Nerds pocket pets, p.7
Nerd's Pocket Pets, page 7
Maybe that’s what led her to pediatrics. She could touch the kids in comfort and offer them a helping hand. Something she couldn’t remember receiving as a child. But the advent of Bree and other friends helped draw her out of her shell.
Once out, she realized she liked the sunshine on her face. And laughter. She needed and could provide love. That’s when she met her pets.
Smiling at Sir Socks, she ran a finger over his head. The lizard accepted her attention as his due. She tucked Spike into one of her pockets, because he would need to be taken out from time to time, but the rest of her menagerie could remain home today.
“You guys catch up on some sleep, okay?” Zodak, her cat, even purred a bit, before her feline eyes slid shut. Masie, the bunny, hopped around the cage until she located Sylvie, the white mouse, and the pair curled up together and followed orders. Gusset, a chipmunk, scurried around them until he found the perfect spot to sleep and that quickly dropped off. Germin, the guinea pig, stuck his nose out of a tube and upon seeing his cage mates settled, joined their huddle. He emitted a few squeaks before his eyes also closed.
Ribble, the frog, chirped, but Shelby didn’t see him. He and Sir Socks shared an aquarium. They had each other as company, and seemed to enjoy the companionship. None of her animals were normal, so Shelby saw no reason to follow the usual rules. They all seemed to like each other and since each wasn’t much bigger than Sylvie the mouse, they all got along quite well.
Spike wiggled and her dad scooped him out of her pocket. Her dog cuddled up to him and sighed. His little tail wagged in ecstasy when her sire petted him.
“He’s such a little dog.”
“Yes, he is. The kids love him.” Shelby added her petting to her father’s.
“Does Sam know about your zoo?”
“No.”
A dark eyebrow rose. “Shouldn’t he?”
Shelby thought about it for a moment. “No.” She punctuated her answer with a shake of her head.
“I see. I doubt you’ll fool him for long.”
“Why?”
“Sam Welby is one of the smartest men I know. He was our planner until he retired. Very capable, very accurate, and a very methodical thinker.”
“I’ll take my chances,” Shelby decided, and reclaimed Spike. She slid him back into her pocket before a thought occurred to her. “Dad, will Spike get squished in my pocket?”
“We’d better ask your mother.”
As soon as they arrived at her house a few minutes later, Shelby did so.
“Yes, it’s likely he will, you better give him to me.” Her mom held out her hands for the dog. Rocky, her dad’s dog, bounced around their ankles.
“Rocky, do you want to meet Spike?” her mom asked her.
“You seem to know Rocky well, Mom,” Shelby commented.
“Of course I know her, sweetling. I kept her for your dad the entire time he was in Kuwait.”
“You were in Kuwait?” Shelby turned astounded eyes on her father.
He nodded. “I was. Actually, I know several of the Morrisons who will be there today. I was in charge of a combined Navy and Marine base during both my tours. Mitch Monahan, a Marine married to one of the Morrisons was stationed at the first one. After that I met KC Gilmore-Morrison at the second. She’s a surgeon. Janine Morris, another surgeon, was stationed with KC and we discovered she is Ben’s sister,” he explained.
“Didn’t Janine and KC sleep side by side?” Her mother asked.
“I don’t know, love, I never ventured into the women’s quarters.” A smile tugged at his lips. Both Shelby and Emma swatted him and he laughed, even as he dodged them.
Spike barked and Rocky’s tail wagged.
Shelby took Spike back and then held him near Rocky. The bigger dog licked the tiny Chihuahua. “I think Rocky likes him.”
“Looks that way. I wonder if she thinks he’s one of her puppies?”
“Spike is probably older than she is, so that’s going to be hard, isn’t it, buddy?” she asked her dog. His tail flapped.
Laughing, Shelby handed him back to her mother, who cuddled him and then slipped him into a pocket.
“Are you sure you’re okay with holding onto Spike, Mom?” Shelby thought she shouldn’t worry, but she did anyway.
“I’m less likely to be squeezed...” her mom frowned. “No, I’ll probably be hugged, too.”
She handed Spike back to Shelby. Shelby looped a bag over her chest and around a shoulder and settled Spike in there. He preferred one of her pockets, but would have to make do with the shoulder bag. This way he rested on a hip, and would be less likely to be crushed.
“If you make people aware he’s in there, everyone will be careful,” her mom said.
Shelby nodded. Spike wiggled a bit in the bag, and then she felt him settle down. Patting the little body, she took a deep breath and followed her parents out the door. She was about to meet a bunch of relatives she’d never guessed existed. Finding Emma and Rich had been more than she ever hoped for.
But now she had Ben and Treeny, and from the sound of it, Ben’s sister, and her friend, who was married to a Morrison. Hoping her ability to remember names and faces held true today, Shelby settled into the back of her mom’s car. Her dad took the wheel and started the engine.
Here goes nothing, Shelby thought.
For some reason, she wished Sam could be with her today. He helped to calm and ground her. And she could joke with him to relieve some of the threatening stress. Sometimes she thought it might be nice to crawl into one of his pockets and forget about life for a while. Like now.
Calm down, a voice in her head stated. These are your family. They won’t bite you. Swallowing, Shelby hoped that was true.
When they entered the family room at her older brother’s house, Emma stopped and stared. Pink, green, blue, and yellow balloons bobbed from every surface, and streamers of the same colors crisscrossed the ceiling. Smiling, glowing faces greeted them as she, Shelby, and Rich stopped in the doorway.
“Surprise!” everyone yelled and Emma, startled, even though she knew what was planned, figured she probably displayed all the elements of surprise.
She felt Shelby stiffen slightly, and wrapped an arm around her daughter’s waist. Emma felt Rich do the same on their daughter’s other side and she smiled at him. He winked back at her. They took a step into the room, and Melody, her sister-in-law, thick dark hair liberally streaked with gray and clear blue eyes, gestured for them to step to the front of the room.
Emma saw a small raised platform, and three chairs. Melody stood on the platform and held a microphone.
“Welcome, everyone. I know some of you only just made it here before our guests of honor. We’re pretty excited since we actually planned this party without Emma’s help. This is probably the first time ever in history.” She stopped speaking when the room erupted into laughter.
Emma grinned.
“As you know,” Melody continued when the laughter died down, “Emma has kept a secret from all of us for over thirty years,” Melody turned to scowl at her, and Emma smiled, “but we’re grateful to learn she gave birth to a daughter thirty years ago.”
A hush settled over the room and Emma looked out over the crowd, seeing faces she loved. Knowing they would welcome her daughter and Rich with open arms. Hoping this pair she loved so much would relax and enjoy and accept the love they were about to receive. She winced. About to be overwhelmed by she mentally corrected.
Melody leaned down and took Shelby’s hand. She tugged Shelby up onto the platform and gestured for Emma to follow. Emma had taken Rich’s hand, so she tugged him with her.
They moved behind Shelby as Melody slid an arm around the obviously overwhelmed young woman. Emma placed her hand on her daughter’s back, and saw Rich do the same.
“I’d like to introduce Shelby Conway, Emma’s daughter,” Melody said, but Ben sauntered up to the platform, and grinning at Rich, handed his grandmother a slip of paper.
Melody unfolded the paper, read the contents and laughed. “I have here,” she waved the paper, “a message from my grandson, Ben and some other Morrisons in the room. Ben, Janine, Mitch, and KC all would like you to know that Shelby’s father, Admiral Richard O’Riley, has been their boss at some point or another. KC watched the First Annual Bent Rock Foundation video with Admiral O’Riley, while Mitch informed the admiral that his dog was in safe keeping in the hands of a Morrison. The same family who kept Mitch’s dog.”
Melody took a breath and grinned. “Ben still calls Admiral O’Riley boss, and thinks it’s funny, I’m sure, that his cousin was sired by his boss.”
Laughter skittered around the room as Melody took another breath. Emma squeezed Rich’s hand and saw him subtly roll his eyes. She grinned at him. So thankful he was here with her and their daughter. Emma couldn’t imagine being happier.
“Now, back to Ben’s cousin. Shelby Conway, daughter of Emma, known affectionately as General Emma to many of us,” again laughter traveled in waves through the room, “and Admiral O’Riley. Shelby is a physician assistant, working in the field of pediatric oncology with a doctor many of you know. She assists Ben’s SEAL swim buddy, Sam Welby.”
While everyone digested all that information, Emma stepped forward and gestured to her sister-in-law for the microphone. Melody handed it over, and Emma smiled.
“As this isn’t an unusual position for me, I see many of you indicating you’re ready to run. And rightfully so because I am here to ask something of you,” Emma said and tears welled in her eyes. Rich’s arm slipped around her waist and she drew strength from his simple embrace. She turned to stare at her beautiful daughter.
“As you can see, Shelby is a wonderful combination of both Rich and I. She’s beautiful, and smart, and absolutely wonderful. And she’s already told her father she wants to be like me when she grows up,” Emma said, expecting, even anticipating the groans, rumbles of laughter, and mock denials from her family.
“I think that’s an excellent goal, personally,” she continued amid more familial laughter, “But Shelby might not make it to her next birthday. She sought me out on her doctor’s advice. Not knowing what to expect from her birth family, she was afraid to search for us.
“Now that she has, I think she’s quite overwhelmed by all of us. So, be gentle with her. But this is a great place to ask, with you all assembled, so I can offer you the facts and we can answer questions for you.
“Shelby, our beautiful, amazing daughter, has cancer. Leukemia. Her cancer is not aggressive yet, and her doctor feels they have a medicine that will help her,” Emma held up her hand when murmurs broke out around the room, “but if it does not, she’ll need a bone marrow transplant.
Seeing the resolve in her family’s eyes, before she even asked, made Emma nearly place her head on Rich’s shoulder and weep. Swallowing, she tried to contain her emotions. Shelby’s life was at stake and she wasn’t losing her beloved, wonderful daughter again. Not now that her child was finally in her life.
“We need to find a donor for Shelby. Her doctor said that family would probably provide the best match. And,” she said, looking out over the crowd, “we’re all family. You are not obligated to be tested or to give. We’re simply asking for a few of you who feel you’d like to help. If you can. Her father and I both intend to be tested.” Emma heard Shelby gasp. She turned and took Shelby’s hand. “Obviously, now that we’ve found her, we’re going to do everything in our power to keep her with us.”
Melody took the microphone back when Emma faltered, her emotions pressing so hard, she had to fight to bring herself back under control. Rich tugged her close, and pulled Shelby into his other side. Shelby took her free hand and they stood, both their heads against his shoulders, their hands interlocked. Emma hoped it meant they would continue such solidarity. That they’d fight this cancer until it was gone.
“Emma always steals the show, doesn’t she?” Melody said and Emma smiled through her tears at her adored sister-in-law. “I’m glad she told us about Shelby’s condition, though, because now we’ll rally around and help.
“This party was designed to welcome our newest member into the family,” Melody turned to Shelby, “Honey, you couldn’t be more welcomed or loved. We’re so happy to have you as part of our family and since we’ve found you, we intend to keep you.”
Many shouts of welcome and clapping greeted them, and Emma couldn’t stop fresh tears. Shelby moved away from them and took the microphone. Emma could hear the moisture in her voice when she spoke.
“I’ve never had a real family before,” and her voice echoed with a delicate, sweet southern accent, “but it’s always been my greatest wish. Every birthday, I used to wish for a real family. Whenever I threw coins into a wishing well, or saw a rainbow, I made the same wish,” Shelby paused and took a deep breath. “I guess someone was listening, because I never thought I’d ever have faces that look so much like mine, or have a bunch of people who don’t know me, but already love me. Thank you,” she whispered.
Emma looked around and saw tears in many eyes.
Before handing back the mic, Shelby unzipped the bag at her hip. “Just so many of you know, since I intend to hug all of you – I did bring one of my pets with me. His name is Spike, and he’s easy to smush, so if you all know in advance,” Shelby tugged her miniature dog from the bag. “Here he is. He’s shy at first, but warms up to people fast. He loves attention, so if you want a better look at him, just ask. And remind me of him if I hug you too tight.”
A gasp went up as everyone saw how small Spike was and Emma heard the collective whispers of the children. Spike would be well entertained, Emma decided with a smile.
Shelby stepped from the platform then, and disappeared as those nearest grabbed her. Emma turned back to Rich, who enfolded her close before they were also lost in the midst of her family. Hugging Lainy and Mitch, Emma reflected how she always wanted a daughter like Lainy, and now she had her. Shelby and Lainy, she hoped, would become fast friends.
She bumped into Janine, and squeezed her so tight, her niece started to laugh. “Hello, Aunt Emma,” Janine said, her rich island accent a bit more noticeable than usual, “congratulations on your daughter.” Here was another woman she loved, in only the short amount of time Janine had been a part of the family.
“Thank you, sweetling. Where’s your mother? She’s probably dying to find me so we can share stories on gaining our beautiful daughters.”
Janine nodded. “I’m sure she’ll want to speak to you.” Janine pointed out the spot where her mother stood holding a grandchild.
“My Shelby will want to meet you, too.” Emma held tight to Janine’s hand.
“I’m excited to meet her,” Janine said sincerely, and Emma squeezed her newest niece again, just because she could.
Emma moved through the crowd, and somehow managed to kidnap Macy. When she bumped into Shelby, her daughter’s eyes went wide. “Where did you find her?” And reached for her and since it was Shelby stealing the baby, Emma allowed her daughter to take the little girl.
“She’s my nephew Max, and his wife, KC’s little one.”
“KC? Did Dad boss her around?”
“Well, sort of,” KC’s voice said near them.
Turning, Emma took Shelby’s elbow. “Love, this is KC Gilmore Morrison. She was in the Navy as a reserve. And got to play doctor in Kuwait for eight months.”
KC hugged her, and Emma smiled. Another lady, like Lainy and Janine whom Emma wanted as a daughter. “You’re a surgeon and had to go to Kuwait?” Shelby bounced Macy like a professional. Which, upon reflection, Emma realized she was.
“Yes, I did. It’s because of my whining that the Bent Rock Foundation was created.” KC rolled her eyes but her smile was sweet.
“You didn’t whine, love,” Emma corrected her.
Sighing, KC sent her a look. “What would you call it then?”
“KC lost a Marine, who was married with three children in her first week over there. She sent her business partner, my nephew, Max Morrison, who is now her husband and father of the little one in your arms, an email—”
“I’d lost this man, who had a wife and children, and all I could think about was them. What would they do? We’re so helpless against death anyway, which you know, since you’re in the profession.” Shelby nodded and continued rocking Macy.
“So I wrote Max, who never fails to cheer me up, and take care of me, this email. It had to sound all doom and gloomy. He said he sat back and thought about what to do,” KC paused and grinned with pride. “Max is a genius, so he thought about it, then called General Emma.” KC’s huge grin, directed as it was to her, bespoke of how much the Bent Rock Foundation meant to her.
“And the Bent Rock Foundation was formed. What is it exactly?” Shelby asked. Emma’s heart tripped a beat. They’d forgotten to tell Shelby about the foundation.
KC laughed and left her answer. “The Bent Rock Foundation, named after Mitch Monahan’s dog, Bentley, who Max’s sister took in while Mitch was in Kuwait—”
“They married about four months after he returned home,” KC interrupted to say.
“Yes, they’re married, but Bentley is Mitch’s dog and Rocky, your dad’s dog, stayed with me. Well, they fell in love,” Emma said, hearing the dryness in her voice.
“Fell in love, definitely,” Lainy said over her shoulder. Emma could tell by the way she interacted with Shelby that the two young women had introduced themselves.
“Lainy and I couldn’t keep them apart, so they had puppies. We kept getting offers, outrageous amounts of money for them, because people knew they were the product of two dogs with owners overseas in the war.”
“We decided—” Emma said, but Lainy snorted and rolled her eyes.
