A Work of God

~October 2003 ~

She walks in beside a tired and confused Matthew, wanting to comfort him, but not really sure how, the phone rings momentarily distracting them both. Matthew starts for the phone, then fearing it might be Bo, his dad, he heads for the stairs. Nora heads for the phone, "Hello."

Mama..." she pauses not sure how this news will be received.

"Baby, are you okay?"

"Fine mama, I just, well..."

"Rachel is something wrong."

Matthew stops halfway up the stairs, "Is that Rikki, can I talk to her?"

Rachel hears her little brother, "Mama let me talk to Matthew."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive,” she waits on the other end until she hears his quiet hello, "Hey buddy what's up?"

Matthew looks up at Nora and walks into her office and sits down. Nora walks into the kitchen, leaving brother and sister alone to talk, "Bo's my dad." Matthew says with a sigh.

Rachel was glad to see that her mom and Bo finally told him, but knew that he had to be struggling, "How do you feel about that lil brother?"

Matthew shrugs, "I don't know. It’s weird I guess. I guess I just don’t understand."

Rachel sits down on the couch, tucking her legs underneath her, “I know there’s a lot to figure out and there’s a lot you don’t understand, but trust me when I tell you that your parents love you very much, Matthew.”

Matthew nods, wiping the tears from his cheeks. He knows his parents love him, he can feel it, he just doesn’t understand, “I know Rach. You wanna talk to mom now?”

Rachel looks down at the pillow on her lap and the fringe she has wrapped around her finger, “You know what tell mom I’ll call her tomorrow. I love you Matthew.”

“Love you too,” Matthew hangs up the phone and relays Rachel’s message to Nora. Nora kisses him goodnight after he tells her he’s tired and would rather go to bed than talk. Nora walks over to the couch and picks up the beer she had brought out of the kitchen. She sits on the couch and replays the night’s events in her head.

A thousand miles away she stares at the phone wanting to pick it up. She finally gives in and picks up the phone, quickly dialing the number before she changes her mind.

-

He turns when he hears the phone ring. He picks his beer up off the table and walks back through the terrace doors. He looks down at the caller id. He grabs the phone, “Rachel,” his heart racing, knowing it had to be something big if she was calling this late at night.

“Hi, Bo…um sorry to call so late but I just got off the phone with Matthew and I wanted to see how you were doing?”

Bo sits down on the couch with a sigh, “We explained things to him,” Bo runs his hands down his face, “I don’t know Rach…I just hope he knows how much I love him and that no matter what I’m going to always be there for him.”

“He knows, Bo. He’s just confused. He’ll come around.”

Bo nods, “I know,” there’s a pause, “so kiddo you gonna tell me what's bothering you...”

“You don’t need to worry about me, Bo…I’m fine…”

“I worry about all my children,” he says cutting her off. He can hear her quick intake of breath, getting ready to argue, “You’re still my daughter Rachel, just like I always loved Matthew as a son, long before we knew the truth.” He can hear her begin to cry on the other end of the line, “Come on kiddo, tell me what’s wrong.”

She pauses for a moment and takes a deep breath, “I’m pregnant.”

Bo picks up his beer and takes a long chug, letting those two words sink in, “That’s great, Rach, congratulations.” She nods unseen on the other end of the line, “So where’s the father? He better be treating you right or I’m going to kill him.”

She smiles despite her tears at how easily he’s slipped into ‘dad’ mode, “The father’s out of the picture and that’s okay. I’m going to raise the baby on my own.”

“If that’s the way you want it, I’m with you.” Bo stands up and walks back out onto the terrace, “So what does your mom think?” He can hear the hesitation in the silence between them, “You have told her, haven’t you? Rachel?”

“I’ve tried. I even called tonight but I chickened out and talked to Matthew instead.”

“You have to tell her kiddo. She’s your mom, she’s going to support you know matter what.”

Rachel nods through her tears, “I know and I’m going to tell her. I…I guess I just don’t want her to be disappointed in me.”

“Rachel, sweetheart, your mom loves you. Please tell her.”

“I will, I promise, first thing in the morning.” Another pause fills the air, “Thanks Bo.”

“Any time kiddo, you know that right.”

“Yeah, I love you….’dad’,” she says with a smile.

Bo smiles, “I love you, too.”

Bo places the phone back on the cradle and takes another swig of his beer as a thought, a distant memory; flashes through his mind…

“I just got a little dizzy.”

“Listen, I don’t know if you care about growing up to be a beautiful gray-haired old grandmother, but I do. You know, I love you; I want us to be together for a long, long, time; healthy happy. I thought that’s what you wanted.”

“I do, more than anything.”

He places the empty beer bottle down on the table and lies down on the couch. Her baby was having a baby. He couldn’t help but feel like a proud grandfather. Regardless of their current situation, Rachel was still a huge part of his life, and like he had told her moments before, she would always be his daughter.

Months fly by and their slowly finding their way together as parents, as their own version of family. They’ve been working together, trying to hunt down a madman, only to find the madman come knocking on their door.

She picks up the phone and dials his number, her heart breaking for him. She hears his tired hello, “Hi Bo, its Rachel. Matthew just called and told me…I’m so sorry.”

Bo nods, “Thank you, Rachel. I wish we would’ve been able to stop him sooner.” They talk about his trip to Argentina and promised that he would stop and see her on his way home.” They said their goodbyes after she fills him in on her pregnancy, assuring him that every thing was okay.

Winter turns to spring, spring turns to summer and the baby is due any day. He sits behind his desk, rubbing his tired eyes. His phone rings. He looks down at the light flashing indicating a call on his private line. He picks up the phone wondering who would be calling him with Matthew away in Texas with Asa and Renee and Nora out with Daniel. He picks up the phone, “Buchanan.”

“Hey Bo…tainted chicken, huh?” she says with a laugh.

Bo leans back in the chair and laughs, “I guess your brother filled you in eh’?”

“Yeah, what am I going to do with the two of you? Dividing up the house,” she says, shaking her head on the other end of the line.

Bo shrugs, “Well you know how your mother gets.”

Rachel laughs on the other end of the line, “Yeah, I know you both too well, but I don’t understand you.”

“What’s not to understand?”

Rachel shakes her head, “How two people who still love each other so much and love the same people can’t find their way back.”

Bo shakes his head, knowing her words were true on his part but knows she doesn’t feel the same way, “I just want you mother to be happy, Rachel, that’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

Rachel nods, “I know Bo; I just don’t understand why the two of you can’t talk this out instead of bicker about the little things.” She glances down at her watch, “Wow, I didn’t realize how late it is. I’ve got to go. I’m meeting some friends for dinner. I’ll talk to you later, Bo. Love you.”

“Love you too, kiddo”. He hangs up the phone and laughs, imagining the way she’s running around the house trying to get out the door. She’s definitely her mother’s daughter, he thinks to himself. He grabs his jacket and his keys and walks out of the station, her words playing over and over again in his mind.

An hour later Nora is walking into the house when her cell phone rings. She pulls it out of her purse, securing it with her shoulder as she turns on a light, “Nora Buchanan…”

“This is Detective Brookes, Chicago PD. Are you Rachel Gannon’s mother?”

Nora drops to the couch, her head swimming, “Yes,” she manages to choke out.

“I’m sorry Ms. Buchanan but there’s been an accident…”

TBC…