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Sophia climbed inside happily, sitting in the child’s car seat I requested, her two toys still gripped tightly in her hands. While Kate buckled her in, I helped the assistant with the luggage, and then after I tipped him, I hopped inside and took the seat next to Kate.
“Where to, Sir?” George asked from the front over a speaker.
“Can you take us to this address,” I said, and handed a slip of paper with the address to Ethan and Elaine’s townhouse in Brooklyn. “We’re staying in Manhattan so you can drop us off after we get them settled in.”
“Will do.” George opened the window between the front seat and the rear, and accepted the slip of paper I handed him. He looked at it, then entered the address into his GPS.
I glanced at everyone. “Are we all ready?”
“Ready!” Sophia said, her eyes wide.
“Ready as we’ll ever be,” Ethan said, half a smile on his face. I had the sense he was tired of being sick and the only bright spot in his life was Sophie. Maybe he’d be moving back in with us sooner than we imagined…
We drove through Queens to Brooklyn and arrived at the townhouse that Ethan had purchased before moving out to California with us. While George brought up the luggage, Elaine, Kate and I helped get Ethan up the stairs to the main floor of the townhouse, with Sophie trailing behind us. We had to make it up the second set of stairs to the floor where the master bedroom was located.
Cleaners had been in the previous day to make sure everything was tidy, and the bed was freshly made and waiting for Ethan. Across from him was a huge flatscreen, and there was a portable desk he could wheel over in case he wanted to use his computer or read a newspaper. Once Ethan was sitting up comfortably in bed, Elaine got his oxygen set up, and he changed from his portable oxygen to the permanent setup beside his bed.
“Well, I’m back.”
He sighed, exhausted from the effort, and closed his eyes, leaning back against the pillows that Elaine had propped up behind him.
“You want to watch the TV?”
He nodded. “News,” was all he managed.
Elaine switched on the flatscreen and turned to a continuous news network, placing the channel changer by his hand. “You rest. I’ll order in some lunch for us in a while.”
He nodded but didn’t open his eyes. “Thanks for everything, Drake, Kate. Sophie. Don’t be strangers.”
“We won’t. Rest,” I said. “We’ll see you soon.”
“Yes, Daddy. We’ll come by soon for a visit.”
Sophie climbed onto the bed and gave Ethan a kiss on the cheek, which he opened his eyes for. Kate bent over and gave him one as well. I knew she would be feeling out of sorts without Ethan living with us, but she knew Ethan wanted us to enjoy our brief stay at 8thAvenue before moving into a more permanent home.
I squeezed Elaine’s arm affectionately and then Kate, Sophie and I went back down to the waiting limo.
Once we were all loaded back into the limo, George took us across the Brooklyn Bridge and through Manhattan to the apartment on 8thAvenue.
As we drove, I thought about the man I saw that day, and wondered whether I was being a big idiot. Over-cautious because of our return to Manhattan.
I shivered, then shook my head. I had a great security team watching us, either way.
As we drove up 8thAvenue, Kate squeezed my hand and smiled. I knew she was excited to see the old apartment — so many wonderful memories for us both there.
“I can’t believe we’re back,” she said when we pulled up to the curb outside the building.
Sophie craned her neck to see outside. “Is this our house?”
“It is, Sweetheart,” I said and pointed while George got out and opened the door for us. “It was Grandpa Liam’s apartment and then it was mine. One day, it might be yours.”
“It’s pretty.”
I glanced at the front of the building. It did look nice. Red brick, with ivy growing up one side. A set of wide white steps leading to the front door. Multi paned windows on the main floor, second and top floor. Ornate flower boxes in front of every window.
I loved it there…
So many memories. Memories of my father. Of my early days with Kate. Of Sophie as a baby.
