hmm.  Should I be jealous?"  Careful to avoid upsetting the tray, Jon crawled a little further, reaching to brace one hand on the other side of Cate's body so he was half-straddling her.

"Mmmm... Maybe."  Cate swallowed her mouthful and smirked.   "There may be steak."

"Dammit!"  Jon pulled a momentary fake pout.  "And I'm not invited?"

"You'll be in L.A.  Danny's coming to Philly week after next."  Cate popped the remaining half of her cracker and cheese into her mouth.  A muffled crunch emitted from her lips as she chewed.

"Ah.  You're going to meet him?"  At Cate's nod Jon smiled and leaned forward to gently kiss her nose.  "Good.  I know you've missed talking to him."

Cate nodded and swallowed again, then reached for her water.  She took another sip before answering.  "Yeah.  I have."  She raised her smile to Jon, whose face still hovered close to hers.  "It'll be nice to have a couple hours to catch up."

"Without me, you mean."

"I mean, it will nice to spend time with one of my friends, not one of our friends."  Cate pursed her lips and brushed a kiss over Jon's mouth.  He willingly reciprocated before chuckling.

"You make it sound like we're in the Mafia.  Friend-a-Mine, Friend-a-Ours..."

Cate rolled her eyes.  "Good Grief.  Everything really does go back to The Godfather with you, doesn't it?"  Her eyes sparkled with her tease.

"Hey, whaddya want?  I'm Italian!"  Jon grinned.  "And I'm glad you'll have somebody to keep an eye on you while I'm gone,"  Her soft snort immediately told him she discounted his sentiment as the tease it was meant to be.  He gave her another quick kiss before carefully crawling over Cate's body and lowering himself beside her on the bed. 

Jon slipped his arms around Cate's waist and snuggled his cheek against her shoulder, mimicking her favorite position of comfort against his body.  One hand settled over hers on her belly, Jon's fingers splaying open to let Cate's slide between his.  Their wedding rings shone softly, side by side.

Her heart warmed by Jon's cuddle, Cate chortled gently.  "Danny says I should listen to you, take it easy.  Let you pamper me."

"Danny's a very smart man."

"Yeah, well.  He also implied there some kinda microscopic orgy going on in my fallopian tubes."  Cate's mouth twisted wryly with her comment.

"Danny is also a very weird man."  Jon chuckled, then gave her an affectionate squeeze.  "This is nice.  We don't do this enough."

"I know."  Cate sighed.  "Better enjoy it while we can.  The next few weeks aren't gonna allow us much time to cuddle."

"We gotta make time."

"Kinda hard to do when we're in different cities."

"So when we're both in the same place we do as much of this as possible."

"Mmmm...."  Cate smiled and tipped her cheek against the top of Jon's head.  "Yeah.  But we both know that's easier said than done.  You've got a lot of stuff coming up these next few weeks that you can't miss."

Jon sighed.  "I know."  He wiggled his fingers over hers, watching her diamond sparkle in the warm late-afternoon light.  "Like tomorrow night."

Cate nodded though he couldn't see her.  She knew Jon wasn't particularly looking forward to his role in tomorrow night's film festival question-and-answer session.  "That won't be so bad, though.  At least it's here in the City.  With any luck we'll be home before midnight."

"You don't have to go."  Jon's voice was weary.  "I can't get out of it, but you should just stay home and take it easy."

"But I want to go."  Cate cringed slightly as she heard her half-whine.  She cleared her throat, consciously modulating her voice before continuing.  "Baby, I'm actually looking forward to it.  It's been awhile since we've gone to one of these together."

"Cate, you don't like that red carpet bullshit any more than I do."  Jon gave her another squeeze.  "Besides, I'd rather you stay home and rest.  May still be some action going on in here."  He wiggled his fingers against Cate's belly.

Cate chortled softly.  "Jon, it's not like I have to be laying perfectly still for fertilization to occur."

"Well, it can't hurt."

"Seriously, Jon...." Cate lifted her head and waited until he looked up at her.  She smiled gently.  "I want to go to the Festival tomorrow night.  With you.  I'm looking forward to seeing the film, and to the Q and A.  It will be our date night."

Jon looked deep into her sparkling blue eyes for a long minute.  Then he sighed and nodded.  "Okay.  We'll go together."  His mouth curved.  "It has been awhile since we've gone out on the town together, huh?  My birthday party notwithstanding."

"Yeah.  Seems like lately every time I've gotten all dressed up it's been for some work thing."  Cate nodded slightly with her agreement.  "And I haven't even had any decent arm-candy.  What good is having a hot husband if you can't show him off once in awhile?"

Jon chuckled at her tease, then leaned up to kiss her cheek.  "Alright.  I'll let you objectify me tomorrow night, just this once."

"Good."  Cate rubbed her nose playfully against Jon's, then raised her head.  "Now, get outta here.  Go do whatever it is you gotta do for Ken.  I'm gonna have my snack and play with my iPad."

"You better not try to sneak in any work."  Jon's warning was gentle as he pushed himself up onto his hip.

"I can't on my personal tablet.  You know that."

"Yeah, well... I also know you're a cunning and ingenious woman."

"Thank you, Baby.   I think."

"So stick to Angry Birds, huh?  Or watch a movie or something."  Jon swung his legs over the side of the mattress and stood.  He wagged a playfully chastising finger at his wife before picking her tablet up off the nightstand and handing it to her.  "I'll come back in a bit and get your dinner order."

Cate giggled softly.  "Okay.  Now go."  She waved a hand toward the door.

"Alright."  Jon followed her bidding, wandering across the bedroom.  He paused at the doorway to give her a loving smile, then exited.

Cate tugged open her tablet's leather cover.  The bright orange square of paper stuck to the screen made her smile.

"Relax.  NO WORKING.  We're makin' a BABY here!  xoxo - J"

Her fingertips traced over his handwriting before she gently peeled the note away from the screen.

*****

"Jon!  JON!  CATE!  Over here!  Look this way!  Here!"

Cate tried not to squint against the flashes as she stood close to Jon in front of the splash backdrop.  Just feet away a bank of photographers shouted and cajoled, trying to pull the couple's attention for the perfect shot.

Jon's hand at the small of her back reassured her as Cate stood still, trying to smile a little but not too much, trying to follow Jon's cue and look toward the same lens as he.  She shivered involuntarily against a chilly blast of air, the heaters set up along the red carpet no match for the brisk March night.

Sensing her discomfort Jon moved closer, raising a leather-jacketed arm to wrap protectively around her.  "You want my coat?" he murmured, still looking toward the cameras with a vague smile.

"No, I'm okay.  We'll be inside soon."  Cate turned her head to reply, her lips close to his ear.  Another burst of flashbulbs told her the photographers had willingly captured the candid moment.  She hoped she had been at least half-smiling.

"Just a little longer. You can go ahead of me if you want."  Jon turned his head, posing for the press on his left.  Cate followed his movement.

"I'll wait."

After posing for a few more shots with her husband, Cate stepped aside.  She pulled her woolen shawl more tightly around her as she watched him stand solo for the cameras for another full minute before he flashed a peace sign at the photographers and made his graceful departure.  As he headed for Cate he was stopped by first one microphone-wielding reporter, then another, then another.  Finally, after a series of fakely-chirpy soundbytes, Jon made his way over to his wife.

"C'mon.  Let's get you inside.  You don't need to catch a cold."

Cate chuckled softly but didn't protest as he took her hand and towed her toward the entrance to the auditorium.  Tonight was Jon's night.  She could bridle against his overprotectiveness tomorrow. 

Once inside she followed Jon through the maze of back hallways and past what seemed a never-ending line of managers and assistants and actors and publicists, most of whom wanted to chat with her husband.  Cate stood quietly a step back from the action, her years of bodyguard training having prepared her for such a scenario long before her status as a celebrity wife placed her in the position. 

When finally they reached the backstage ready room Cate breathed a silent sigh of relief.  Jon noticed her weary expression and turned to give her a gentle smile. 

"Sorry you came yet?"

Cate shook her head, mirroring his sweet grin.  "Not at all."

"You can't tell me that was anything but a pain in the ass."  Jon raised his hand and circled a finger, indicating the social gauntlet they had just run.  His smile turned sympathetic.

"It wasn't that bad.  Not like Hollywood."  Cate chuckled.  "Plus this one is casual, so at least I'm comfortable."

Jon nodded, his grin widening as he looked her up and down, admiring her stylish attire.  Cate had loosened her heavy charcoal-gray wrap, revealing the form-fitting ribbed black turtleneck sweater she wore atop slim black pants and knee-high wedge-heeled black leather boots.  Her dark chestnut hair hung in long waves over her shoulders and simple silver hoops and diamond studs glistened in her lobes.  Around her neck hung the etched silver pendant Jon had given her months ago as a symbol of their private quest.

Jon raised a hand to brush a finger lightly over the engraved words on the silver tag.  "You look fantastic, by the way.  I don't think I told you that earlier."

Cate raised her hands to his chest, gently grasping the zippered edges of his open leather jacket.  "So do you.  Even more handsome than usual."  She gave him a coy smile.  "I'm gonna enjoy showing you off tonight."

His husky chortle tickled her ears before he leaned in for a quick kiss.  "Sorry you gotta sit through this Q and A thing before the movie."

"I don't mind.  It will be fun."  Cate gave Jon a mischievous smile.  "I'll probably only half-listen anyway.  It will be much more fun to sit back and watch you fidget."

"Yeah, well... there will probably be plenty of that to watch."  Jon grimaced playfully.  "Thank God it's only forty-five minutes.  Then we can sneak away to the screening and just hide out in the dark."

"Excuse me... Jon?  We need you."  The impatient voice of Jon's publicist interrupted their moment.  He turned his head and gave Ken a curt nod, acknowledging the call before he returned his smile to Cate. 

"Want somebody to take you out to a seat?"

Cate shook her head, her auburn waves shimmering under the light.  "Nah.  I'm just gonna slip in the back."

"Okay.  Meet me back here by the stage door after.  I'll wait for you to go to the screening."

"You better."  Cate chuckled again and leaned up to give Jon another brief kiss.  "Now, go break a leg."

Jon snorted.  "Sure."

With another soft giggle Cate stepped away from her husband.  She gave Ken a little wave, then exited the green room and strode back through the hallway mazes until she found the rear entry to the nearly-full auditorium.  Quietly she settled into a seat in the back row, just as the lights went down.

For the next hour Cate enjoyed being nothing more than a spectator at the star-studded festival.  Despite her earlier prediction she found herself fully enjoying the moderated discussion between actors, directors, and screenwriters of one of the featured films.  Jon was charming and witty as always, but Cate could see his guard was up as he answered questions from the audience and from the moderator. 

While Jon seemed at ease to spectators, it was obvious to Cate that he had quickly pinpointed the subset of audience members who were there solely to see him, as opposed to those attending the discussion to hear about the project.   It always made Jon a little snarky when self-proclaimed  "super fans" invaded what he considered his serious pursuits just to try to gain his attention.  Cate knew her husband well-understood and accepted the double-edged sword of his celebrity, but she could see tonight he was barely keeping his impatience in check. 

As the moderator was wrapping up the event with final comments Cate slipped from her seat and back into the halls.  She made her way backstage just in time to meet Jon as he strolled back into the green room.  He gave her a relieved eye-roll and a little wave before pointing to the far corner of the room where his publicist was engaged in an animated conversation with two women. 

Understanding Jon's signal, Cate gave him a patient smile and a nod.  She stepped over to a couch, pulled her phone from her bag, and settled down to wait.

It was nearly twenty minutes before Jon broke away from the group.  He headed straight for Cate, his expression betraying his keenness to escape.  She stood as he reached her, accepting his offered hand.

"C'mon.  Let's get the fuck outta here before they think of something else." he muttered under his breath.

Cate giggled.  "Right behind you, Baby.  Assuming you know where you're going, that is?"

Jon hesitated, realizing the practicality of her comment.  "Shit."  He turned to call back over his shoulder.  "Hey Andrea... what's the best way to get to the screening room?"

A petite brunette turned to reply.  "Do you want me to take you?"

"No.  Just tell me the way.  We'll find it."

The young woman moved closer, giving Cate a smile.  "Go back down the hall that way..."  She pointed toward the door.  "... until you see the display case.  Take a right there and follow the hall all the way down to the end.  The second door from the end takes you backstage, then you can follow the wings around to the back entry.  Or up the steps to the balcony, if you prefer."

"Is there a ladies' room on the way?"  Cate gave Jon an apologetic smile when he arched a brow at her question.

"Not on the way, but you can slip out to the lobby one when you get to the theater."  Andrea shrugged.  "You too, Jon."

"I'm fine, thanks."  He let out a sigh of faux-exasperation.  "But I know my job.  I've spent half my married life waiting outside ladies' rooms."

"You don't have to wait for me.  I can go to the bathroom by myself, you know."  Cate contradicted his mild complaint.

"No, I'm a gentleman.  I'll wait."

"Okay, then.  Suit yourself."  Cate tugged on his hand.  "We better hurry, if you don't wanna miss the beginning.  'Cause you know how we wives are, spending all that time in the ladies' room."  She chuckled with her playful exaggeration.

"Alright.  Thanks Andrea."  Jon gave her a grin.  "Great job out there, by the way."

"Thanks Jon.  See you after the screening."

"Sure thing." 

With that Jon and Cate turned and strode from the room and back into the theatrical maze.  As they hurried toward their destination Jon spoke quietly, a note of smug glee in his voice. 

"Gotta pee, huh?"

Cate snorted quietly at his indelicate observation.  "Yes. I've been holding it for half an hour now."

"Everything okay?"

"Other than my bladder being full... yes.  Why?"  Cate gave Jon a quizzical half-smile.

"I seem to remember pregnant women have to pee a lot.  Almost constantly."

That made Cate giggle.  "Jon, it's only been twenty-four hours since the... appointment.  Hardly enough time for my bladder to shrink."

Jon flashed a grin over his shoulder as he towed her around a corner.  "I know.  But it's fun to think about, huh?"

Cate smiled in silent agreement, picking up Jon's increased pace. 

They were practically trotting by the time the Bongiovis reached the back entrance to the movie theater.  A quick glance through the doors confirmed nearly all the seats were filled.

"Bathroom, then balcony?" Jon asked rhetorically, pushing open the door to the lobby and waiting for Cate to precede him through.

"Fine with me," Cate agreed.  She automatically fixed a smile as she spied a few dozen people milling about the lobby, certain she and her famous husband were about to be noticed.  Again she felt Jon's hand at the small of her back as he escorted her the short distance to the ladies' room entrance.

"I'll be right here," he assured her with a wink.  "Hurry."

"Okay."  Cate's smile turned genuine as Jon gave her hand a squeeze before releasing it.  She turned away and pushed through the wooden door.

Cate paused as she surveyed the small bathroom.  It was tastefully decorated in a modern style, including closet-like toilet stalls with full-length louvered doors.  The increased privacy of the little cubicles also made it difficult to discern if they were occupied. 

A pair of female voices gave her a clue.

"I don't know what the Hell she was thinking," one observed from the cubicle closest to the door.

"Oh, who the fuck knows?  I swear, she's fucking bipolar." the other responded, floating from the second stall.

Taking her chance, Cate reached for the handle on the third, larger stall.  It turned without resistance, allowing her to enter the vacant little room.  With a sigh of relief Cate swiftly turned the lock and draped her shawl over the hook.  She carefully tucked her clutch-style purse onto the small shelf installed for that purpose, then turned to the toilet.  The chatter of the women continued as she laid out a paper shield and unfastened the side zipper on her pants.

"Hey, did you see Chris Noth on the carpet?"

"Mmmmm, yeah.  He looked good.   Even with a beard.  But he'll always be Mister Big to me, ya know?"

Cate settled daintly onto the toilet seat, snickering silently to herself in agreement with the anonymous comment.  She sighed inaudibly as her swollen bladder finally received relief.

"What did you think of Emily Blunt's dress?"

"So pretty!  She looks great in pink."

"She looked really cold though."

"Yeah, I know!  It's so fuckin' freezing out there it could snow."

Cate breathed another sigh of relief as she automatically glanced at her panties, bunched between her knees.  The check had become a habit over the past months, as had automatically holding her breath in hopes she would not see a rosy stain on the fabric.  Thankfully, tonight brought no such misfortune.

With a little smile she reached for the tissue.  Her hand paused on the roll at what she heard next.

"And Jesus, did you see Jon Bon Jovi?"  The question was followed by the muffled rattle of a toilet paper roll.

"My GOD, yes.  Holy shit he looked hot!"

"I swear, that man never ages."

Cate chuckled quietly and tore a length from the toilet tissue roll.

"Yes he does.  He just does it really well.  He's what, like fifty-five now?"

The whoosh of a flushing toilet delayed the response.

"He just turned fifty.  Had some big exclusive party uptown.  You know my friend Astrid, from spin class?"

"Oh, yeah!"

"She works for Us Magazine.  You know that 'celebrities out and about' feature?  She works for the editor of that.  So she's basically a professional stalker."  The observation was followed by a giggle.  "Anyway, she tried to get in to his birthday party and couldn't."

Cate frowned at the revelation.  It had never occurred to her that the press may have gotten wind of Jon's party before it happened.  She quickly completed her necessities and stood, pulling up and fastening her pants.

"Well, did that really surprise her?"

"No, not really."  Again the young woman laughed.  "But Astrid sees a lot of stuff about Bon Jovi, since he lives here in SoHo.  She even sees him at the gym sometimes.  Says he's got a fantastic body, and he makes goofy faces when he works out."

Both women laughed.  In her private cubicle Cate smiled as well, then took the opportunity to flush the toilet.  She was just ready to pull her wrap from its hook when the conversation continued.

"I bet he makes goofy faces when he has sex too." 

Cate froze, the impropriety of the remark making her eyes narrow.  She knew many, many women fantasized about her husband and probably even shared their own crude thoughts.  But that didn't lessen the crassness of the comment at this moment.

"Who was that woman with him?  The redhead?"

"You idiot, that was his wife."

Cate stood stock-still, her eyes widening. 

"His wife?  I thought he was divorced."

"He was, a few years ago.  But he married some other woman.  You remember that story, don't you?  He met her when he was filming that cop movie.  She was a trainer or something."  The creak of hinges was followed by the click of high heels across the tile floor. 

"Oh.  Well, I didn't think she was a movie star.  She doesn't look like one."  The voice came from the adjacent stall.  It was followed by another flush, then the sound of a door opening.

Cate scowled.  She knew she shouldn't purposely eavesdrop, but she couldn't bring herself to move.  It was one thing to listen to these women chatter about her husband, but quite another to be the subject of their conversation.

"She's not."

"Are you sure they're married?  I never see pictures of him with a wife."  The voice moved further away, heels clicking again across the tile.  The sound of running water followed.

"I know.  I guess she doesn't go out much with him."  The first voice sounded bored.  "Hang on... I'm Googling her."

Cate's jaw tightened, but still she stood rooted to the spot.

"Here she is.  Her name is... Cate.  With a 'C', like Cate Blanchett."  The young woman's voice was now mildly mocking.  "Oh yeah!  I remember these pictures...."

"Wow! Fuck, he looks hot!  Where is that?"

"Saint Barth, over Christmas."  A little laugh followed.  "Listen to this headline:  'Baby Bon Bon?' "

"What?  Is she pregnant?"

Cate's heart stopped.  Her blue eyes widened.

"No, I don't think so.  At least I haven't heard anything like that.  And she definitely doesn't look pregnant."  Another soft rush of running water followed.  "Besides, she's too old to have a baby, isn't she?"

"She must be.  She's gotta be close to his age.  I mean... she's pretty and she looks great, but she's definitely not a trophy wife."  Both voices joined in giggles.

"I dunno, there's a lot of headlines here about her maybe being pregnant.  And here's a picture of her with some baby-store shopping bags."

"Huh.  Maybe she is."

"Doesn't he already have kids?  With his ex-wife?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure.  I think they're older, like in high school.  Hang on."

Cate gasped softly, remembering to pull in the oxygen her body suddenly realized it needed.

"Shit!  Is that his son?  Jesus, he's HOT!"

"And that's his daughter.  She's cute.  And I guess there are two more, little boys."

"Wow.  Four kids?  I don't know why he'd want any more."

Cate swallowed hard, the remark stinging her already tender psyche.

"Maybe he doesn't.  Maybe she's the one who wants kids, and he's just going along with it.  I mean, if he really wanted more kids, wouldn't he have married a younger woman?"

"You would think.  And you know how those rich women are.  All of a sudden they realize they're forty and their husbands aren't really paying attention to them anymore.  So they decide they want a baby."

"But a lot of them don't actually have babies.  They adopt.  Or use egg donors or surrogates or whatever."

"Fuck, I'd volunteer to be a surrogate for him."  A dirty giggle followed the leering comment.  "As long as he impregnated me the good old-fashioned way."

The lascivious offer moved Cate to action.  Her expression stormy, she grabbed her shawl from the hook and slung it over her shoulders, then snatched her purse from the shelf and shoved it under her arm. 

As much as the flip comments about her age and appearance stung, the speculation about her relationship with Jon hurt more.  Her confidence was already shaky, her soul battered and bruised.  She was so tired of being sad and unsure and... weak.  This was more than she could silently bear. 

Just before she yanked open the stall door Cate caught herself, forcing herself to take a deep breath and count to ten.  As much as the overheard conversation needled her, she needed to stay cool.  The last thing Jon needed right now was for his wife to make a scene at a public event.

Squaring her shoulders, Cate pulled open the louvered door and stepped out of the cubicle.  She strode across the dark tile to the sink, purposely choosing the basin closest to the exit.  In her peripheral vision she saw the two young women, one brunette, one platinum blonde, freeze, their bedazzled smart phones held close to their faces.  Their heavy-lashed eyes widened when they realized the woman in the photos was now standing right in front of them.

Calmly Cate pumped a dollop of soap onto her palms, then rubbed and rinsed them in the sink.  As she gently shook the excess moisture from her hands she looked up into the mirror.  Her steely blue eyes met the brunette's stunned gaze.  When she spoke, her voice was low and matter-of-fact.

"The reason you don't often see me with my husband at these events is I choose to stay out of the spotlight, to let the focus stay on him.  I have my own career, for which I frequently travel, so we're not always in the same place at the same time to attend all these openings and parties and galas."

Cate straightened and reached for a paper towel from the basket on the counter.   She carefully unfolded it before continuing. 

"And, if you have a friend in the entertainment news business, as you say.... You should know you can't believe everything you read.  In fact, you shouldn't believe most of it, because it's rarely even close to the truth."

Patting her hands dry, Cate slowly crumpled the towel.  She turned her back to the two stunned women and moved to the door, tossing the paper into the trash can as she passed.  She paused, one hand on the door handle, and turned to look back over her shoulder.  She gave the women a tight-lipped smile.

"Oh, and for the record... I'm forty-five. My husband is fifty. Sorry to disappoint you, but we aren't looking for a surrogate anything.  And what goes on in our family, and in our bedroom, is nobody's Goddamned business but our own."

Cate pulled open the door before tossing out her final remark, her voice laced with sarcastic contempt.

"Ladies."

With that, she strode out of the bathroom, leaving the women gaping mutely after her.

Jon straightened from his lean against the wall when he saw Cate emerge from the ladies' room.  His gentle smile faded when he spied her set jaw and the icy fire flickering in her sapphire eyes.  There was something different about her, a steely edge she hadn't possessed just moments ago.  Clearly something had happened in the few minutes she had been out of his sight.

"Cate... is everything okay?"  Jon's question was hesitant.

She strolled over to him and stopped, giving him a little nod.  "Sure.  Fine."

Jon's brow furrowed at her nonchalant answer.  "You sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure.  Why?"  Cate tried to feign innocence, but she knew Jon could read her demeanor.

"Because... you just came strutting out of that bathroom like you used to come out of the gym.  Like you just kicked somebody's ass."  Jon arched a brow, the corner of his mouth curling into a confused and apprehensive half-smile.

Cate chortled softly to herself, her eyes meeting his.  Her mouth curved to mirror his.  "Well... I kinda just did."  She stepped close to Jon and slipped her arms around his waist.  She leaned up to whisper in his ear.  "And it feels fucking good."

Now even more confused, Jon chuckled.  His arms automatically circled her in a protective embrace.  "Uh...okay.  There something I should know?  Is security gonna show up and drag you off?"

"Nope.  It's all under control."

"You.... gonna tell me what happened?"  Jon couldn't help but chuckle at the smugness of his wife's grin.

"Not right now."  Cate reached up to brush a kiss across his mouth.  Jon could practically taste the self-satisfaction on her lips.  "The movie's about to start.  I'll tell you later."

"Okay."  Jon gave his wife a gentle squeeze before releasing her and reaching for her hand.  "You didn't just do something that's gonna get me in trouble, did you?"

Cate snorted softly, turning to follow him.  From the corner of her eye she saw the two young women she had confronted emerge from the ladies' room.  Both were tapping furiously on their iPhones.

"Not really.  But if you check Twitter in about ten minutes you'll be able to read about what a badass your wife is." 

Jon paused to throw her a surprised glance.  "Cate..."  Then he grinned.  "I probably don't want to know, do I?"

"Probably not."

"That's my Girl."

FORTY-SEVEN

 "What?"

Jon's smirk faded.  It was an automatic question; he had clearly heard what she had said.  He pushed himself up onto his elbows and gave Cate a concerned look.

"I'm not going with you tonight.  To Dorothea's for dinner."  She kept her eyes on their hands, unwilling to meet his gaze as she braced for his next query. 

"Why not?"

Cate sighed quietly.  She couldn't give him an fully honest answer when she wasn't even willing to admit the real reason to herself.  But the thought of facing Dorothea and the elder Bongiovi children after last night's incident made her queasy.  She was certain Dorothea would insist on cornering her for a private act of contrition though Jon's ex-wife had done nothing wrong.  The last thing Cate wanted was a confrontation and an apology she wasn't owed.

So she settled for a half-truth.

"Jon, I'm just not up to it.  I don't really feel that great, I'm tired and kinda achy.  My body clock's still all messed up from keeping weird hours all week."  Her mouth curved apologetically.  "And I have so much shit to do, stuff I meant to take care of this week but couldn't because I had to go downrange." 

Jon snorted quietly at the tactical term.  "You're not planning to stay home and work, are you?"

The bitter edge to his voice caught Cate by surprise.  She automatically looked up, her blue eyes meeting his now-accusing stare.

"No!  Jon... I'm not going to work."  She frowned.  "I mean, I have to check in with the Ops Center today, but I swear that's not why I'm passing on dinner tonight."

Jon arched a skeptical brow.  "You sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."  Cate's eyes narrowed as she felt a little stab of indignation.  "Jon, I'm tired.  Christ, you said it yourself earlier... I never sleep in this late."  She half-growled another sigh.  "Listen, I just need some downtime, okay?  I've hardly had five minutes to myself in weeks."

Jon held his tongue, considering her words.  Cate's tone told him there was little room for civil debate of this matter.  His expression turned neutral as he peered into her eyes.  Of course she was tired, that he could easily see.  But there was something else, another reason for the veil of melancholy behind her sapphire gaze.

He looked down at their hands on the sheets, lacing his fingers between hers.  When he raised his face to Cate's again his tone was gentler, but weary.

"Cate, are we back here again?"

"What do  you mean?"  Her question was guarded. 

Jon sighed, unable to contain his exasperation.  "Baby, when are you gonna believe that you are part of my family?  The biggest part.  You are the one I chose to marry, to share my life with.  You have to get over this crazy insecurity you have.  You're not an outsider."

Cate blinked, taken aback by both his words and his tone.  Her heart squeezed guiltily, part of her knowing he was right and another part affronted by his characterization of her feelings as 'crazy'."

"Jon, I know.  I believe you.  That's not why..."

"Honestly?"  He cut her off.  "Because that's not what I see, looking at your face right now."

Cate's eyes narrowed at his challenge.  She almost snapped off an automatic retort, but bit it back just in time.  She stared at Jon for a long moment before continuing, her voice tightly controlled.

"I don't know what you think you're seeing, other than exhaustion.  I'm tired.  I need a break, Jon.  From this rat-race I've been in all damned week.  From people.  And yes, even from you, just for a little while."

Jon hesitated, not quite believing his wife's assertation.  But he could see in the steely glint of her sapphire glare that her side of this discussion was closed.

Though he was certain his suspicions were accurate, Jon wisely decided to back down.  He didn't want to turn this into a fight.

He dropped his face to press a kiss against Cate's abdomen.   "Okay," he conceded gently.  "So, what are you gonna do tonight, then?"

"I don't know.  Not much.  Read, watch a movie... something.  Maybe take a bath.  Probably go to bed early."

"The kids will be disappointed."

Cate's heart squeezed.  "No they won't.  They want to spend time with their Dad."  She raised her free hand to ruffle Jon's hair.  "Baby, it's for the best that I stay home.  I wouldn't be any fun."

Jon dropped his chin, giving her a tender look.  "I'm gonna skip out early, come home and snuggle up with you."  He paused, his expression sobering.  "Unless you don't want me to..."

Cate couldn't stop a wan smile at Jon's offer.  She made her rebuff gentle.  "That would be nice, Baby, but I'm probably gonna be asleep before you even get to cake-time.  So please, stay.  Be with your kids.  Especially Stephanie -- she came home from school to see you."

Jon nodded slightly before lowering his head again, laying his cheek against Cate's midsection.  He felt her fingertips tangle in the hair at the crown of his head.  Jon sighed softly.

"Cate... You know I love you, right?"

The question surprised her.  Her eyes moistened.

"Of course I do, Baby.  And I love you."

"Things will get better.  I promise."  Jon turned his face against her abdomen, gently nuzzling over her empty womb.  He didn't have to explain further; her heart heard his loud and clear.

She swallowed hard, sure he could feel and hear her reaction.  Her reply was husky.  "I know.  But right now...."  She smiled through her threatening tears.  "I just have to get through the right now.  But I'll be fine.  We'll be fine."

His gentle squeeze of her hand nearly broke her heart.

*****

"Uuuhhhhhh...."  Jon groaned contentedly and dropped his fork onto the plate among the chocolate crumbs.  He pushed the dish away and slumped back in his chair.  "Uncle.  No mas.  Full."

Romeo giggled at his father's grunts.  "Nuh uh!  There's still cake left, Dad!"

"Good.  You and your brother can have it."  Jon waved a hand.  "Go.  Eat it all.  Hurry up, before bedtime.  Then you can have nightmares all night."

"Okay!"  Jacob jumped from his chair and grabbed his plate.  He froze in mid-dash at his mother's sharp bark. 

"Jacob! SIT!"  Dorothea gave her middle boy a no-nonsense glare as he stood motionless, not quite disobedient but not fully following her order.  "First of all, that's not how you leave the table.  Second of all, you already had a giant piece of cake.  Plus the frosting you stole off your brother's piece.  If you think you're having seconds you're more delusional than your father."

"Hey!" Romeo protested, realizing what his mother had revealed.  He petulantly kicked Jacob's empty chair.  "Stupid-Head!"

"Shut up, Fart-Face," Jacob countered, sticking out his tongue at his younger sibling.

"Dad!"

Dorothea turned her head to arch a brow at Jon.  "See what you started?"

Jon chortled quietly, then tried to give his boys a fatherly-stern glare.  The effect was lost when he was unable to hide his smirk. 

"Romeo, we don't call people Stupid."  Jon shook his finger half-heartedly.

"I didn't. I called him 'Stupid-Head'!"  Romeo stuck out his lip and glowered at his brother.

"Well, that ain't nice either.  And you..."  Jon turned his point toward Jacob.  He had to bite his tongue to keep from snickering at the boy's expression.  "Don't call your brother 'Fart-Face'."

"He started it!  You heard him!  He called me Stupid-Head!"

"Yeah, well... you deserved it.  Frosting Thief."  Jon couldn't hold his smile any longer.  He gave Romeo a wink.  "Now cut it out, both-a-yas.  Go brush your teeth and put on your PJs."

"It's not bedtime yet!"  Jacob's protest was half-whined. 

"So?  You can't watch TV in your pajamas?  You do all Saturday morning."  Jon curled his lip, accentuating his argument with a comical sneer.  He pointed to the hallway that led to the bedrooms.  "Now GO!" 

"But you said we could have more cake!"  It was Romeo's turn to whine.

"Changed my mind.  I'm gonna eat it all by myself."  Jon shook his finger at the boy.  "And if you don't get your butt outta that chair and down that hallway right now, I'm gonna make you watch."

Romeo giggled as he called his father's bluff.  "Okay.  I'll watch."

Jon leaned forward in his chair, bracing his hands on the table.  "One... You better get goin', you little weasel!  TWO...."  Jon slid back his chair, ready to spring.  "Two and a HALF..."

Romeo leaped out of his chair and scampered after his brother, who was already shuffling toward the hallway.  He giggled gleefully as he made it a point to elbow Jacob as he dashed past.

"OW!  DAD!" 

Jon rolled his eyes at Jake's petulant whine.  "Oh, he didn't hurt you.  Don't be such a pu.... ooouty Baby."   Jon caught himself just in time.  "Just... just go get ready for bed.  Then you can watch a movie or somethin'."  When Jacob stopped and gave him a stony look, Jon waved his hand dismissively.  "Come on, hurry up."

Jon waited until he saw the boy turn and resume his trudge down the hallway, then slouched back in his chair.  He turned his head to see Dorothea's stern expression.  He gave her a sheepish grin and an apologetic shrug. 

"Whoops.  Almost slipped."

She couldn't help herself.  A quiet chortle slipped from Dorothea's lips and her mouth curved.  "Jesus, Jon.   You can't call your ten-year-old a 'Pussy'."

Jesse snorted.  "Why not?  He was being one."  He downed the remainder of his glass of milk in a large gulp.

"Nobody asked you."  Dorothea's immediate scold of her eldest son was mild, delivered with a smile.  She sighed and shook her head, giving her eyes a skyward roll.  "Boys.  Why did we have so many of 'em, again?"

Jon grinned.  " 'Cause you kept wanting to try for another girl."  He turned his head to give Stephanie a wink, then reached for his daughter's hand.  "I guess for every Princess we get three Toads, huh?"

Stephanie giggled and squeezed her father's hand.  "Thanks, Daddy.  At least I think..."  She made a silly face, then nodded toward Jon's dessert plate.  "So you liked the cake?"

"Yeah!  It was delicious.  You made that from scratch?"

"Uh huh.  Frosting too."  Stephanie nodded proudly, her blonde curls bobbing.

"Damn.  Where'd you learn to cook like that?  Not from your mother."  Jon gave Dorothea a sideways wink, softening the barb.

Stephanie giggled.  "Morgan worked at Sprinkles one summer.  When we went to her sister's for the weekend she taught me a few things."

"Well you better hang on to her as a roommate, then.  She's got skills that will come in handy."  Jon chuckled.  "Tell her thanks from me, too."  He pulled his daughter's hand to his lips for a quick smooch, then sighed.  "So, you headed back up tomorrow?"

"Uh huh.  Probably right after lunch.  I have a test Monday."

"Shit.  I was hoping you'd have a little more time to spend with your Old Man."

Stephanie gave her father an apologetic smile.  "Sorry, Daddy."

"I know, I know.  S'Okay."  Jon sighed regretfully, then returned her smile.  "But you're still planning to spend Spring Break with us, right?"

Stephanie's smile faltered as she glanced at Dorothea, then back to Jon.  "Umm... yeah, I think so.  I mean, I want to.  But I may have a chance to do a trip to Costa Rica for my biology class."

"Oh?"  Jon couldn't hide the disappointment in his voice.  "What exactly would you do in Costa Rica?"

"Oh, you know, study the rain forests.  Look at plants and animals and stuff."  Stephanie shrugged, lowering her chin and softening her smile.  "It would be for extra credit."

"You have straight A's, don'tcha?  What do you need extra credit for?"

"I don't. But... well, some of my friends will probably go.  And it's not just study, the group is going to do some volunteer work too.  Repair some houses in a village."  Stephanie's voice turned hopeful, just short of wheedling.  "It would be a good experience, Daddy."

Jon sighed.  He could tell his daughter really wanted to go off with her friends rather than spend the break with her family.  While he couldn't fault her for that, he felt a little pang of jealousy in his heart.

"Okay, Princess.  Go.  Have a great time, learn something, do good for others."  He smiled and gave Stephanie's hand another squeeze.  "But if you change your mind..."

"I know, Daddy.  I can still come with you and Cate to St Barth."

"Yep.  You're always welcome.  And it's a short flight from Costa Rica.  Maybe you could do both?"

Stephanie shook her head slightly, still smiling.  "I don't think so, Daddy.  I'm pretty sure we have to travel as a group."

"Okay."

"You're not mad?"

"Of course not."  Jon shrugged even though another pang of sadness squeezed his heart.  "I'm proud of you, that you want to further your education during your week off.  You can go lay on the beach any ol' time."

Stephanie leaned over to press a kiss against her father's stubbly cheek.  "Thank you Daddy.  You're the best."

Jon grinned wearily.  "I know."

Jesse snorted again as he shoveled another forkful of cake into his mouth.  "Thank you Daddy, you're the BEST!" he mimicked sarcastically.  His lip curled into a little sneer as he chewed.

Stephanie swiveled her head to shoot a scowl at her brother.  "Shut up, you Jerkwad."

Jesse snorted again.  "Shut up, you Jerkwad!" he imitated in a nasally falsetto voice.

Stephanie turned her body toward her brother, punching him in the arm.  The impact of her fist against his heavily muscled arm made a meaty smack.  "Shut UP!"

"Shut UH-UHP!"  Jesse grinned as he repeated his mimcry, drawing the last word out into two syllables.  He ignored his sister's second punch as he dropped his fork onto his dessert plate.  "Yeah, I betcha I know why you don't wanna spend Spring Break with Dad and Cate."

He swiped a finger across the plate's rim, smearing it with chocolate icing.  He turned to give Stephanie a smug grin before popping his finger into his mouth.  He purposely moved his finger rapidly in and out of his pursed lips in a dirty taunt meant for his sister.

"Jesse." Dorothea warned sternly.

Jesse sucked the frosting from his finger and pulled it from his lips with a loud smacking pop.  "You're such a liar.  You just wanna go to Costa Rica so you can party and hang out on the beach with your friends."  His eyes narrowed as he smirked evilly.  "Is Brendan suddenly studying Costa Rican rain forests too?"

"NO."  Stephanie sneered back at her brother, then rolled her eyes.  "God, you're such a Dick."

"Yeah, and you're the Princess."

"All RIGHT."  Dorothea snapped before Jon could react.  "Enough!"  She turned her brown-eyed gaze to her daughter.  "Steph, if you want to go to Costa Rica instead of to St Barth with your Dad and the boys for Spring Break, that's your prerogative.  But I hope you're telling the truth about this trip."

"Mom, I am!  Remember, I showed you the flyer at the start of term?"  Stephanie's blue eyes widened with her protest.

"Yes, but just because the trip is legitimate doesn't mean your motivation is pure."  Dorothea's voice was calm, subtly warning her eldest child that she wasn't as easily fooled as Jon. "But that's between you and your father.  And you still have a few weeks to work it out, so I suggest you drop it for tonight.  It's your Dad's birthday.  Let him enjoy it."

Jesse chuckled triumphantly.

"And as for you..."  Dorothea's attention swung to her son.  "It's none of your business.  So shut up and butt out."

Jesse leaned back in his chair, stretching out his long legs under the table as he slouched.  "Yeah, okay.   Whatever."

Stephanie couldn't resist.  "Yeah, Smart Ass.  It's not like you're going with Daddy and Cate, so why the hell do you care what I do?"

Jesse shrugged and gave his sister a bored look.  "I don't really give a shit what you do.  And at least I'm gonna be working where I'm going."

"Oh yeah.  I'm sure you'll be busting your ass at lacrosse camp.  Especially at night in the dorms."  Stephanie spat the accusation and rolled her eyes.

"Alright, alright, alright...."  Jon finally found his voice.  He waved his hands, signaling an end to his children's bickering.  "Drop it, already.  Steph, it's fine.  Go to Costa Rica.  And you..."  Jon picked up his crumpled napkin and tossed it at his son.  "You worry about yourself and what you're doing.  Your Sister already got into her first-choice college.  You ain't there yet."

"Pffft."  Jesse shrugged again.  "Yeah, Dad.   I got it.  But you're the one who's gonna get stuck on vacation with the Chuckleheads all by yourself."  He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder, in the direction of the hallway where his younger brothers had disappeared.

Jon grinned in spite of himself.  "What, you think Cate and I can't handle two little kids?  Puh-lease.  We've done it before just fine, thank you very much."  He arched a brow at Jesse, giving him a mild stink-eye.  "You just wanna stir up shit with your Sister and you know it."

Jesse shrugged but remained silent.  The corner of his mouth curved into a guilty smirk.

"Stephanie,"  Dorothea broke in, intent on changing the subject.  "Which dress did you want to borrow for that Alumni Auction?"

"The gray one.  You know, the one you wear with that sapphire necklace?"  Stephanie ignored her brother, turning her attention to more important matters.

"The backless one with the beaded halter bodice?"

"Yeah.  Do you mind?"

Jon frowned, visualizing the dress Stephanie and her mother described.  Dorothea had worn it to several society events, where she had crossed paths with Jon and Cate.  It was a stunning, elegant, sexy dress... and one that made his frown deepen.  He blurted out the words before he could stop himself.

"Whoa.  That's a little low-cut, don'tcha think?  Especially for an Alumni thing?"

Both Dorothea and Stephanie turned their eyes to Jon.  He shrank under their twin narrowed gazes.

"Jon, think carefully.  Do you really want to get involved in this discussion?"  Dorothea's warning was again menacingly calm.

"Uh..." Jon smiled sheepishly.  "I guess not."  He shot a look at Jesse, silently pleading for support.  He got only a smirk in return.

Dorothea returned her attention to Stephanie.  "After we clean up these dishes you can go try it on.  I'm not sure it will fit you quite right.  But if it doesn't we'll find something that works."

Jon recognized his cue.  This may be his birthday celebration, but here he was no celebrity.  He sat forward in his chair, preparing to rise.  "I got the dishes.  You two go ahead."  He smiled at Stephanie and tipped his head in the direction of the bedrooms.  "Go raid your Mama's closet before she changes her mind."

Dorothea gave Jon a skeptical look.  "Don't be silly.  It's your birthday."  She reached for Jon's dessert plate.

"Nuh uh."  Jon gently smacked her hand away from the dish.  "You cooked.  I can clean up."

"Jon, you know I ordered in."

"Well then, you opened all the containers."  Jon stood, nudging his chair backward with his legs.  "Go on.  Mister Bigmouth here and I got this covered."  He gave Jesse a pointed look.

Jesse sighed, but reached for his plate.  "Yeah, Mom.  Dad and I got it."

"Well, okay."  Dorothea relented with a tight-lipped smile, appeased by Jesse's agreement.  "There shouldn't be much.  Just load up the dishwasher and leave the rest for later."

Jon gave his ex-wife a grin.  "If there's one thing I know how to do, it's wash dishes.  I'm not leaving them for you to do later.  Now go.  Find something nice and conservative for our daughter to wear around all those young, rich recent Hamilton grads."

"Ha ha, Daddy," Stephanie replied good-naturedly as she also stood from her seat.

"Maybe something with long sleeves and a  nice high collar," Jon continued, addressing her directly.  "I think your mother has a black dress she wore to a funeral in 1996..."

"I got rid of that thing years ago."  Dorothea chuckled as she slipped past Jon.  She paused to give his arm a squeeze.  "Thanks for clearing the table."

"You got it."

Jon waited until his ex-wife and daughter strolled from the dining room, then he began to carefully stack dessert plates.  Following his lead, Jesse rose and moved around the table, collecting empty glasses and utensils.

It took two trips each for the men to clear the table and carry the dishes into the kitchen, but they worked quickly.  While Jesse loaded as many dishes as possible into the dishwasher Jon filled the sink with soapy water.  He immersed several goblets into the warm water, then began to wipe them clean.  A minute later Jesse stepped up to the sink beside his father, waiting to rinse and dry.

"So, what was all that about?"  Jon asked calmly as he handed a soapy, freshly-scrubbed glass to his son.

"What was what about?"

"Earlier.  With your sister."

"Eh."  Jesse shrugged, rinsing the goblet before wiping it with a dishtowel.  "Nothin'."

"Then why were you busting her chops about going to Costa Rica?"  Jon looked sideways at his son.

"Dunno.  She was just getting on my nerves."

Jon chuckled.  It was far from the first time he had witnessed a spat between his two eldest children, but in recent years their disagreements had been rare.  If anything, as they matured Jesse and Stephanie had grown closer.

"Any reason in particular she was getting on your nerves?"

"Not really.  Other than she was a bitch to me earlier today."  Jesse snorted.  "She's probably on the rag."

Jon winced involuntarily.  "Gee, that's nice.  You didn't say that to her, did ya?"

"Yeah.  Why?"

Jon sighed, but couldn't supress a smirk.  "Because, Bonehead.  Women don't like to be reminded it's their time of the month.  Believe me, they know.  You keep that shit to yourself, or you suffer the consequences."

Again Jon's nose wrinkled at the thought of his daughter having a menstrual cycle.  Of course he knew she was a grown woman, but some things he'd rather not consider.

"Whatever."  Jesse set the dried glass aside and accepted another freshly-washed one from his father.   

Jon paused with his hands in the water, turning his head to regard his son.  His lips pursed gently with concern.

"Jess, you sure everything's okay?  With you and Steph?"

The question surprised Jesse.  He turned to look at his father, his blue eyes a little wider.  "Yeah, Dad.  Everything's fine. I guess... well, I guess we just kinda got on each other's nerves this weekend."  He shrugged again.  "No big deal."

"So you bugged her too?"

"Guess so."

Not quite satisfied with Jesse's explanation, Jon looked back down to the sink.  He slid a few more dirty plates into the water and began to wash.  Maybe if he changed the subject he'd get Jesse to loosen up and tell him what his sister had done to annoy him, and vice-versa.

"So, did you have fun at the party last night?"

"Yeah, it was okay."

"Just okay?"  Jon smiled at his mild characterization. "I thought it was pretty cool.  Your Mom and Cate did a great job putting it together."

Jesse chuckled quietly.  "Okay, yeah, it was pretty fun.  And I could see you were having fun.  We all could."

Jon echoed his son's chuckle.  "Whaddya talkin' about?"  His question was sarcastic, and far from innocent.

"You got a little lit, Dad."  Jesse grinned and set the dry glass carefully on the counter.  "Were you hung over this morning?"

"A little."  Jon shrugged through his smile.  "It wasn't a fun five miles this morning, I'll tell ya that much."  He washed another plate and set it carefully in the other half of the sink's divided basin. "So, I didn't do something stupid to embarrass you did I?  Start showing pictures of you as a bare-assed naked baby to everybody, or something?"

"Naw.  You were a jolly drunk."  Jesse shook his head.  "Didn't embarrass me at all.  You were too busy hugging everybody within reach, telling them what great old friends they were."

Jon laughed aloud at Jesse's observation.  He did recall sharing more than a few man-hugs throughout the evening.

"So I was a sentimental old sap, huh?"

"Yeah, kinda.  It was pretty funny, considering most of the people there were older than you."  Jesse accepted another clean plate from Jon. 

"Well that doesn't sound too bad.  I didn't embarrass myself, then.  At least not publicly."  Jon slid another stack of plates into the soapy water, smiling at the memory of his celebratory evening.

"Yeah, guess not."  Jesse watched his hands as he boredly rubbed the dishtowel in a circular motion over the plate.  "So, Cate's sick?"

Jon glanced sideways, surprised by Jesse's sudden change of topic.  "Not exactly sick - sick.  Just under the weather."

"She's... it's not stuff related to you guys... you know.  Trying for a baby.  Is it?"

Jon's smile gentled.   Of all his kids, Jesse seemed to be the one with the softest spot for his Stepmother.  "Nah, nothing like that.  She's just really run down.  She was out of town all week, hardly got any sleep.  She just didn't feel up to another night out.  Said she wanted to take a bath and go to bed early."

"Oh. "  Jesse set the dry plate aside and picked a rinsed one from out of the sink.  He shrugged. "I guess I can see why she wouldn't want to come over here tonight.  You know, after what happened."

Jon frowned.  He stopped washing the dishes and turned his head toward his son.  "What do you mean?"

"You know, at the party.  Last night."

"No, I don't know.  What are you talking about?"   Jon's frown deepened as his mind flashed back to the party.  He and Cate had spent most of the evening apart, socializing. Had she had words with one of the guests?

Jesse gave his father a puzzled look.  "Dad, you were there.  What you said, when you were giving your little birthday speech.  About Mom."  He set the dry plate on top of its mate and reached for another.

Jon turned his body to more fully face his son, careful to keep his wet hands over the sink.  "Jesse, I have no idea what you're talking about.  When I gave my birthday speech?"

Jesse rolled his eyes.  "Yeah, Dad.  You called Mom up on stage with you?  Remember?  And made a big deal about her planning the party for you, how she's known you forever, gave you four kids, yadda yadda yadda...?"  He made a circling motion with his dishtowel-wielding hand.

"Yeah, and?  What was wrong with that?  I wanted to be sure everybody knew how much I appreciated what Dorothea did for me.  Cate told me she was the one who did most of the work to make that party happen."

"Well, it was kinda messed up, what you said."  Jesse shrugged again and dropped his eyes to his plate.  He fidgeted uncomfortably as he realized his father wasn't being coy.  He obviously didn't realize his mistake of the previous evening. 

"What did I say that was so 'messed up'?"  Jon raised his soapy hands from the water to feign quotations as he repeated Jesse's phrase. 

Jesse set the plate down and turned to face his father.  He sighed, looking Jon straight in the eye.  "Dad, you called Mom your wife.  Like you were still married.  Up there on stage, right in front of everybody."

Jon stared back at Jesse, momentarily stunned.  His lips parted in a silent gasp as his brain raced back over the evening, trying to replay the moment in his mind.  Unable to recall, he slowly shook his head.

"No.... No.  I didn't say that.  I remember calling Dorothea up on stage and telling everybody how she's my oldest friend, and she's a been great wife and mother...  but I didn't say she's still my wife."  Jon shook his head more firmly, confident in his memory.  Jesse had obviously misunderstood.

Jesse nodded slowly.  "Yeah, Dad.  You did.  When you did the toast.  You had everybody raise their glasses, and you said 'To my Wife, Dorothea'." When he saw his father's blue eyes widen with shock Jesse dropped his gaze.  He turned back to the sink, placing the plate on the stack.  "And everybody heard it, Dad.  It was pretty awkward."

Jon's gut tightened.  His mind flashed again to the moment.  He recalled holding Dorothea's hand, raising his wine glass, facing the crowd.  He remembered how he felt.... happy, grateful, lucky, loved.... like he was King of the World.

But he couldn't remember the words.

Not that it mattered.

Jon's stomach twisted again as he realized now what he had seen earlier in Cate's sapphire gaze, the poorly-masked sadness behind her weary smile.  She wasn't just tired.  She wasn't just disappointed that they had made no progress in their quest for parenthood.  His shoulders slumped.

"What... what did Cate do?"  Jon's question was quiet, his mouth suddenly dry.  He ran his tongue over his lips and swallowed hard.

Jesse gave his dad a sympathetic look, then shrugged again.  "Nothing, really.  She looked surprised, but she didn't say anything.  She just sat there and watched."

"Did you say anything to her?"

"No.  But when she got up and went to the ladies' room Steph followed her."

Jon turned back to the sink, dropping his hands again into the water.  He watched bubbles swirl around his wrists, the movement reminding him of the way Cate's emotions seemed to swirl in her deep blue eyes.

"Was... was she okay?"

Jesse sighed and reached for another rinsed plate.  "Yeah, I guess so.  When Steph came back she said Cate was okay, she wasn't crying or anything."

"Did you talk to Cate?"

Jesse shook his head.  "Not about that.  About school.  Later on, after you were singing with Johnny and Stevie.  And she seemed fine.  Kinda... I dunno... quiet.  But not upset or anything."  He gave a half-smirk.  "But you know how she is around Nana, too.  She doesn't say much."

Jon rolled his eyes.  He had forgotten Cate was seated at the table with his parents.  "Oh, Jesus.... Nana didn't say anything to Cate, did she?" 

"Naw.  I'm not even sure she knew what was going on."  Jesse's smirk widened.  "She had a couple glasses of wine in her too."

"Well thank God for that."  Jon let out a weary sigh.  He leaned forward, letting the counter help support his weight.  "Shit."

"You could say that."  Jesse's agreement was smugly quiet. 

Jon turned his head to fix his son with a sad gaze.  "Guess I was kinda a prick last night, huh?"

Jesse chortled softly.  "Not really.  Everybody fucks up, Dad.  Though you did it pretty good this time."

"Ya think?"  Jon pulled a hand from the dishwater and shook it briskly, showering his midsection with droplets of water.  He raised the hand to pull it through his hair as he let out another heavy sigh.

"Cate will forgive you, Dad.  I'm sure it's not the first time you've done something stupid.  And she loves you anyway."

"Yeah, but this is pretty fuckin' big."  Jon winced.  "And I'm so fucking stupid I didn't even realize I did it."

"So tell her you're sorry.  Send her flowers, write her a song."  Jesse set the clean plate on the growing stack.  "She'll get over it."

"Why didn't your mother say something to me?"  Jon gave Jesse a pointed look.  "She was standing right there, for fuck's sake!  Or your sister, if she was so worried that she followed Cate to the bathroom?"

"I don't know!"  Jesse's reply was quick and defensive.  "Go ask them!  Jesus, Dad... it's not a fucking conspiracy.  I thought you already knew about it.  You were there."

Jon raised his hands in surrender, nodding contritely.  "Okay, okay.  You're right.  Sorry."  He gave his son an apologetic half-grimace, half-smile.  "But thanks for telling me now."

"So Cate didn't say anything to you either?"

"No. But that's not exactly a surprise."  Jon snorted ironically.

"Well, then... Maybe it's not a big deal to her.  I mean..."  Jesse chuckled.  "It was pretty obvious you were half-drunk, Dad."

Jon shook his head slowly.  "No, it's a big deal.  She just won't admit it."

Jesse's smirk faded as his father's serious tone.  "Dad... are things okay with you and Cate?"

Jon hesitated before answering.  The brief silence spoke volumes.

"Yeah, Jess.  We're okay."  He turned his head and gave his son a tired smile.  "Being married is hard work sometimes.  But it's worth it."

"Like now?  When you gotta crawl home and eat shit?"  Jesse gave his Dad a sympathetic half-smile.

Jon chuckled, grateful for his son's attempt at gentle humor.  "Yeah, like now."  He sighed.  "And apparently I deserve every bit of shit-eating I'm about to do."

"Yeah, well.  Cate loves you."

"Thank God for that."  Jon sighed and dropped his hands again into the now-tepid dishwater.  "And I guess I owe your Mom an apology too.  For embarrassing her in front of everybody."

Jesse shrugged.  "It was kinda weird, Dad.  But I don't think she's mad."

"She's not.  Believe me, if your mother was pissed at me I would know."  Jon chuckled wanly.  "And she didn't say anything to Cate?"

"Dunno.  Don't think so.  Maybe that's why Cate didn't want to come over here tonight, so she didn't have to talk to Mom."  Jesse gave an exaggerated sigh and shook his head sagely.  "Jesus.  Women."

Jon arched a brow and gave his son a wry smirk.  "Oh, you don't even know the half of it yet.  Just you wait."

"Yeah, yeah..."  Jesse chortled and stacked another dish on the pile.  He slung the damp dishtowel across his broad shoulder, then stepped closer to his father's post.  "Here.  I'll finish washing."

"Nah, I got it."

Jesse shook his head.  "You go text Cate.  Or call her.  I can tell you want to."

"Jess, this isn't the kind of thing you apologize for by text or phone."

"I know." Jesse rolled his eyes.  "Just call her and tell her you love her or whatever."  He bumped his shoulder against his father's.  "Now get outta the way so I can wash these."

Jon  chuckled.  "You must be worried, if you're offering to wash dishes so I can do damage control."

"Somebody's gotta have your back."

Jon smiled, then stepped aside.  He tugged the dishtowel from Jesse's shoulder and wiped his hands, then circled his arm around the young man's shoulders for a hug.  "Thanks, Jess."

"Welcome, Dad.  Now call Cate.  And don't fuck it up more."

*****

As he pushed open the door Jon could hear the conversation. It was between a man and a woman, something about things that might have been.  The flicker of artificial light against the foyer walls told him the voices were coming from the television.

He dropped his keys on the table, hung his scarf and coat in the closet, and toed off his boots before padding quietly around the corner and into the living room.  Above the darkened fireplace the flatscreen TV glowed with a bleak image of a barren, windswept cliff.  Jon hardly noticed.

His eyes were on the still, mink-blanketed figure reclined on one of the twin couches.  In the ambient light from the television Cate's hair glowed dark red against the chocolate leather, her skin alabaster-white against a dark blue pillow.  She was peaceful in sleep, so beautiful that Jon almost didn't dare to waken her.

But he had to.

Quietly he moved to her side, then dropped to his knees.  His eyes moistened with regret as he looked down up on Cate's lovely face.  She deserved so much more than a simple apology for his stupidity.

Jon raised a hand to her face.  Gently he stroked a finger over her cheekbone, his eyes on the perfect half-moons of dark lashes.  He waited until they fluttered with recognition of his touch.

"Hey."

Cate's lashes parted to reveal cloudy deep blue irises and wide dark pupils.  She blinked sleepily, her mouth curving slightly to form the single whispered word.

"Hey."

"You didn't answer my text."

"Mmmm... sorry."  Cate swallowed, her eyes slipping closed while her brain formulated a response.  "Phone must be in kitchen."

"Oh."

"And I was sleeping."

Jon's lips curved into a tender smile.  "S'Okay."

"What time is it?"

"Almost eleven."

"Mmm."

"Baby..."

"Hmm?"

"Look at me."  Jon gently brushed her cheek again, then waited for Cate's eyes to open.  He watched the swirling midnight pools until he saw them focus.  Her little frown told him she read his expression.

"Baby, I'm so... so sorry."  Jon's voice cracked before he even got the sentiment out.

Her heart clenched at the unexpected apology, delivered in a husky, pained croon.  Cate's eyes widened slightly.  She couldn't stop an icy finger of fear from creeping through her chest.  

"Wh... why?" 

Jon lay his palm against Cate's cheek.  "For hurting you." His azure eyes shone in the dim light, moistened with remorse.  "Last night.  At the party."

Cate blinked, at first uncomprehending.  "What?"  Then her lip trembled as she realized what he meant.  

"What I did.  What I said, about Dorothea."  Jon swallowed hard against the lump in his throat.  "Baby, I didn't mean it.  Hell, I didn't even realize I said it."

A wave of shame washed over Cate as she saw the pain in Jon's beautiful face.  Her eyes glittered as tears began to well.  "I know.  It's okay, Jon.  I... It's fine."

"No, it's not fine."  Jon's hand moved from Cate's cheek to her hair.  He gently stroked back a long, thick strand, tucking it behind her ear.  "Cate... you are my wife.  And I hurt you.  I... I humiliated you, in front of our friends and our family.  It's not okay."  He blinked as a tear squeezed from the corner of his eye, nesting in the crinkled lines there.

"Jon.. I..."  Cate took a breath, trying to gather her thoughts.  He heart squeezed at Jon's obvious sincerity even as her stomach clenched with the raw memory of her embarrassment.  "Who told you?"

"Jesse."

Cate's lips parted in a soft gasp.  That wasn't at all the answer she expected.  "Not... not Dorothea?"

"No.  But when I confronted her she told me everything, the whole deal."  The tear slipped down Jon's cheek, followed by another.

"Oh."

"Cate..." Jon gave her a long, pained look.  "Why didn't you tell me?  If not last night, then this morning?"

Cate immediately dropped her gaze with her fib.  "It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does.  It matters."  Jon hooked his finger under her chin, gently forcing Cate to raise her eyes back to meet his.  "I hurt you."

Her lip quivered slightly as her blue eyes filled with tears.  Her reply was a barely audible whisper.  "Yes."

"I didn't mean to."

"I know."

"And I'm so, so sorry."  Jon's voice cracked again.  "Baby... can you... forgive me?"

His emotion broke her. 

Tears streamed down Cate's cheek. "Yes.  Of course."  She reached for him, her hand slipping from under the edge of the mink blanket to rest on his arm.  He reached to close his hand around hers.

Jon gazed  soulfully at her, his lips pressed tightly together to contain his emotion.  Another glistening tear slid down his cheek.  They were silent for a long moment, their hands and hearts joined in consolation.  Finally Jon spoke, in a whisper.

"We... we have to talk, Cate.  About us, where we're going.  About the Baby.  About you.  And me."

She nodded against the pillow, her answer a sad admission.  "I know."

"But not tonight."  He stroked her cheek again, giving her a tender smile. 

"No."  Cate agreed.  "Not... not tonight."  She swallowed hard.  "Jonny... tonight...Tonight I just need you to be... be my husband.  To hold me, and tell me it's all gonna be alright..."  Her voice broke.

He nodded.  "Okay."  Jon pressed his palm gently against Cate's cheek, then slid his hand to her shoulder, pushing away the blanket.  "Come on."

He stood and helped her from the couch, then slipped his arms around her waist.  She raised her face to his for a long, gentle kiss.  Then they together they turned and shuffled toward the darkened passage to their bedroom.

On the abandoned television screen, a lonely red-haired woman stood at the edge of the stark cliff.  She shuddered against the howling wind as she turned her tear-streaked face toward the stormy ocean.  She closed her eyes and made the sign of the cross over her heart.

The screen went dark.