054:

Abish May Patrick made her appearance on the last day of April, at her home on Catalina Island, attended by her grandmother Tracy and her Aunt Megan. Her delivery was fast and quiet, her sister sat on the bed and crawled over her mother the whole time, until her grandfather came and got her.

That night, after two weeks on the island virtually out of contact with all former acquaintances, Melia began taking calls again. Her first call was to Ryan, and she asked him if he wanted to come to the island and he said he did, would be there in the morning if that was her wish and she said it was. She would have spoken to him longer but he was on another call.

The person whose name appeared most frequently on her phone though was someone who she felt rather bad about not answering, due to his grief. So she called that number next.

"Seriously? Now? Now you call? " His voice came on the line almost immediately, rough and as if they were in the middle of a conversation already, and the guilt that was intended hit her. "How come you don't answer my calls? I'd of thought you ditched me after that night at the pier."

"I'm sorry, Robert. It's been a hard couple of weeks, and I know you needed me, but I wasn't able to—"

"No apologies necessary. Stop." He chuckled compassionately, with real understanding that melted Melia's heart.

"Is this a bad time?" She asked belatedly.

"No. I'm just sitting here on my boat actually in Avalon Harbor, waiting for your call."

"Dead serious? You're here?"

"Where is here? I don't know where you live."

"I live at Emerald Bay." She felt real excitement in her tone. "You should come down here. Are you alone? Who is with you?"

"I'm not completely alone. My brother-in-law and sister are here with me. Don't want me to be alone you know. Unlike my friend Melia who ditched me at the pier." His tone was teasing, but she did feel the weight of regret wash over her. She liked Robert, truly, cared about him. He'd been a good friend in the short time they'd known each other.

"Robert, it's not like that. I'm sorry---"

"No apologies necessary, ma petite. How will I know I'm at Emerald Bay?" She could hear movement as if he was firing up the engines right that moment to come to her. She glanced around. The room was pretty tidy, the crib and bassinet had been moved to the nursery off the bedroom, and all the evidence of delivery was in her bathroom so she could shut the door.

"Well, there's a camp there and a couple of huge lights on poles, you can dock there and then... I'll have to send my dad down to get you in the golf cart. It isn't far, like a minute or two. But we're not right on the dock." She was excited to see him, as she would be an old friend, but moreso, a really good acquaintance.

"Oh, so your dad's there? Good, I've never met your dad. I would like to meet your dad actually."

"You met my dad at the baptism." She reminded.

"No, barely, I saw your dad, I didn't meet him. I intend to meet him now that I don't have so much on my mind." His tone was enough of his own reminder of just what he had been through recently and Melia felt that wave of guilt that she'd not been a good friend.

She wanted to apologize again, but she already had twice and he'd over run her both times. She decided to tell him about Abby. "Well, you can meet my dad for sure then, but you can meet someone else as well."

"Who else is there?" His voice was interested and a trifle concerned.

"Well, my mom and my sister and Hannah are here, because they are taking care of me. I had the baby today."

"You did what? You had the baby? Today?" His voice was incredulous and very excited. "I am astounded you even called me! Melia, how are you? How is she?"

She laughed, feeling good, liking that he thought about her health and that of the baby first, Ryan hadn't even asked. But of course, Ryan had some hang ups to do with Jared's daughters. "I am fine!" she laughed. "Don't worry! You can still come. I welcome your visit. It's been kind of lonely the last few weeks."

"Is Ryan there?" Came the next question, which of course would be the next one asked.

"Om, no, he's coming in the morning." She said clearly and distinctly, hoping he wouldn't ask her any more questions about Ryan. Questions she couldn't answer.

"Oh heck, I'm still coming. I miss you. I can't wait to see the little darling. I've never been this close to a newborn. I'm actually thrilled to be one of the first to see her. What did you call her?"

"Her name is Abby." Melia said, not telling him the whole story which she felt was very private right then, as she spotted Jared's letters on her nightstand. She leaned over and whipped the letters into the drawer beneath and closed it.

"Abby. Short for Abigail? How adorable. I don't have a gift. Karen May was always good at the gift part of these things. She always did that sort of stuff for me. I'll have to come up with something."

Melia laughed since she'd decided not to tell him about the name, he'd now made it impossible for her not to. "No, not short for Abigail." She corrected. "It's short for Abish, a woman in the Book of Mormon that my -- Jared admired. And her middle name is May... for... for Karen."

There was a hushed silence as Robert digested that thought. "May for my Karen?" he exclaimed in disbelief. "Why would you do that?"

"I felt close to her at the end, and didn't want her to be forgotten. Since you two didn't have any kids of your own, and I don't know... its funny, Karen knew about Abby, Jared didn't.... I don't know....It doesn't make any sense." Now she was embarrassed, and she covered her face with her free hand.

"I'm deeply, deeply touched." Came his voice reverently and she heard the bare whisper of a sob as his emotions overcame him. She didn't know how to respond, and so said nothing as he cried, realizing how fresh his grief still was, and how profound. "It's a little like she carries a part of my Karen with her now." He said and she heard the rather loud sniffs. "This is so touching. I am so.... Touched." It was obvious he didn't know quite what to say either. "I guess that makes me an Uncle or something."

Melia laughed, feeling so choked up, and so unable to vent, but she washed those thoughts away thinking of him wanting to be Abby's Uncle. "Of course you are. An honorary Uncle. You could be Uncle Bob, every girl should have an Uncle Bob."

"I never go by Bob." He said with instant dislike. "Rob, if anything. I could just be Uncle Robert."

"I've noticed that kids call you what they want anyway." She said, and got up to go to the window. "I think I can see your lights. Let me see if dad is still up." She walked down the hallway, which was lit by a night light in the dining area, and a small reading lamp in the living room, but no parents. They would be downstairs now, but she could see by the lack of light on the stairs that they had gone to bed. It had been an exhausting day actually. Megan might still be awake. She went up the stairs toward the room that she had shared with Jared, and across the hall was the room Megan chose. A dim light was on, but when she got closer she could see that Megan had the TV on and Hannah wrapped in her arms and they were both asleep.

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