by Mary Tribbey
Chapter 11
Anne was very happy, but restless that evening. About 10 pm, she went to bed. About midnight, she awoke with severe cramping. When she got up to go to the bathroom, she looked down and saw she was sopping wet. Her water had broken. Quickly she woke John.
”John, get up. It’s time. Call the doctor and tell him my water broke and my contractions are getting stronger and faster. Call Luigi and Lori and see if they can come over and watch over Bryan and check on Marco in the morning.”
John quickly pulled on his clothes, made the phone calls, and got Anne’s suitcase. By the time he was ready to leave, Luigi and Lori were at the door. Lori walked with Anne down to the car and then returned to Marco’s suite. John got in and drove Anne to the hospital. When they arrived, Anne was hurried into a delivery room.
The doctor on call checked Anne and noted the babies were in position to deliver and Anne was fully dilated. When Dr. Jenkins hurried in, he said, “I told you they were about ready to make an appearance. Looks like I made it just in time. The big question now is who’s going to appear first.”
John stood by Anne’s side. He coached her breathing and held her hand. He looked at her and felt like he was about to explode with joy and love. Anne began contracting and pushed hard. She strained and pushed again. A patch of brown hair began to appear. She pushed a few more times and the first baby slid out of the birth canal. Dr. Jenkins lifted the baby and handed it to the nurse who began cleaning the mouth and nostrils.
“It’s a boy,” Dr. Jenkins announced. Soon a loud cry was heard. The nurse checked him over and quickly cleaned him and wrapped him in a blanket and put a blue cap on his head. She walked over and held him up for Anne and John to see. He had a full head of brown hair. He weighed in at 5 lbs., 3 oz. and was 19 inches long.
A few minutes later, the contractions began again. Although Anne was tired, she began pushing again. Anne pushed again and again. Soon the second baby, a little girl with light brown hair, emerged into the light of the delivery room. She cried even before the doctor had time to hand her off to the waiting nurse. She was checked, cleaned, wrapped in a pink blanket and given a pink cap to wear. She was weighed and measured. She was a little smaller, weighing in at 4 lbs., 15 oz. and was 18 inches long.
After the doctor finished attending to Anne, the nurses brought the two babies over and laid them in Anne’s arms. She looked at each of them, then she smiled up at John. John looked down at Anne and the twins and tears rolled down his cheeks. He leaned over and kissed Anne tenderly. He smiled and said, “You did it, Anne. They are both beautiful, just like you! You are so wonderful. I love you, and I am so lucky to have a beautiful loving wife and a baby son and a baby daughter, and a new son. Now Bryan has a new brother and sister. Thank you, Anne. Thank you God, and you, too, Dr. Jenkins.”
Very carefully, he picked up the little girl. He cradled her in his arm, being careful to support her head. He looked at Anne with tears in his eyes. He gently kissed his daughter and held her close. He gazed at her in wonder and seemed to be trying to memorize everything about her. He gently put her back in Anne’s arm and picked up his son. The baby yawned and looked up at his face. He held him and examined his tiny hand. The baby wrapped his hand around John’s finger.
“He’s got quite a grip for such a little guy. Maybe Marco will be an athlete. I can’t believe how tiny and perfect they both are,” John marveled.
Anne watched John holding the babies. “You are going to be such a wonderful father. I love you so much, John.” John bent over and kissed her again.
“We’ll have our hands full now, but I can’t wait to get them home so we can start our lives together. Thanks for taking such good care of them all these months while they were growing inside you. I wonder what Bryan will think of his baby brother and sister. Now we can take care of them together,” John said happily.
Anne said, “Please call Lori and Luigi and tell them the babies are here and we are all well. If Marco is awake, they can tell him. If not, I’ll tell him tomorrow. Be sure and tell Bryan when he wakes up. If everything checks out with the twins and me, we will be coming home in the afternoon.”
Anne was taken to her room and soon fell asleep. John walked over to the nursery and looked at the twins sleeping together. He stopped and said a prayer of thanksgiving for their safe delivery and for Anne’s love. He checked back in with Anne. He left her and went back to the resort. The next day, he returned to bring his new family home. He brought Bryan with him. They installed two baby car seats in Anne’s car and drove over to the hospital. Bryan and John walked into Anne’s room. She was sitting up nursing Marco. John looked at the peace and contentment on her face, and he smiled at her. When she finished feeding and burping Marco, John took him and walked over to Bryan. While Anne fed her daughter, John carefully handed Bryan his baby brother Marco. Bryan looked at him and laughed. “He’s so small. Look at those eyes. He’s looking at me. I wonder what he’ll think about having a big brother?” he asked.
“I’m sure he is going to love you, just like we already do. That’s what families do; they love each other,” John said proudly.
Later, he took Marco back to Anne and carried the little girl over to show Bryan. She was sleepy and made little cooing noises. When Bryan held her, she opened her eyes and yawned. “Look, Dad,” Bryan said shyly, “her eyes are the same color as Mom’s eyes. I’m not sure whether they are blue or blue-green, but they are pretty just like hers.”
“That’s the first time you’ve called me Dad. Thanks, I like the way it sounds when you say it, Son. Are we all ready to go home, Anne?” he asked.
“We just need to sign the last papers, and then we can leave. I’m anxious to get them home. How is Marco today?” she asked finally.
“He was awake and smiling from ear to ear when I told him that you and the twins were all well. He is looking better than I’ve seen him in several days. He and Bryan spent the day together and were working on a puzzle when I got home with the good news. I know he is eager to see you and the babies,” John said.
When the nurse came in with the papers, they loaded the twins into the infant car carriers. Anne rode out in a wheelchair. John carried the twins in their carriers out to the car. Bryan proudly carried Anne’s suitcase and the flower arrangement Marco had sent her. When they got to the car, John carefully put the twins in their car seats. Bryan climbed in between them. He smiled proudly at Anne and John and put a protective hand on each car seat. John helped Anne from the wheelchair into the front seat. He leaned in and kissed her while he fastened her seatbelt. He mouthed the words “I love you” and she whispered them back.
John got in and drove his family away from the hospital. When they drove up to the front doors, they were greeted by most of the employees who were working that day. Anne was sore and tired, but she walked to the elevator. John carried one twin while Luigi carried the other. Bryan walked with Anne, holding her hand and carrying her suitcase. They got off the elevator and walked directly to Marco’s suite. He was dressed in a robe and was sitting on the leather sofa. Bryan helped Anne over to sit on the sofa next to Marco. She sat down gingerly and smiled at Marco. Marco’s smile clearly showed his feelings. He hugged her carefully, “Congratulations, my Sweet Angel. You are a beautiful mother. May I see the babies?” he asked timidly.
Anne smiled and said, “Silly question. You’re the first one I came to show them to. John and Luigi, please put the car carriers down by me. Anne unfastened the restraining strap and lifted the first baby up into her arms and held him so Marco could see the baby’s face. “Papa, I want you to meet Marco Robert Williamson. He was born ten minutes before his sister.” She held the baby out and placed him in Marco’s arms.
Marco looked down at the tiny face looking up at him. The baby yawned and closed his eyes. Marco laughed quietly, “Look, I put him to sleep. I guess
I’m not exciting enough for this young man. He is so handsome, Angel. I didn’t think I’d even be able to see him, but, look! I’m holding him! Little Marco, you be a good boy and mind your mother and father. They will take good care of you and love you. I know you will bring great joy into their lives. Bryan, you are such a wonderful boy. I trust you to be a good brother and help your mom and dad take care of him,” Marco said seriously.
Bryan said, “I will Marco. I promise I’ll be a good brother to both of the twins.”
Marco handed little Marco to John. Anne held the little girl up for Marco to see. “Marco, my dear one, I want you to meet our daughter Angela Sophia Williamson. I hope you don’t mind our borrowing those two special names. Whenever I speak to them or talk about them, I will remember you. This way you and both of your loved ones will always be with me. Angela is about half a pound smaller than Marco, but so far, she is noisier than her brother.” Anne carefully put Angela in Marco’s arms.
Marco stared in wonder at Angela’s tiny face, and he began crying softly. “Anne, I love her names. I didn’t expect that. My sweet Angela had darker skin and hair color, but she looked just as perfect to me as your Angela does to you. Her eyes are just like yours. This precious little girl is so much like her beautiful mother. I’ll warn you, John, she will charm you with those eyes and wrap you around her little finger. Bryan, this little girl will need a big brother to keep her safe. You have a kind heart and the intelligence to be a great brother. You are going to have such a wonderful family. I am so happy I got to see and hold them. Thank you, Anne, for everything you have done for me. I love you all, and I pray you will have a long, happy and healthy life together. John, love them all and protect them. Be thankful for them and enjoy every minute of your life together. Congratulations, my dear ones. You have made this old man very happy. I thank God for each of you and for God allowing me to see this beautiful family here with me,” Marco said brokenly.
After visiting for a little while longer, Anne , John, and Bryan took the twins to their new home. They carefully put them into their cribs. They stood there clustered together watching them sleep. Quietly they crept out of the nursery. John helped Anne remove her shoes, socks, and climb into bed. “Better get some sleep while you can. We are going to be very busy from now on,” John said kissing her softly before walking out and shutting the door.
John put his arm around Bryan and walked into his room. “Well, you sure didn’t have much time as our only child. We didn’t expect the twins would be here this quickly, but I am so happy you were here to share this special time with us. I didn’t get much sleep last night, would you mind if I go take a quick nap? It is going to be hectic around here for us for a while taking care of two newborn babies.”
Bryan said, “Go get some sleep. I can find plenty to do. When the babies wake up, I’ll let you know. Thanks for including me in your family. It feels good being here with you and Anne and the twins.”
John walked back to his bedroom. He slipped off his shoes and outer clothes and climbed in next to Anne. He snuggled next to her and kissed her softly. He dozed off looking at her sleeping beside him.
About three hours later, John heard a light knocking at the bedroom door. He got up and walked over to open it. Bryan whispered, “The babies just woke up. I think Marco is the one who started crying first. Do you want me to go check on them?” he asked.
“Let me go with you, Son. I’m new at this taking care of baby job. At least, it is totally new to me,” he admitted.
John went in and picked up Marco. He quietly carried him to Anne. “I hate to wake you, but I think he may be hungry. That’s one thing I can’t help you with.” He handed him to Anne. She quickly undid the strap on her gown and put him against her breast. Soon John heard a sucking sound.
Anne smiled happily at John. “You were right, honey. We are going to be very busy. About the time he is finished, Angela will be waking up. When that happens, can you bring Angela to me so I can feed and burp her? Do you know how to change a diaper? That’s usually the next thing to do. When I finish feeding Angela, I’ll come and help get them cleaned up and ready to go back to bed. I’m afraid taking long sleeps is a thing of the past. Thanks for being such a wonderful husband and father. I am tired, but so happy with our new family. We need to be sure Bryan doesn’t feel left out. He seems to be adapting well. I’m so glad he’s safe here with us,” she said.
Bryan had just walked up to knock on the bedroom door jamb in time to hear Anne talk about him being part of the family. He tiptoed up and peeked inside. “Mom,” he said quietly, “Angela is crying now. Do you want me to do anything for you?”
“Yes,” Anne answered, “please come in here for a minute. John, will you go get Angela and bring her to me?” She looked at Bryan and said, “Sit down here. I was so busy with the twins earlier, I didn’t get to hug you or give you a kiss this morning. Can I have a hug and kiss before Angela gets here?” she asked. Bryan leaned over and hugged her. She gave him a big kiss and said, "Thanks for being so kind to Marco. He thinks you are wonderful, and so do we. I’m sorry we didn’t have more time for you to settle in before the babies arrived, but you have been such a big help. I am so proud of you and so happy to have you here with us.”
John carried Angela into the bedroom. Anne handed Marco to Bryan. John put Angela in Anne’s arm and she began feeding her. John took Marco and said, “Come on, Bryan. Let’s see if we can figure out how to change his diaper.”
“I know how to do that. I helped my mom with my baby sister. I can show you how to do it,” Bryan said confidently.
“That’s great. I’m glad someone knows how to do it,” John said as he carried Marco into the nursery. Bryan got a clean diaper and a box of wipes. John put Marco down. Bryan undid the snaps on his sleeper and pulled it off. “Yuck! It got wet, too.” He unfastened the tape on the diaper and pulled it off and put it aside. “Make sure you use a wipe each time so he doesn‘t get a rash. Wipe off his front and then his bottom,” Bryan said making a face. “Then open the clean diaper and lift him up, slip the diaper under his butt, and then fasten the sticky tape. We need to put on a dry sleeper, too. Can you find one in the bag or dresser?”
John brought over Marco’s clean sleeper. He carefully and gently put the clean one on and snapped it shut. “You changed that diaper like a pro, Bryan. Thanks for the help. I think I can do it, but I may ask you to check me out next time,” John said.
They had just finished putting Marco down in his bed when Anne walked in with Angela. “Did I hear you say you wanted to practice putting on a diaper?” she asked with a laugh.
John took Angela and carefully changed her diaper. He felt awkward, but managed to get the job done without any major problem. Bryan and Anne both said, “Good job” and laughed at his pleased expression.
Anne put her arms around Bryan and John. “You two guys are wonderful! Hopefully they will sleep for a few hours. Can you two manage without me? I want to get some more rest before I go check on Papa.”
After Anne completed the next feeding of the twins, she took her sleeping son with her when she went to check on Marco. He was sleeping when she walked into his room. She walked over and quietly kissed him on the cheek. He opened his eyes and smiled sleepily at her. She laid Marco down beside him. He looked at the baby and smiled. Marco reached out and put his arm around the baby. He fell back asleep with the baby sleeping peacefully beside him. Anne straightened up his room. She got his medicine ready and brought a glass of water over to the bed. She got her camera and took a picture of the Marcos sleeping together. She gently woke Marco, helped him sit up enough to take his pills, and gently lowered him back down. He fell right back to sleep. Anne looked down at them and smiled. She lifted little Marco up and carried him back to his own crib.
After the next feeding time, she took Angela down to Marco’s room. He was
sitting up and was having a lot of pain. Anne gave him a shot. He held Angela and gently kissed her face. Anne took a picture of them. She smiled when she saw the look of peace on Marco’s face as he held the baby girl. He looked directly at Angela and talked softly to her. She looked up at him and seemed to be listening to all he said. As the pain medicine took effect, Marco grew sleepy again. Anne took Angela and carried her back to her crib.
Someone was always with Marco when he was awake. It was obvious he was failing fast. He needed more and more pain medicine, and he barely touched his food. While Anne spent more time with Marco, Lori and Luigi spent more time helping take care of the twins. Luigi spent most of his time sitting close beside Lori. Anne smiled when she noticed the growing closeness and affection developing between them. Anne had an extra crib moved in to Marco’s room. With Lori’s help, she fed one twin and then traded for the other one so she could stay in the room with Marco in case he needed anything.
One night a few days later, Marco was very restless with increased pain. John sat in Marco’s room with Anne. He held one baby while the other slept in the crib or was being fed. During the day, many of Marco’s faithful employees had come and visited with him. They heard he was near death so they didn’t stay long, but each one wanted to say goodbye. Later, Anne sat on the edge of Marco’s bed. She held his hand and wiped his face with a cool damp cloth. She talked quietly to Marco and told him she loved him.
John watched Anne and marveled at her gentle care of the old man who was losing his battle with death. He listened as Anne talked quietly to Marco. “My dear Marco,” she said, “I love you, papa. I am so blessed to have gotten to know you and to love you. I hate seeing you in so much pain. I know you have been holding on so you could see the babies. I am so happy that you were able to see them and hold them. I wish you could be with us longer, but I don’t want you hurting anymore. I know you have loved and missed Sophia and your sweet Angela for so many years. When you are ready to go and be with them, please don’t fight it for my sake. I will miss you, but I will be happy knowing you are safe in Heaven with them. If you are staying here because of me, I will be all right now. I have John to love and protect me. I have Bryan, Marco, and Angela to give me a reason to live. It is nearly time for you to go and be with your family. One day we will join you, and I will be able to meet them with you. When you are ready, go and be with them. I will not say goodbye, Papa. I’ll just say ‘I’ll see you later’,” she whispered and kissed his forehead, his cheek, and then gently on the lips.
She sat quietly beside him, holding his hand in hers. She felt his hand move. She looked down at him. His eyes opened slowly. He smiled at her and whispered, “I’ll see you later, Angel.” Marco’s eyes closed and his hand went limp in hers. Anne reached down, checked his pulse and listened for his heartbeat. She put his hands down on his chest and began weeping.
John rushed over and held her close in his arms while she cried softly. After a few minutes, John gathered up the babies and the rest of their things. He left Anne sitting beside Marco’s bed while he went down to tell the others that Marco had gone to be with God. When John came back, Luigi and Lori returned with him. They went over and paid their last respects to Marco. It was obvious that Luigi and Lori had really loved Marco. He stood by his bed and tears rolled down his cheeks. Lori stood beside him. She wrapped her arms around Luigi and held him. She was weeping also.
“At last, he isn’t hurting anymore. My oldest brother (God rest his soul) and Marco were best friends as children. I have known him all my life. We spent many years together. I know I am going to miss him. I feel lost now, like the last member of my family died. I knew it was coming, but it is still hard to believe he is no longer with us,” Luigi said brokenly.
“Luigi, you were a good friend to him. All of us who knew him will miss him. He did so many kind and generous things to help his friends over the years. He used to say, ‘We will get through it together.’ Together, Luigi, we will get through this together. If you don’t want to be alone tonight, you can stay with me, if you want to,” Lori whispered to him.
He squeezed her closer and said, “I’d like that. I don’t want to leave him and be alone.”
Luigi turned to John and asked, “What do we need to do tonight about this?”
“There is no rush now. Later on, I will call and report his death. They will send an ambulance to take him to the hospital or to the morgue. Since he had terminal cancer, they will probably take him directly to the mortuary. Marco knew he was dying long before we learned he was sick, and he left instructions for everything. In the morning, we will go to make sure his arrangements will be done just as he wanted them. Do you want to go with me to do that? If you don’t want to, I can take care of it, but I thought you might want to be included,” John added.
“I want to go with you. Are you sure I can’t do anything tonight?” Luigi asked.
“No, it will be all right to do everything in the morning,” John answered.
Luigi looked one last time at Marco. Then he and Lori walked out of the room. After they were gone, John gathered up the rest of the papers he had worked on with Marco. He carried the files, video tapes, and documents down to his suite and placed them in storage boxes and locked them in his closet. Even though it was very late, he gently woke up Bryan and told him about Marco. Bryan cried and hurried down to be with Anne. He sat next to her and put his arms around her. After a few minutes, Bryan walked over and looked down at Marco still lying on his bed. Anne gently covered Marco with a blanket. He looked like he was peacefully sleeping. John sent Anne and Bryan back to their room.
Finally John walked over and looked down at Marco. He had come to love the old man he had once thought of only as a criminal. John knew he had done many terrible things in his life, but he also knew how much Marco had loved Anne and what he had done to try to make amends for his mistakes. “Rest in peace, Marco. I hope you are with your family now and that you have no more pain. Thank you for all you did to help Anne and me. We will never forget you, and I will love and protect our Sweet Angel and our children.” he promised.
John walked over and used Marco’s telephone to call the police and report Marco’s death. He waited at the front desk for the police and ambulance to come and pick up his body. He explained Marco had passed away peacefully in his sleep from terminal cancer. He gave them the doctor’s name and phone number. He asked them to remove the body and told them the name of the mortuary where Marco wanted his body to be taken. John answered the questions for the police and ambulance attendants. He wrote a note to the desk clerk with a message to be posted for the employees about Marco’s passing away, and that they would have a meeting about it the following afternoon. After completing that, John went up to his room. Anne was sitting in the nursery feeding Marco. Bryan was holding Angela who was sleeping in his arms. John walked in, kissed Anne and took Angela in his arms. He hugged Bryan and helped him get back to bed.
He sat by Bryan’s bed and talked to him about Marco and death. This was the first time Bryan had actually seen anyone who was dead. His father and siblings had been buried while he was in the hospital after the accident. Although he was physically stronger when his mother died, the court and the social workers felt he should not be taken to the funeral. This death had brought all the questions and uncertainties back. John thought he might have a lot of questions to ask about death and dying. John wanted to help him understand what he was feeling and why he was so affected by Marco’s death.
“Bryan, I know you liked Marco, but I also know you didn‘t have a chance to really mourn the death of your father, brother, and sister because you were so badly injured. You didn’t have the chance to see them and say goodbye to them. Then your mother died and again, you weren’t allowed to go and say goodbye to her either. I think that’s why you are feeling so confused and upset now. I went through the same thin
g when most of my family died in the car crash. It wasn’t until my first police partner was killed that I really experienced death of someone I loved and cared about. I didn’t know how to handle it. I tried to be brave and keep it all locked inside. I don’t want you holding in all the pain. It’s all right for a man or boy to cry. It is all right to feel anger and fear. If you start feeling bad, please come to me and we will get through it together. That’s one of our favorite expressions. Don’t feel sad or upset all alone. We will need to help your mom, but we still need to take care of our own feelings. Does any of this make sense to you?” John asked.
“I never got to see any of them. They just disappeared. I didn’t know where they went or what happened to them. Sometimes I dreamed that they would come back someday, that they were just away and would come home. I knew the word ‘death’, but I didn’t know what it looked like, and I never thought about the body and what happened to it. Marco looked like he was sleeping in a way, but in another way, he looked like a statue. He was there, but he wasn’t really there anymore. Was it like that for my family?” Bryan asked.
“Yes, in a way, that’s what death looks like. The body remains, but the spark that makes a person a person isn’t there anymore. It’s that spark, that spirit part, that leaves and goes to be with God. The body is like a snail shell. When the living part dies, just the outer shell remains. It is of no use anymore. It looks almost the same, but it is hollow and useless. That’s why they took Marco’s body away. He doesn’t need it any longer. Tomorrow Luigi and I will go and make arrangements for it to be buried. That’s what happens next. Then we will have a service called a funeral. That’s when family and friends come to honor and remember the one who died. It is for the living, the survivors, not the dead. We will always miss the people we loved, but they have already gone to heaven,” John explained.
“I didn’t even think about my family and what happened to them after they died. I knew they went to heaven to be with God, but now I wonder what happened to their bodies?” he said.
“Later on, if you want, we can find where they are buried. Some people like to go the grave and bring flowers, or just to spend time there thinking about them. Do you have any questions? Do you think you can get to sleep and get some rest?” John asked.
Bryan hugged John. “Thanks for explaining it to me. Is it all right to cry for them and remember them?” Bryan asked.
“Of course, they are your family. It is normal to cry, to be sad, and miss them. We are your parents now, but we can never take their place. They will always be your family. Just talk to us if you start feeling bad or have any questions. We love you and are happy you are with us,” John said hugging him again.
When he walked back into the nursery, Anne had already put the babies to bed. He put his arm around her and walked back to their bedroom. He kissed her gently and helped her into bed. He pulled off his clothes and slid in beside her. He pulled her into his arms and snuggled close to her. He kissed her and comforted her and held her as she slept. When the babies started crying, he brought them in to her bed. He rocked one while Anne nursed the other. He watched her while she nursed Angela and Marco. “You’ve never looked more beautiful to me than you do right now. I love you so much, Anne. How are you holding up?” he asked.
“I’m filled with mixed feelings. I’m sad because I miss Marco, but I am so happy that he is in Heaven with God and his family. He’s not in pain anymore, and he is seeing Sophia and Angela. I am tired from the stress of giving birth and taking care of the babies,, but I am so content being here with you and Bryan and the babies. As long as you are here with me, I will be all right. You are my dearest friend, my husband, and the person I can lean on. I thank God for you and for the children. I don’t know where we will go from here, but as long as you are by my side, I can survive anything. Thanks for loving me and taking care of me. I love you and I have missed being in your arms,” Anne said.
“I’m not going anywhere. I will be by your side and will always love you,” John whispered tenderly.
In the morning, Anne woke early and reached over and touched John and kissed him awake. He felt her hand moving down his body. At her kiss and her gentle touch, he turned and pulled her against his body. “Anne, I love you and I want you. Is it all right for me to make love to you?” he asked.
“I want you, too. Just be gentle and we’ll get through it together,” she giggled.
John gently kissed her. She pressed closer to him. With incredible tender gentleness, he made love to her.
Anne kissed him and snuggled close to him, and said, "I’ve missed feeling you make love to me. Now hold me close and let’s try to get a little more sleep before the babies wake up.” John held her in his arms and thanked God for all his blessings.
After the morning feeding, Anne and John dressed and ordered breakfast. John called the mortuary and made an appointment to go down and make arrangements. When Bryan woke up and got dressed, he joined them for breakfast. By the time they were finished eating, Luigi and Lori knocked at the door. They came in and shared some coffee and toast.
John told Luigi that he had taken care of calling about Marco’s body. He said, “We have an appointment with the mortuary at 11:30 am. I have the copy of Marco’s requests for his funeral, if you want to look through it. He was always a planner, so we should be able to take care of it the way he wanted it. Anne, did you want to go with us or do you want to stay here with the babies?”
“I know you can handle it, especially with all the plans he left. I’ll go if you want me to. Either way will be fine with me,” she said.
“Bryan, do you want to go with Luigi and me ?” John asked.
Anne looked surprised at his question. “Do you think he should go?” she asked.
“We had a long talk last night about death and funerals. He never got to see or know what happened to his family. I thought he might want to be included to see what had happened before. Bryan, what do you think?” he asked again.
“I think I would like to go with you, unless Mom wants me to stay here and help with the twins,” he answered.
“Bryan, Lori can stay and help with the twins. If you want to go, that’s fine with me. Just stay with John. If you get tired or change your mind, John can call and we can come and bring you home,” Anne said.
Luigi, Bryan, and John left about 11 am to go to the mortuary. John held Bryan’s hand as they walked into the building. Bryan watched and listened to everything. He walked in and looked at the different coffins. John asked him which one he thought would be the best one for Marco. Bryan looked at each one, and then pointed to the one he liked. John smiled and said, “That’s a good choice. That is the same one Marco said he wanted,” John answered. They wrote out a short announcement for the newspapers and for the funeral program.
When they came back from the mortuary, John went to Marco’s office and called Marco’s attorney, David Jackson; and his accountant Tom Davis. Finally he called his boss, Bob Watson. He explained that Marco had passed away and that he and his family would be coming to LA after the funeral on Thursday.
Later in the afternoon, he called the resort’s employees to come to the lounge for a meeting. He explained that Marco had been sick for a long time with cancer. “Marco, Mr. M, as most of you called him, knew he was dying. He left instructions for keeping the resort open. All of you are guaranteed a job here, if you want to stay. Anne and I will be going to Los Angeles after the funeral to take care of business down there. I know that Marco loved each one of you and thought of you as his friends and family. He was a very special man, and I know we will all miss him. His attorney, David Jackson, said he left a will and, after it has been filed, a reading will be scheduled. Until then, the resort will continue to run just as it did when he was alive. Luigi and Lori will be left in charge of running the resort until we learn what is in his will. Marco’s funeral wi
ll be on Thursday at 11 am at Layton’s Mortuary in town. Anyone who wants to attend will be given time off. If most of you want to go, we will close the resort for the afternoon. Marco asked that, in place of flowers, we make donations to the Cancer Society in his name. Most of you have known Marco much longer than Anne or me. We loved him, too, and will miss him. He was in a lot of pain the last few weeks, but he didn’t want people to know. He is no longer in pain, and we are grateful for that. Let’s try to remember all the good things that he has done for each of us. If we can help you in any way, please call or come by Marco’s office. Thank you for all that you do and all you have have done to make this resort that he loved so much so successful,” John announced.
After the employees left, Luigi, Lori, Anne, and John went up to Marco’s office. “Luigi, I know you will do a great job taking care of the Resort, especially with Lori’s capable help. There are several things I need to take care of in Los Angeles. Marco was aware of that. He suggested you and Lori should be left in charge. Each of you has different skills and knowledge. I will leave my phone number and will help you all I can from there. If you have questions or problems, or need anything, call me. If necessary, I will come back up, but I am sure you can handle it very well. Marco always talked very highly of you, Luigi, both as a good, loyal friend but also as someone he totally trusted. Lori, you were very special to him, too. When he needed something done, you and Luigi were the ones he called on to get the jobs done correctly. He loved and trusted you.”
Anne said, “It is going to be very sad for us to leave here. It has been a wonderful place for us to live and work. We love you both, and I am really going to miss you. Maybe, in the future, we can come back here, and visit with you again. “
Lori held Luigi’s hand. She began crying. He put his arm around her, and she put her arms around him. John showed him a list of things that needed to be done daily and weekly. Most of the employees had been working at the resort for several years, so day to day operations should be easy to maintain. Over the next few days, John and Luigi worked closely together. By the time of the funeral, Luigi had taken over the day to day duties and was set to manage the resort.
Most of the employees asked for time off to attend Marco’s funeral. For the first time in the history of the resort, it was closed all afternoon. Besides employees, the church where the funeral was being held was filled with people. Many of the people attending arrived in limousines. When John looked at the Guest Book, he noted many of the names were of people that Marco had named in his work with John. John smiled at the irony of their attending the funeral of the man who sold them out to the authorities. Of course, none of them knew about it, since the records had not yet been turned over to the police. John tried to stay in the background and let Luigi take over the leadership role. The pastor gave a brief message about Marco’s life. He told that Marco had accepted Christ the week before he died. He mentioned that he had outlived his wife Sophia and young daughter. Luigi spoke about Marco’s early years and about their lifelong friendship. No one spoke about his business dealings, but several people told of his kindness and generosity to them during his lifetime. Anne, John, Bryan, and the twins sat in the cry room section out of sight of the audience. Lori and Luigi sat in the ‘family’ section along with some of his closest, longtime workers.
Anne held John’s hand while he kept his arm around Bryan’s shoulder. Bryan listened to the things everyone said. He didn’t actually cry, but he leaned against John and put his head on his shoulder. John hugged him closer. Two ladies who worked in the boutique were there, if needed, to help with the twins, but the babies slept during the funeral ceremony. They woke up during the ride to the cemetery. Anne quickly fed them and burped them. She carried Marco while John held Angela. Bryan carried the diaper bag and walked between them. The graveside service was short. Most of the people who attended the service, did not go to the cemetery. When it was over, John and Anne stayed after the others had gone. John explained to Bryan that the coffin with the body would be placed in the grave and was going to be covered with dirt. He reminded Bryan that this is only the resting place of Marco’s physical shell, but Marco is already in Heaven. Bryan looked around and saw all the grave markers.
John asked if he had any questions, but Bryan said, “No, I think I understand now. Thanks for explaining it to me. Now I know what happened to the rest of my family. Maybe someday we can find where their bodies are and visit them.”
“When we go back to Los Angeles, we’ll locate where they are buried. It should be a matter of public record,” John said.
“Don’t worry about it. There isn’t any rush. I realize now they aren’t really there, but I would like to know where their bodies are resting. I’m glad they aren’t really in the grave. It looks so cold and lonely. Thanks for helping me know they really are all right,” Bryan said.
John was anxious to get Anne, Bryan, and the twins away from the resort. The day after the funeral, he loaded all their belonging into their two cars. Because of the babies’ arrival and Bryan’s coming to live with them, there was a lot more to remove than they had originally brought to the resort. He hired a small moving van to take the bulk of their belongings down to his storage locker in Los Angeles. They loaded up the twins and Bryan into their cars and prepared to leave.
Anne hugged Lori and said, “I can’t thank you enough for all your help at my wedding, after the babies were born, and while Marco was dying. You have been a wonderful friend, and I am going to miss you so much. I hope you and Luigi continue to fall in love. You are so good for each other. I know Marco was hoping you two would get together. He was happy to see you two spending time together. He really loved both of you, and so do I. Good luck in the future. I hope we see each other again.”
John and Luigi shook hands. John said, “Call me if I can help you with anything. No matter what you may hear in the future, I really care about you and the resort. Marco became very dear to me and to Anne. I hope all goes well with you and that you and Lori find the same happiness that I have found with Anne. Lori is a sweet, loving woman. Don’t let her get away!”
“I am realizing how precious Lori is to me every day. I am tired of being alone, and she is such a wonderful friend. I hope you are right. I love her, but I’m not sure if she would love an old guy like me,” Luigi admitted sheepishly.
Just before Anne pulled away, she said, “Many of the happiest times in my life were spent here at the resort with you and Marco. It is sad to leave here, but I will always have such precious memories. Marco was like a father to me, and I am going to miss him terribly. I am so thankful I have John and the children. I love them all, and I’ll try to be the best wife and mother I can be.”
Lori and Luigi stood side by side waving at them as they left. He put his arms around her and hugged her close. Together the walked back into the resort.
As Anne drove away from the resort, she turned and took a final look back and sighed. Ahead of her, John was waiting at the signal ready to turn onto Highway 101 to begin the long ride back to Los Angeles. He glanced in the rearview mirror and noticed Anne turn and look back. When she faced forward, their eyes met in the mirror. John waved and smiled at her. When the light changed to green, they turned and headed south. John was driving his car with Bryan seated beside him. Anne followed in her car with the twins securely fastened in their carriers in the back seat. The drive to Los Angeles was long, but uneventful. Using their cell phones, Anne called when the twins were crying so they could stop and take care of them. The sound and motion of the car seemed to lull the twins, and sometimes Bryan fell asleep, too.
At one of the stops, they bought sandwiches and drinks and drove down to Pismo Beach. They sat on the sand and ate. John and Bryan took off their shoes and waded into the water. Anne sat and fed the babies and enjoyed the cool ocean breeze and sunshine. She thought back to the time she had bee
n at the beach with Marco. She smiled at the happy memory of their day touring the area around the resort.
After eating and playing in the water, They brushed the sand off their shoes and clothes, loaded the twins into the cars and resumed the trip back to John’s apartment.
Their furniture and the bulk of their belongings had been sent directly to their storage unit. It was late evening when they arrived at John’s apartment. They carried in the things they might need for the night. Seeing the size of the apartment and all the gear they needed for the twins and Bryan, John and Anne realized they would need to find a larger place very soon. They fixed a bed for Bryan on the sofa in the living room. They squeezed two small portable baby beds into the bedroom. Bryan took a shower and got ready for bed. Anne laid out clothes and diapers for the twins on the dresser. Anne quickly showered and got ready for bed. John went out and bought milk, cereal, bread, eggs, and a few other foods to tide them over.
While John was gone, Bryan helped Anne get the twins ready for bed. Anne fed Marco and then handed him off the Bryan. Bryan changed his diaper and put his sleeper on. Anne fed Angela and then took her in to change her diaper and get her cleaned up for bed. Afterwards, she went out into the living room. She had Bryan climb into his makeshift bed. She hugged him and asked how he was feeling.
“We’ll be looking for a bigger place. Right now we’ll pretend we are camping out. It will be an adventure for all of us. I don’t know how I would have managed without your help. I didn’t mean for you to have to take over so much care of the twins. If it gets to be too much for you, please tell me. I love you and want you to be happy here with us. You are here to be my son, not to be an unpaid, overworked babysitter. Are you feeling OK now?” Anne asked.
“I like helping you with the babies. It makes me feel like I am a real part of the family. I didn’t think I’d ever feel like I had a family after mom and my family died. Now I am part of this family. I really love you and John and the twins. When your dad died, did you have a funeral for him? What was it like?” he asked.
“It was like Marco’s but much smaller. It was held in our old church, but only a few people were there. He had been a loner so much after my mother died. Most of the people were members of the church we attended, but there were a few old friends, too. Just like Marco, he was a Christian, so it was a time to celebrate his life, not hopelessly mourn his death. He is buried in a cemetery in Monrovia beside my mother. Did going to the funeral help you understand your family’s death any better?”
“Yes, their death has always seemed like a dream to me in a way. I knew it was real, but I guess it didn’t really make sense to me before. I really miss them sometimes, but I’m happy here with you,” Bryan said quietly.
“Well, Bryan, I’m really happy you are here with us, too. I love you. Do you think you can get to sleep here when John comes back, and we settle down for the night?” she asked.
“If you can sleep in a hospital ward, you can probably sleep anywhere. It was noisy there at night. I think camping out here will be much easier, even if the twins cry during the night,” Bryan answered. He lay down and gradually drifted off to sleep.
When John walked in, Anne motioned for him to be quiet. He walked over and looked at Bryan sleeping on the sofa. They quickly and quietly put the groceries away and headed into their bedroom. It was late when they climbed into bed. The driving had tired both of them. They snuggled together and fell asleep. About 3 am, the twins woke for their feeding. Together, they fed and cared for the babies. When the alarm went off a few hours later, John got up, showered, and dressed for work.
“I hate to leave you here alone today, but I want to get things turned in. I feel nervous with all those things locked in my car. I’ll try to come home early, but I may be gone all day. Will you be all right here alone?” he asked.
“What do you mean alone! I’ll be fine! Remember, I’m not alone. I have Bryan and the twins to take care of. I’ll really miss you, but we will be fine. Good luck at work. I know this investigation has been hard on you. I love you for all you did to take care of me and for your kindness to Marco. I hate thinking about the future and what will come out of this investigation, but I am proud of you for all you did. No matter what, always remember, we love you,” Anne said giving him a hug and kiss. After John left, Anne went back to sleep until the babies woke again.
John drove to work, arriving before most of the others. He parked his car in the back of the station and began carrying in the storage boxes filled with the evidence he had collected from Marco. He opened and began laying them out on the table in the conference room. He had made lists of all the items and documents he had ready to turn in. He checked them off and arranged them in order. All in all, he had brought more than 200 documents, 5 video recordings of Marco’s testimony, 58 photographs, a folder full of personal letters, ten cassette tape recordings, and a box full of receipts, as well as Marco’s original ledgers and bookkeeping records.
He sat down in the conference room and looked at the piles of data he had received from Marco. He shook his head when he saw it laid out on the conference table. It was an incredible accumulation of information. He knew this was much more than anyone had dreamed of getting. It would take a long time for it to be worked up into case files and for decisions to be made as to who would be indicted and tried and on what charges. Because of that, John realized it would be a period of weeks before the information would be officially released. He had some time to get Anne and his family into a safer location. He didn’t want anything bad to happen to them, but he knew many people would be furious when they learned what had been leaked. The idea of revenge against him was very likely. If they could kill him, they had a better chance of being acquitted. John sat there trying to decide the best way he could protect them all.
About 8 am, Joe walked in and saw him sitting at the table. They shook hands. “I’m glad to see you back here. I was getting worried about you, especially after Marco’s death. When did you get in town? Where are you staying?” Joe asked.
“Right now, we are crammed into my old apartment, but we need to find a bigger place for me and my family of five,” John stated.
“Five? I thought you were having twins. How did you end up with five?” Joe asked.
“There are five of us. Anne and me and our three kids. That makes five. Anne and I adopted a boy who had lost his entire family in a terrible auto accident. Anne was his nurse and she worked with him at the children’s hospital. He and I became good friends while he was there. After his last relative died, we decided to try to adopt him. He was placed with us when he was released from the hospital. If all goes well, he will be placed permanently. He is a wonderful boy, and we both love him. Of course, we have the twins, Marco and Angela. They are beautiful, like their mother. It is really hectic taking care of twins, but I wouldn’t change anything, except an unbelievable amount of diapers each day,” he said with a laugh. “My apartment is fine for two, but it is way too small for five,” John added.
Within a few minutes, the rest of the department workers wandered into the conference room. Their mouths dropped open when they saw the stacks of papers and other things on the table. When Bob Watson, the department head walked in, he looked at John and said, “My Lord, is all this from your investigation with Marco? I can’t believe he gave you all this information. No wonder you kept asking for more time! How did you convince him to give you all of this?” he asked.
“To be truthful, I didn’t convince him. I think Joe told you what happened the first night we went to speak to him. We weren’t having any success with him. After Anne basically saved his life that night, he put me off about my working with him. Later, again because of Anne, he called me. When I reported for my meeting with him, he basically told me I wasn’t mob material. Then he busted me. He told me he knew I was an undercover cop. He said if I had been caught a fe
w months earlier, he would have had me killed, but he had changed his mind because of my friendship with Anne. Marco had been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer just before he met Anne, and had been told he only had a few months to live. He said he wanted to try to atone for the bad things he had done. He suggested that I work with him. He said he would tell me all about his activities and would also give evidence against the others in the state. He ended up telling not only about his California activities and contacts, but other people he had worked with in many other locations. He and Anne had become very close friends. Because she reminded him of his daughter who had been killed years ago, he completely changed his life around. He planned and paid for my wedding to Anne, and then we moved into his resort. He appointed me his assistant and his partner. He was kind and generous and kept his promise. During the time we lived there with him, Anne and I both came to love him. He was very good to us and to the people who worked for him. He didn’t whitewash his involvement. He spoke candidly about his part in many criminal activities. While we were there, his health gradually declined. We were happy that he lived long enough to see and hold our twins and meet our adopted son. He died last week and was buried on Thursday. I will confess I postponed bringing the evidence down until he died. I didn’t want to see this pitiful old man arrested and die in jail. He was in a lot of pain, and Anne nursed him tenderly. We were both at his side when he died. No one who reads the testimony he gave me would ever understand what kind of man he was when he died. I wouldn’t have believed it if I had not seen it myself,” John explained.
“That’s an amazing story, John. Where should we start? It is such a huge collection of information,” Bob asked.
John answered, “I tried to get enough information on each person he mentioned so they could all be convicted. I made careful notes of everything he showed me. I brought in original documents, copies of computer files, videotapes of Marco explaining how he knew information and documents to support all he told me. I tried to organize it into logical sections. First, generally look through each pile. It should make sense to you. If it doesn’t, I can probably point you to other information that would help.”
“This is amazing. With all this we should be able to put a huge dent in the criminal organizations in this state and others. With your leadership, we can develop more undercover plans. This could turn out to be the beginning of many more operations. Well done, John,” Bob praised him.
“Wait a minute, Bob. I told you several months ago that this was my last undercover assignment. I told you that once I turned in this evidence that , I wanted an immediate transfer to another department to work. I am never going to help or do any more undercover work. You agreed to my terms, and we shook hands on it. Either I am given an immediate transfer, or I will quit. I hated doing this, especially after I got to know Marco and Anne. My only priority now is to find a safe place where my family can hide out until this blows over. I’m not going to win any popularity contests with what I’ve done. Many very evil, vengeful mob bosses and powerful people are going to be very angry when this comes out. Protecting my wife and kids is my sole priority now. I will answer your questions by phone, although it should be very clear when you read my notes and look at the documents, but I will not come to work in this building again,” John growled.
“We need you to stick around and help with this case,” Bob Watson argued.
“That wasn’t part of our deal. I delivered what I said I would give you. Now, I want out of this operation. If you won’t honor your word, then I’m out of here. This turned out to be a very hard, painful assignment for me, and I won’t do it anymore,” John announced. He took off his badge, tossed it on the table, and walked out.