Dusty woke up to the phone ringing. He slapped around on the nightstand until his hand found it. He lay back flat on his pillow and mumbled a groggy hello.
“Dusty. Help me.”
He bolted upright. “Courtney?” He turned to his right. He was surprised to find Kaityln there. Wasn’t she with Courtney? Confused, he asked, “What is it?”
“It’s time. Dean isn’t due home until this afternoon.”
“Dean? It’s time?” he repeated, still not sure what was going on.
There was banging on the front door. “This isn’t funny, Dustin Charles. I don’t have my key on me. Open up the damn door.”
“You’re outside?”
“Hurry up. I’m freezing!”
He shot out of bed. Kaitlyn sat up and asked, “Who was on the phone?”
“Courtney.”
She was suddenly alert. “It’s time?”
“So she says,” he answered, still unsure as to what that meant. “She’s here.”
“Ohmygod.” Katie rushed passed him. Dusty hurried behind her. They’d almost reached the door when they heard a scream. Hurrying past Katie now, Dusty moved her aside and opened the door. Courtney stood there in a nightshirt, no pants, snow boots and a winter coat. There was a puddle under her.
“Shit. My water just broke.”
Dusty smiled as he reached for her hand. “Come in and sit. I’ll go get the car warmed up and take you in.”
“I’ll call Mrs. Nelson to come stay with the kids,” Katie said as she hurried to the phone.
As Dusty paced the maternity waiting room, he tried to piece together what happened. His last stunt must have worked. Dean and Courtney stayed together! Dean came flying through the door an hour after they arrived. “Am I too late?”
“Not yet, buddy. Get in there!” Dean flew through the double doors that Dusty pointed to. Dusty saw a nurse escort him to the room. The birth was probably too close to suit him up in scrubs. Part of Dusty wished he could go in, but mostly he was glad he couldn’t. Getting Katie through her delivery of Alyson in the car was one thing; that had happened too fast to even think. They had Alexander in the hospital; Katie had called him every name in the book and a few she’d invented. He was certain their baby-making days were over.
He was about to go back to the chairs when he saw a nurse walking out of the room. “Talk about good timing,” he said to himself, thinking it was over and Dean just made it in time. When he saw an orderly carrying Katie out, he rushed through the door.
“What happened?”
“Her nose started to bleed and she passed out.”
“No!” cried Dusty as he caught up. He wanted to take her from the orderly, but he assured Dusty he had her. The next birthing room was available so they went in there.
“Has this happened before?” the nurse asked.
“Years ago. They never found the cause and figured it was a fluke.” He took one of her hands in his and gently stroked her face with the other. “Babe? You okay?”
The nurse slipped an oxygen mask on her. “I’m going to get the doc. He may want to start an IV.”
“Do whatever you need to,” Dusty said in a rush. It finally occurred to him, he did this to her. Was she getting a flood of the new memories he just gave her? Why wasn’t it happening to him instead?
Katie’s eyes opened slowly. A tear began to run down her cheek.
The nurse stopped. “You okay, honey?”
“I think so.”
“I’m going to get the doc anyway. Be back in a flash.”
After the nurse left, Dusty pressed his lips to Katie’s forehead. “I’m so sorry, babe. Are you hurting?” She shook her head no and he stood upright again.
“You’re a bastard,” she said, softly. “Why didn’t you tell me you went back?”
“I just got back to ‘now’ this morning. It’s not like Courtney gave me a chance to tell you.”
Katie winced. “I love you. You saved her.”
He grinned wide. “Tit for tat, doll face. I owed you one. Did you see it all?”
“I think so. I can’t believe I fell for a fumbling, mumbling goon.”
“It would seem I have a gift when it comes to winning you over. You’re a sucker, sugar. I wonder if I’ll get to catch up on all the memories of them living next door.”
“I could punch you in the nose and see if that starts it.”
“Punch away.”
She managed a smile. “Did you at least give Frank my love?”
“For what? That geezer didn’t do shit for me besides leave me stranded in our past and send me to a different future for no reason.”
“I beg to differ.”
The two of them turned around to the sound of the familiar voice.
“You two will never figure it out, will you?”
“Frank!” Katie said with excitement. She wanted to get up but Dusty held her down.
“Give yourself a minute, baby.” He turned back to Frank. “What do you mean by that?”
“First of all, you had to repeat what Katie went through. All of it. All or nothing, you punk ass kid. I do believe you said you’d plant your lips on my wrinkly ass if this turned out. Pucker up.”
Dusty rolled his eyes. “Why did I have to relive Alyson’s birth?”
“I was sick of you beating yourself up for choosing the route you did. You couldn’t have changed anything, and it wasn’t worth fretting over. She’s happy, healthy, and perfect. I’ve also come to realize my kids are my proudest moments, and I didn’t mind seeing that again as much as I thought.”
“So you were there that night. Wait. Your kids?”
Frank removed his glasses, then a toupee, and then finally his moustache. Dusty and Kaitlyn were frozen in shock with the face that looked back at them. “I had to find out beyond a doubt that Katie wanted to relive those years. I was feeling that I’d been selfish. I guess this proved it once and for all.”
“You’re….” Again, Dusty couldn’t find his words.
“Yes. You, you jackass.” He smiled and moseyed over to Katie. “How you doin’, cupcake?”
“I can’t believe I didn’t know it was you.”
“You were a little preoccupied with the pickle you were in.” He bent down and kissed her cheek.
Katie laughed. “You never said that our whole lives. Why do you say it now?”
“I got it from Alyson. Funny how that works, isn’t it?” He winked at her and turned to the younger Dusty. “Don’t make me come back again. I have great-grandchildren to occupy.” Again he returned his attention to Katie. “When you’re thirty-seven and I forget our anniversary, go easy on me, okay?” He gave Dusty a salute and walked out the door. Before Dusty could run after himself, the nurse and doctor rushed into the room. He wanted to stay at Katie’s side more than kick the crap out of himself.
A quick exam showed she was fine. The doctor wanted to do a CT scan, but Katie assured him it wasn’t necessary and refused.
“Just lie here until you feel better,” the doctor said before they left.
Dean walked into the room. “You all right, Katie? I was worried sick but it was too close to leave Court alone.”
“I’m fine. Just too much excitement, I think. Well?”
“It’s a girl!”
Dusty helped Katie sit up. Dean walked over and gave her a strong hug.
“How’s our little mama doing?” Dusty asked.
“Doing great. Hey, Dust. Was that your grandpa leaving here? Dude looked just like you.”
Before he could answer, Dusty’s nose began to bleed. Katie hollered his name and rushed to his side. Dean took his arm and helped him into a chair. He leaned his head back as Katie reached for the box of tissues. Dusty held one hand to his nose and another to his pounding forehead. “Goddammit, Katie. This shit hurts.”
She gave his shoulder a squeeze. “Like a sonofabitch.”
He dropped his head between his knees, for fear he was going to black out.
“What is going on with you two?” Dean asked. “I know you’re not doing drugs. You rode Court and me like mad until we quit pot altogether. There’s no way you’re snorting anything.”
“It’s just a sympathy nosebleed for you, buddy. How many names did Court call you?”
“Sixteen and a few that made me want to check for a 666 tattoo on the back of her head. You sure you’re all right?”
Dusty still held his head between his legs. “I’m fine. Go to your wife. We’ll be in after a minute.”
Dean turned to Katie. She nodded for him to go as she rubbed the base of Dusty’s neck. “It’ll just be another minute.”
“Fuck me,” Dusty mumbled.
“Later.” She leaned down and kissed where she was rubbing, then continued with her massage. “Learning much?”
“Just that we’ve gotten to keep our best friends next door to us almost our whole married lives.”
“We got to go to Hawaii again for their wedding, too.”
“I see that. I also see we have a time share now.”
“That was you and Dean, not me, my love.”
“Yeah. I’m getting a woody here reliving the ‘thank you’ you gave me.”
She leaned his head back and kissed his lips under the tissue. “Let’s see the baby and say bye to Court and go home and get the kids.”
“Let’s leave them at Mrs. Nelson’s for another hour.”
Katie laughed. “We really shouldn’t keep abusing her for sex time.”
“Like she or they care.”
“True enough.” She sat on his lap and ran her fingers through his hair.
“What are you doing?”
“Did you see yourself? I need to run my fingers through your hair while I can.”
He gave her a kiss. “I bet you’re still as gorgeous as you are today.”
“Sweet talker.” She kissed him again. “I wonder where you came up with that name.”
“Frank Collins? I don’t have the foggiest idea.”
She stood. “Come on, I want to see Court and the baby. You okay?”
He took the tissue away. The nosebleed had stopped. “I suppose so.” He stood. “Oh. When your client with Felecia moves, we have to adopt her.” Katie stared into his eyes. “I didn’t get that memory. What did you do?”
“I’ll fill you in later.”
They walked hand in hand to the door. Dusty stopped at the baby pictures that lined the wall. “Was this your birthing room for Alex?”
Katie looked around. “I’m not sure. Looks the same as the one Court’s in. Why?”
He pointed to one of the pictures. “The only baby with his arms sticking straight over his head is kind of hard to miss.”
Katie squealed as she touched the picture. “I always wondered if I carried him funny and that’s why he does that.” She gasped and cupped her hand over her mouth.
“What’s wrong, babe?” She pointed to the pictures of the two children surrounding Alex.
“Well, that answers that,” Dusty said as he held Katie by the waist and led her out of the room. Under each child was their first name only. To the left of Alex was Frank and to the right was Collin.