Chapter Nineteen:

Thanksgiving came and went, spending it with her family and Rachel in Chicago. Christmas Eve was spent at Asa’s, along with their private Hanukkah and Christmas celebrations. Before they knew it they were just weeks away from Nora’s due date and in desperate need of some time alone. Bo had been busy on stakeout after stakeout, trying to bring a local drug ring at the University down. Nora mostly worked from home, seeing clients in between doctor’s appointments and getting the rest she was required to get.

They seemed to be like two ships passing in the night. She was asleep when he left in the morning and most nights he found her asleep on their bed, surrounded by law books and legal pads, her glasses perched low on her nose.

The day before Valentine’s Day Bo walks into the house, brushing newly fallen snow off his jacket as he looks around the living room. He calls her name as he walks through the kitchen door and back out into the living room. He loosens his tie, pulling it from around his neck as he walks towards the stairs. He drops it over the side, where it lands on the weathervane, as he quickly climbs the stairs.

He walks into their bedroom, expecting to find her asleep on the bed. He sticks his head in the bathroom before walking out of the bedroom and down the hallway. He walks passed the nursery, turning back around and walking into the room when he sees the back of her head. He walks into the room and looks around, his hand running across the top of the crib as he pauses for a moment to see all the changes she’s made to the room in the past few days.

The pink had been replaced with a pale yellow, the carousel horses replaced with Classic Winnie the Pooh, perfect for a boy or a girl. He walks towards her, walking around the rocking chair. He kneels down in front of her and stares into her sleeping face. His heart falls a bit when he sees her tear stained cheeks. He looks down, noticing the pink and white embroidered baby blanket lying across her lap. He shakes his head, “Oh Red,” he whispers.

He stands up and lifts her out of the rocking chair. She stirs slightly but never wakes up. He carries her into their bedroom and lays her on the bed. He takes the blanket from her and covers her with the quilt. He sits down on the edge of the bed and brushes a few strands of hair out of her eyes before turning out the lights and walking downstairs.

Bo walks over to the desk and sits down. He leans back in the chair, his feet propped up on the desk, a small smile begins to spread across his face as a plan formulates in his mind. He reaches over and picks up the phone. He whistles while he waits for someone to answer the phone, “Ah, finally; Dr. Conklin please…Bo Buchanan…Thank you, I’ll hold…Dr Conklin, it’s Bo Buchanan…No, nothings wrong. Nora’s just fine; she’s resting just like you’ve ordered her to. The reason for my call is this; I’d like to take Nora away for Valentine’s Day…No, no not far, just about an hour out of town…Overnight…Yes, I promise, first indication of anything at all we’ll leave and come to the hospital immediately…Thank you, Dr. and we’ll see you on Tuesday for our next appointment.”

Bo pushes the button ending his first call and dials another number. Ten minutes later he returns to their bedroom. She stirs when she hears him walk into the room. She sits up and pushes herself up against the headboard, “Hey there, handsome,” she says with a smile.

Bo walks around to his side of the bed and climbs in beside her. He leans in and kisses her. He leans his forehead against hers after breaking their kiss, “Did you have a good nap?”

They snuggle closer against each other, “I…I was in the nursery,” she says quietly. He mumbles his confirmation and she continues, “I um I was putting some things away in the dresser and,” she pauses for a moment as he pulls her closer, “and I found Sarah’s blanket in the bottom drawer.”

“Renee…she took the blanket that night at the hospital. She must’ve put it down there. I never thought to ask her about it.”

She shifts in his arms and turns to face him, “I’m glad she did.” She sighs deeply and continues, “When I was holding it in my lap it was almost as though I could feel her and suddenly I felt completely at peace. It was as though finally that part of my heart that I kept closed off because of her was open and I could finally let go.”

Bo pulls her against him again and kisses the top of her head, “We’ve both been holding on too tight to her memory. We’ve finally let go but we’ll never forget how much we miss her, but now by letting go we have all the room in our hearts to love this baby and give him or her every thing we wanted to give Sarah.”

Nora nods and lays her head against his chest, “I’m glad you’re home tonight. I’ve missed you so much.”

He lets out a deep sigh and squeezes her tight, “I’m glad I’m home too. The only thing that kept me going was knowing that even though you were most likely going to be asleep when I came home, at least you were here to come home to.”

She leans up and kisses him just before he climbs out of bed, “Where are you going?”

“I my dear am going to go downstairs and make you some dinner.”

She looks at him with a mischievous look on her face, “We actually have edible food in the house?”

He glances at his watch, “Well we will,” the doorbell rings, “Oh, right on time.” He leans across the bed, “Why don’t you get changed and meet me downstairs in twenty minutes.”

Bo opens the door, stepping aside as a young man in a waiter uniform walks through the door, “Thank you, Scott. Please tell my step-mother that I appreciate this,” he pulls out some money and places it in the waiter’s hand, “and this is for you.”

He looks down at the one hundred dollar bill Bo placed in his hand and back up at Bo, “Thank you, Commissioner, really…thanks a lot.” Bo just smiles and closes the door. He walks over to the table, whistling as he puts the final touches on his spontaneous romantic dinner for two.

Nora walks down the stairs twenty minutes later, stopping at the bottom of the stairs. She looks around the room shaking her head and smiling. Bo walks up to her and takes her hand, bringing it to his lips for a quick kiss. She looks around the candlelit room once again, “So what’s the occasion, Commish?”

He leads her over to the table and pulls out her chair, “Well when I came home tonight and found you asleep in the nursery I realized enough was enough and I was done neglecting my wife for this or any case. I promised myself, after every thing we went through the past couple years, that that was one thing I was never going to do again. So my dear, happy day before Valentine’s Day,” he says gesturing around the room; smiling that smile.

She takes his hand from across the table, “You never cease to amaze me; you know that.” She pauses for a moment, “Just when I think there’s no way I could ever feel more loved and more complete you come up with something as simple as this romantic dinner in the middle of our living room and I fall all over again.”

“I never ever want you to feel as though you aren’t the most important thing in my life. I wake up every morning thankful that you’re there beside me, that we made it through, and I just want you to know how much I love you.”

She reaches out and lays her hand against his cheek, “I see it every time I look in your eyes, Bo. Never ever doubt how loved you make me feel.” She looks around the room again, “This is the best pre Valentine’s Day ever.”

“Well if you love this, just wait until tomorrow,” he says with a smile and a wink.

She tilts her head and smiles, “What do you have up your sleeve, Buchanan?”

Bo shakes his head, “Nope, you’ll just have to wait until tomorrow.” Nora pouts and Bo laughs, “Sorry, gorgeous, there’s no way I’m telling you my plans.” He notices the look on her face, “and my lady, there is nothing,” he raises his eyebrows, “and I mean nothing you can do to persuade me to tell.”

She tilts her head and gives him an ‘are you sure about that’ look and stands up. She slowly walks over to him, stopping in front of his chair. He looks up at her and smiles, “No go, Red. It’s not going to work, not this time.”

She reaches out and grabs a hold of his tie and plays with it for a few seconds before she begins to loosen it. Bo shifts in his chair as she slowly slips the tie from around his neck. She drops it onto the floor before positioning herself on his lap.

Bo swallows hard as she slides as close to him as her swollen stomach will allow. She leans in and unbuttons the first two buttons on his shirt. She runs her fingers along the inside of his collar before replacing her fingers with her mouth. She begins to nibble on his neck, smiling against his skin when she hears his quick intake of breath.

He clears his throat, “Um, honey, this is so not going to work.”

Nora breaks contact with his neck and looks down between them and then back up at him, “I don’t know about that. From the look,” she raises her eyebrows, “and the feel of things I’d say it’s working like a charm.”

“You will not break me with your,” she begins to nibble on his neck once again, “I…I mean it,” she runs her hands down his chest and begins to drive him crazy, “I…Oh God,” he mutters breathlessly.

She leans in close and nibbles on his ear before whispering, “So what’s my surprise?” She sits up, her fingertips still slowly running across him.

He takes a deep breath and leans in close to her ear. She smiles in victory, “Nice try, Red,” he whispers.

Her smile fades and she sits up straight, “No fair,” she moans, smacking him on the shoulder.

He leans in and kisses her. He breaks the kiss, “It was,” he leans in and kisses her again, “a very,” another kiss on her cheek, “very,” his mouth moving on to her neck, “very,” he begins to nibble below her ear, “very good try, though.” His hands reach around and he slowly begins to unzip the back of her dress.

Two hours later they’re sitting in front of the fireplace wrapped in a blanket, their clothes lying on the living room floor, the dishes from their reheated dinner long forgotten, as they hold each other tight.

TBC…