Chapter 50

"May we enter to tell all of you some good news?" Justus asked the group still assembled in Keesha’s room.

"Of course," Keesha said. "Come in."

Dara and Justus walked into the room and shared their news about Matthew and Veronica.

"That’s wonderful," Keesha said.

"I agree," Julianna said, hugging Dara and then Justus.

"Congratulations," A.J. said, shaking his cousin’s hand.

Michael offered his congratulations, too.

"Nothing is official," Dara cautioned. "But the children will be released from here soon, and those poor babies have no place to go. So, at least for the time being, they'll be living with us."

"I can’t think of two better people for them to be with," Keesha said, her voice sincere. "You must have a million things to do before their arrival, so Julianna, you should plan to stay with your dad at the hotel. Is that okay, A.J.?"

"Sure. I’d love to have Julianna stay with me."

"Actually," Dara spoke up, "we were hoping Julianna would continue to stay with us. At least in the beginning. We thought the children might like a young person around them. Is that okay?"

"Are you sure?" Keesha asked.

Dara and Justus looked at each other and nodded.

"Okay, then. Julianna, do you mind?" Keesha asked.

"No. I’ll do whatever’s best."

Dara smiled and squeezed Julianna’s arm. "Thank you. We were hoping you wouldn’t mind coming with us to meet Matthew and Veronica."

"I’d like that," she assured them. "Can Michael come, too?"

"Sure. Would you like to meet them, Michael?" Justus asked.

"Yeah."

"Will you excuse us while we steal your daughter and Michael for a few minutes?" Justus asked A.J. and Keesha.

"No problem. See you later."

"Mama," Julianna said, "we’ll come back here afterwards."

"Okay, sweetheart. I look forward to hearing about the kids."

After the room cleared, Keesha motioned for A.J. to sit in the chair next to her.

"What’s up?" he asked, even though he knew what Keesha was going to ask him.

"Jason," she said, "is the reason you didn’t visit me yesterday, isn’t he?"

"Yes," A.J. admitted, "but it wasn’t only Jason."

"I cannot believe he is here in this hospital. What I wouldn’t do to give that man a piece of my mind."

"Keesha," A.J. said, reaching to hold her hand in his, "please don’t do anything foolish. You have to promise me you will stay out of this."

She looked at their joined hands and then smiled at him. "Sweetheart, I can’t get out of this bed. There’s no way I can make it to Jason’s room. Besides, I’m sure there’s a guard or two posted. You know he would never agree to see me."

"There is a guard, and for just this moment, I’m glad you can’t get out of bed."

She frowned at the troubled expression he wore. "I really hate that Jason manages to do this to you every time. And I want to know exactly what he said to Julianna, too, because he had no right to speak to her at all!"

A.J. brushed her hair. "Now who’s getting worked up?" he gently chided.

"I hate that things are going on around me that I can’t be a part of."

"You just need to concentrate on continuing to get better, Ms. Ward. Please, sweetheart," he added in a softer tone, "leave Jason to me. Please."

After a moment, she nodded. "I trust you, A.J. You know that."

"Thank you," he said, and planted a soft kiss on her lips.

"But as soon as I’m completely well," she quickly added, "you are going to tell me everything."

"I promise, I will."

"I love you so much."

A.J. pressed his lips against the back of her hand that he still held in his. "I love you, too."

*~*

"Hello, again," Dara said, after the four of them had entered Matthew and Veronica’s room, "we thought you might like to meet a young lady who is temporarily staying with us. Her name is Julianna Ward. And this is her good friend, Michael Jones."

"Ward?" Matthew questioned.

"Yes," Julianna said, tentatively approaching his bed. "I’m Justus’ cousin."

"Where’s your mommy?" Veronica asked, her voice small.

Julianna turned her attention to the petite child with the big brown eyes. "My mother is in this hospital, too."

"She is?" Veronica asked, her eyes growing wider.

Julianna nodded. "My mother’s been sick, but she’s getting better."

"That’s good," Veronica said, her voice sad. "Our mother died."

Julianna knelt in front of the little girl’s bed. "I know she did, honey. I’m so sorry for your loss."

Veronica tried to keep the tears from spilling down her mahogany cheeks, but she couldn’t do it. Matthew jumped out of his bed and tried to comfort his sister.

"Don’t cry, Ronnie. Please don’t cry."

"Would it be okay if I held her?" Julianna asked Matthew.

"Ronnie, do you want her to hold you?"

Veronica nodded in between sniffles.

"Come here, sweetheart," Julianna said.

She sat on Veronica’s bed and held the trembling child in her lap. Dara bent down and gently rubbed her back while Julianna rocked her and sang a soft lullaby.

"Are you okay?" Matthew asked his sister a little while later.

He still hovered over her.

Veronica nodded. She liked being in Julianna’s arms.

"You sing real good," Matthew said to Julianna.

She smiled and patted his head. "Thank you."

"Can we get you anything?" Dara asked Veronica.

She shook her head.

"How about if Dara tucks you in?" Julianna suggested.

"Okay," she said, willingly leaving Julianna’s arms and letting Dara help her get back into bed.

Dara helped Veronica while Justus assisted Matthew.

"Thank you," both children said simultaneously.

Veronica snuggled in her bed with her favorite stuffed animal while Matthew sat up in his bed to work on his puzzle.

"You’re welcome," Dara said and kissed Veronica on her forehead. "We’re going to leave so you can get some sleep. Okay?"

"I’m not tired," Matthew spoke up. "I wanna work on my puzzle."

"That’s fine," Justus said. "But if you see that your sister is sleeping, don’t make too much noise, all right?"

"All right," Matthew whispered and then giggled.

Justus shook his head, but he laughed, too.

Veronica reached for Dara’s hand. "Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?"

"Of course," Dara said, tears springing to her eyes. "Justus and I will stay for as long as both of you need us."

*~*

"You are amazing," Michael said to Julianna.

They held hands as they headed down the corridor towards Keesha's room.

"How did you know what Veronica needed?"

"I learned from my mother," Julianna replied. "That’s how she comforted me."

"I can’t imagine it," Michael said sadly.

Julianna stopped their progress but continued to hold Michael’s hand. "You mean to tell me your mother never held you in her arms or sang you a lullaby?"

"I’m sure she must have, but I have no memory of it. Actually, Leticia probably did, but again, nothing is coming to my mind."

"Michael, that’s horrible! How could you not have any memories of ever being comforted?"

"Maybe the more violent ones pushed the nicer ones out of my memory bank."

He tried to joke with Julianna, but she wasn’t buying it.

"This isn’t funny, Michael."

"I know, but what can I do? I can’t talk about memories I don’t have. I just hope Matthew and Veronica have some wonderful remembrances of their mother. Those moments need to be kept alive and vivid for them."

*~*

"How did the visit go?" Keesha asked Julianna and Michael when they returned to her room.

"It was very nice," Julianna answered. "Those children are precious, Mama, but so sad and broken. She was crying, so I held her in my arms and sang."

"That’s so sweet," A.J. said.

"You should have seen her," Michael said. "She knew exactly what to do to comfort Veronica."

"Because of you, Mama," Julianna said, reaching for Keesha’s hand. "Thank you."

"You’re welcome."

"Is it okay if I go to Michael’s father’s house with him?"

"I guess so," Keesha said.

"Thanks. Dad, I talked to Dara and Justus and told them I would be staying with you tonight. Is that okay?"

"Of course, sweetheart. You can stay with me anytime."

"Thank you."

She hugged her father and kissed her mother’s cheek.

"I won’t be late," she said.

"I’ll make sure she gets to the hotel safely," Michael said.

"You’re going to your father’s house," A.J. said. "Does that mean you’re going to tell him about Jason?"

Michael nodded. "Yeah. I’m ready to tell him what happened."

*~*

When Michael and Julianna arrived at Tony’s house, Bobbie was there, too.

"Grandma," Michael said, after kissing her cheek, "I...I wasn’t expecting you to be here."

"I needed to discuss something with your father. I’m glad you arrived before I left."

After they all exchanged greetings, Michael told Tony and Bobbie he had something he needed to tell them.

"Of course," Tony said, motioning for everyone to take a seat in the living room, "what is it?"

Michael reached for Julianna’s hand before he spoke. "I did something today that I know neither of you is going to like, but it happened, and I’m not sorry I did it."

"What did you do?" Bobbie asked, her suspicions aroused.

Michael took a deep breath. "I visited Jason at the hospital."

Bobbie and Tony exchanged puzzled and worried glances.

"How did you know Jason was in the hospital?" Tony asked.

Michael looked down at his hand clasped in Julianna’s. "I...I overheard Grandma talking to Jerry about it last night."

He looked at his grandmother, who sat with her mouth open.

"I’m sorry, Grandma. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop on your conversation, but when I heard Jason’s name, I had to know what was going on."

"That was a private conversation," Bobbie scolded her grandson. "You had no business listening in on it."

"I know, but you both know how many unanswered questions I’ve had that only Jason could answer."

"And I told him not to see you!" Bobbie exclaimed.

Tony stood from the couch and ran a hand through his hair. "Like Jason ever listens to what other people tell him."

Michael stood, too. "He better have listened to me because I told him I never wanted to see him again. I meant it, too. I really think he’s flipped out."

"He has, son," Tony said, placing a hand on Michael’s shoulder. "Why do you think we were trying to protect you from seeing him?"

"It doesn’t matter," Michael said. "Mentally unstable or not, he said some pretty cruel things. I told him never to contact me again. He wouldn’t give me what I needed, but he wanted to defend Sonny and my mother to me. You should have heard him. He even went after Julianna."

"You were there, too?" Bobbie asked.

Julianna nodded. "I wanted to be there for Michael, but I had a few things I wanted to say to Jason, too."

Bobbie rose from the sofa and stood next to Tony.

"Michael, I wish you would have told us what you planned to do."

"I couldn’t. You guys would’ve stopped me. I had to do this, Grandma. I wish you could understand that."

"I do," Bobbie said, brushing the hair away from Michael’s eyes. "But what I’m concerned about is the effect this visit is going to have on you."

"I’m fine," he insisted.

"Are you?" Bobbie questioned. "Really?"

"Yes."

"Unfortunately," Tony said, "only time will tell. Your grandmother was just telling me that the nightmares have started to cease."

"They have."

"And you don’t think this visit will cause them to return?" Bobbie asked, not convinced her grandson had thought through the consequences of his visit.

"I’ll make sure they don’t," he said, with more bravado than he felt.

Tony gave his son a sad smile. "You can’t control your dreams, son."

"But I don’t want you guys to start sedating me again," Michael said, his brown eyes darting wildly from Bobbie to Tony.

"We hope we won’t have to," Bobbie said. "When’s your next counseling session?"

"Tomorrow."

"You’re going to tell the counselor about this visit," Tony said.

"Okay," he agreed.

"And we’re going to monitor you," Bobbie said.

"Starting tonight," Tony added. "So why don’t you plan to sleep here?"

"All right," he said, knowing he didn’t have any choice. "I’ll stay here."

"Michael," Bobbie said, lovingly embracing her grandson, "we know what you were trying to do. We’re just concerned that you never stopped to consider how much seeing Jason might end up costing you."