Last Call of the Night

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#003399" TEXT="#080000" background="03fc8c00erkjxk.jpg"> <div> <B>Josh is on the campaign trail, and is feeling homesick for Donna, Sarah & Gabriel. </B></div> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#0066CC" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#99CCFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Smiles, Tears, & Happy Endings</B></FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFFF99" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#CC0000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>  |     <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Smiles, Tears, Happy Endings"><U>home</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Brandys Stories"><U>Brandy's Stories</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id24.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Other Side"><U>The Other Side</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Getaway"><U>Getaway</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id32.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Deserved Recognition"><U>Deserved Recognition</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id33.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The End of These Days"><U>The End of These Days</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id34.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Moving On"><U>Moving On</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id35.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lessons Learned Shared"><U>Lessons- Learned & Shared</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id43.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="So, I Had This Dream..."><U>So, I Had This Dream...</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id214.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Perfect Plan"><U>The Perfect Plan</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id215.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Incredibly Campy Road Trip From Hell"><U>The Incredibly Campy Road Trip From Hell</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id216.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Whole New Story"><U>A Whole New Story</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id217.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="What Are Friends For? 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He hated traveling. He hated hotel rooms and stubborn, obviously defective keycards. He hated having to end another day without seeing his wife’s beautiful smile, and spend another night without her in his arms. He hated having to miss another day of his children’s life. They were growing up so fast and he felt like he was missing so much. In short, he was completely and miserably homesick. </div> <bR> <div>   He walked to the mini-bar and peering inside, he grabbed a Snapple, ignoring the ‘Donna voice’ in his head that said the machine down the hall was much cheaper, and flopped down on the bed. Glancing at the clock, and realizing it was past ten at night, he picked up the phone and made his last call of the night. </div> <bR> <div>   " Hello, Josh." </div> <div>  He smiled at the sound of her voice. It was the first time he had felt like smiling all day. </div> <div>  " Hi. How was your day? How’re the kids?" </div> <div>  " My day? Well… my day was fairly exhausting- and your children are very energetic." </div> <div>  " My children, hmm? Why is it that whenever they do something brilliant or precious they’re our children, but when they’re exhausting and demanding they become all mine?" </div> <div>   " Do you really want me to answer that, Josh?" </div> <div>   Lying there, Josh couldn’t help the slightly guilty smile that turned up the corners of his mouth, and with a slight chuckle said, " No, I guess not." </div> <div>   " Didn’t think so. So…how did things go today?" </div> <div>   " They went well. I think if Sam’s not careful, he just may end up Virginia’s next governor." </div> <div>   " Isn’t that the point of all this fun you’ve been having the last couple of months?" </div> <div>   " Oh yeah- it’s been a barrel of laughs. You know just how much I love the rubber chicken circuit", Josh replied, his voice rich with sarcasm. </div> <div>   " Yep- almost as much as I do," Donna laughingly replied, then asked, " So, if everything went well, why do you sound so down?"</div> <div>   " I’m not down…I mean I’m tired and…"</div> <div>   " Josh-"</div> <div>  " Yeah?"</div> <div>   " I want you to stop- take a breath and remember who you’re talking to."</div> <div>  " I just…"</div> <div>  " Josh- what’s wrong?" Donna asked, her voice gentle but firm. </div> <div>  " I… It’s dumb. There’s no use in telling you. Neither one of us can do anything about it." </div> <div>   " What?"</div> <div>   " I miss you… I miss you, I miss our ‘energetic’ little brood… the house…that damn garden you started in order to make me eat more vegetables…the kids’ toys laying like booby traps on the stairs-" </div> <div>   " It was one little Lego you big baby." </div> <div>   " Still- it hurt like hell. Anyway, I even miss that stuff." </div> <div>   " You even miss the leak in the roof?" </div> <div>   " That guy *still* hasn’t come out to fix that damn leak? It’s been two weeks!" </div> <div>   " No, It’s fixed. I just thought as long as you were missing the miserable stuff, you might miss the leak too," Donna said, clearly taking pleasure in a little good-natured teasing.</div> <div>   " Funny. Did I ever tell you what an hysterically funny girl you are, Donnatella?" </div> <div>   " Several times. You always forget witty and brilliant though. Why is that?" </div> <div>   " I can’t imagine. Anyway, that’s what’s wrong. I am- as depressingly unprofessional as it sounds- stricken with an overwhelming desire to shuck my responsibilities and run home to my wife and kids." </div> <div>   " Josh, that’s so sweet…" </div> <div>  " Come on, Donna- let’s not get all… I mean, I’m bad enough here without you getting all girly and emotional." </div> <div>   " I can’t help it. It’s just so sweet." </div> <div>   " Okay… I guess if you want to think I’m the sweetest guy in the world, I’m powerless to stop you." </div> <div>   " I don’t think I said ‘the sweetest guy in the world’…" Donna quipped, back to teasing him.</div> <div>   " All done being girly and emotional now, huh?" </div> <div>   " Pretty much."</div> <div>   " Okay. Tell me what you and the kids did today, then…" </div> <bR> <div>   Donna proceeded to fill him in on a day that started with baseball practice for Gabriel, who was in his second year of baseball, and had dreams- due in no small part to his father’s influence- of becoming the next Mike Piazza. From there they had gone to Sarah’s piano lesson. She was becoming quite the accomplished pianist, and unlike many thirteen-year-old girls, had a real love for classical music. Every time Josh heard her play, it was as though his sister Joanie was still with him in some small way. Of course, it could be argued that she got her love of music- all kinds-from Donna, but something about the way Sarah looked when she played reminded him of Joanie.</div> <div>  After Sarah’s piano lesson, they had gone to the mall to get in a little early shopping for school clothes for the coming year. Sarah was particularly excited about it this year because this was her first year out of the dreaded school uniform. Of course this had precipitated a battle of wills between Sarah and Donna over what constituted acceptable attire for a girl her age.  Donna, who had years of experience getting around Josh- not to mention the whole ‘Mother thing’ going for her, won the battle. Of course. </div> <div>   " I swear, Josh- now I know why my mother threatened to lock me in my room between the ages of thirteen and sixteen. Sometimes that girl is as stubborn as a rock." </div> <div>   " Well- she is a Lyman." </div> <div>   " Like I needed reminding," Donna quipped. Josh couldn’t help but laugh, his pride in his daughter obvious. </div> <div>   " So- you won the war. How much ground did you have to give up?" </div> <div>  " Do you realize that regardless of the subject, you always think like a politician?"</div> <div>  " Yes- and you’re avoiding the question like one. What did you cave on?" </div> <div>  " Nothing." </div> <div>  " Nothing?" </div> <div>  " Well, nothing really…of course, Sarah thinks she won one, though." </div> <div>  " What does that mean?" </div> <div>  " It means that I made a big deal over one of the outfits she wanted- one that I actually had no problem with at all." </div> <div>   " But she thought you did?" </div> <div>   " Yep," Donna replied, sounding awfully pleased with herself. </div> <div>  " So, she thinks she got one over on you, and everyone’s happy." </div> <div>  " That pretty much sums it up." </div> <div>  " Donnatella Moss-Lyman, did you ever consider a career in politics?" Josh asked, only half teasing. </div> <div>  " What would you say if I said yes?" </div> <div>  " I’d say  ‘great’ and offer to run your campaign for you. At least that way we could be together", Josh replied, and Donna could hear in his voice just how much he missed her- missed them all. </div> <div>   " What about the kids?" Donna asked beginning to enjoy the scenario Josh had created.</div> <div>   " Hell- we’ll bring them in as volunteers. I seem to remember kids almost as young as them on the first Bartlet campaign," Josh suggested with a wide grin.</div> <div>   "  I wasn’t that young-besides I don’t think that plan is as flawless as it sounds," Donna replied with a wistful sigh. </div> <div>   " Yeah…you’re probably right. It would be nice though." </div> <div>   Just then, Josh heard Donna speaking to someone else, and realized that Gabriel had come into the room. </div> <div>   " Your son wants to talk to you," Donna said, returning her attention to Josh. </div> <div>   " Sure. Put him on," Josh replied. </div> <div>   " Hi, Gabe. What are you doing awake, kiddo?"</div> <div>  " Don’t know.  Just woke up. Where’re you?" Gabriel asked, his words that combination of contracted sentences and mumble that Donna always said reminded her of Josh  when he first woke up.</div> <div>   " I’m in Charlottesville. Do you know where that is?" </div> <div>   " In Virginia?" Gabriel asked, and at that moment Josh knew his son was being his mother’s little smart aleck. </div> <div>   " That’s right, pal. But where in Virginia?"</div> <div>  " Near the mountains?" Gabriel ventured. </div> <div>   " Right again. So, how was baseball practice?" </div> <div>   " It was good. I wish you could have come back for my game last week. I made a home-run." </div> <div>  " I know. Mom told me. I’m sorry. I really wished I could have been there too." </div> <div>  " That’s okay. I understand you’re helping Uncle Sam. Mom took a video of the game so that we can all watch  together when you get back," Gabriel offered,  trying to sound positive. It always blew Josh away how understanding his kids were at times like this. </div> <div>   " That sounds great, pal. We’ll make a whole night of it just as soon as I get back. We’ll have hotdogs and popcorn and watch your game." </div> <div>   " That sounds great. Hey, Dad?" </div> <div>   " Yeah?" </div> <div>   " Are you coming home soon? I really miss you." </div> <bR> <div>   At Gabriel’s words, Josh’s heart crept into his throat, and it took everything in him not to pick up his suitcase, jump into his rental car and drive straight home. He took a deep, steadying breath and when he knew he could speak without falling apart, he answered his son. </div> <div>   " Just a few more days, okay? I’ll be home sooner than you think- but until I do, I want you to do something for me. Okay?"</div> <div>   " Sure- anything." </div> <div>  " Well, this is something that helps me when I’m missing you guys really bad. When we get off the phone, I want you  to lie down and close your eyes. Then  I want you to remember  your favorite things that we’ve  done together, and all the stuff you want to do when I get home. When you do that something really neat will happen." </div> <div>   "What?" </div> <div>  " It’ll seem like I’m already home. You’ll see it all in your dreams and before you know it, I’ll be there with you, and we can do all new fun things for you to remember. Does that sound like a good idea?"</div> <div>   " Yeah- kinda’. I’ll give it a try. I’ll let you talk to Mom again, okay?" </div> <div>   " Sure, pal. I love you, Gabriel." </div> <div>   " Me too, Dad. Here’s Mom." </div> <div> Josh heard  Donna tell Gabriel goodnight, and then pick up the phone. </div> <div>   " Hey…" </div> <div>   " Hey. You know what?" </div> <div>   " What?" she asked.</div> <div>   " We’ve got some fantastic kids." </div> <div>   " I know- and they’ve got a fantastic father." </div> <div>   " And a fantastic mother." </div> <div>   " Josh?" </div> <div>   " Yeah?" </div> <div>   " I really miss you too." </div> <div>   " I know. Believe me, I know exactly how much, because I miss you just as much. I’m getting awfully tired of sleeping alone." </div> <div>   " Oh yeah- what *exactly* do you miss about sleeping with me- because as I recall you’re quite the bed hog . Every night you seem to want to invade my sleeping area," Donna said, and Josh could hear the mischief in her voice. </div> <div>   " That’s not all I want to invade…" Josh muttered, knowing Donna would hear him.</div> <div>  " Josh! What a suggestive thing to say!" Donna exclaimed in mock outrage. </div> <div>  " You always did catch on quick. That’s the problem though- that’s all I can do right now- suggest!" he exclaimed in frustration. </div> <div>   " Well… I guess we’ll just have to try our best to pretend that you’re here or I‘m there." </div> <div>   " Hmm… that’s not a bad idea."</div> <div>   " Of course it isn’t. Now close your eyes, and it will seem like I’m right next to you…"</div> <bR> <div>   </div> <bR> <div> The End</div> <div>     </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>    </div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>