Page 56 of Reclaimed Dreams

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I see the way Jake watches you when you're not looking. And I see the way a phone call makes you beam. Be careful, baby. Working with the person you love is complicated and hard. I don't want you to compromise your dreams like I did."

"Ma, you are way ahead of me. No one said anything about love or marriage. Hell, we've only shared one kiss. There's no chance of anything there."

"Just be careful. You are too much like your father to react well to someone trying to run your life."

"Like I'd ever let that happen. You don't have to worry, Ma." Frankie leaned over and pressed a kiss to her mother's cheek.

"Whatever you say, baby."

Oh, to be young and think she knew everything again! Growing old and realizing how little you actually understood was the worst. She knew she had to let Frankie make her own mistakes, and she sincerely hoped that Jake didn’t turn out to be one. Hopefully, she could help them avoid some of the pitfalls she’d stumbled right into. She might not have a classroom, but she was still a teacher at heart.

Later, when Jake arrived and Frankie jumped up to greet him, Jo suppressed a smile and gave them a moment before she cleared her throat, breaking the tension she could practically see dancing between them.

Frankie sat down and Jake took the seat next to her.

“Is everything okay on set?” Jo asked while Frankie went oddly silent.

“Yes, everything is rolling right along, and we’re hoping to finish up Adrian and Sofia’s new place while they’re here.”

“Oh, isn’t that a sweet idea!”

“Frankie thought of it.”

“That’s my girl.”

Frankie still hadn’t joined the conversation, and Jo could see she was distracted.

"I'm just going to duck in and see how we're doing. If Dom comes back with my coffee, send him in."

"Sure, Ma."

That was the last she saw of her daughter for eight hours. When she’d arrived in the birthing suite, Sofia had been in transition, her contractions coming one on top of the other. It had taken both Adrian and Jo holding Fi’s hands to help her breathe through them. They had waited for full dilation, and after only two hours of active pushing, her grandson had joined them with a loud wail.

Laughter and tears welcomed him into the world, and while Sofia cuddled her son to her bare chest and the nursing staff happily bustled around the room putting things to rights, Adrian came up behind Jo and gave her a hug.

“We did it.”

“We sure did. Good work, Daddy.”

“Good work, Nana.” He squeezed her one more time before perching on the edge of the bed, his eyes full of love for his wife and son.

Jo felt tears welling in her eyes and left the room to give the young family some time alone. She made her way back to the waiting room, caught up in memories of her own birth stories. She did not miss that Frankie was wrapped up in Jake, fast asleep. She’d blinked, and her babies were grown! It still had the power to shock her.

She leaned over and brushed the hair back from Frankie’s cheek.

"He's here," she whispered, and then repeated at full volume to rouse her daughter.

"Who's here?" Frankie jerked her head up and looked around the waiting room, trying to get her bearings.

"The baby!"

"It's a boy?"

Jo nodded with tears in her eyes. "Enzo and Natalie are on their way. Mrs. Félice is going to take Daisy to school. You'll all get to go in together to meet him."

Dom walked back into the waiting room and wrapped Jo up in a big hug. She leaned into his embrace and let the tears fall. This family they’d made, this legacy still stood strong. Today was for joy.

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