Chapter 64

As he and Delilah packed their suit cases, Jake’s phone rang in his pocket.  He pulled it out and checked the number with a smile.  “It’s Tom.”

“Answer it, then.”

He accepted the call and put the phone to his ear.  “Hello?”

“Hey, Jake.  Got out of surgery and got a message to call you.  What’s going on?” Tom said.

“I’m about to go on vacation and I need someone to act as Chief of Neurology.  You interested?”

“Sure, how long you plan on being gone?”

“A couple of months.”

“You’re not going to be in town for March 13?”

“Nope, I’ll be calling my father from Europe to wish him a happy birthday.”

“Then I’d like to bring Brianna over so she can meet your father before you leave.”

“Let me talk to him and see if he’s cool with that and I’ll get back to you.”

“Ok, Jake.  Lemme know soon.”

“I’ll call him in a minute.  Let’s hang up and let me get in touch with him.”

“Not a problem.  Call or text me, chere.”

“Will do, bro.”  They hung up and he dialed his father’s number.

“Hello?” his father said when he answered.

“Hey, Dad.  I found someone to act as Chief so I can go on my honeymoon.”

“Oh?  Who?”

“Tom Thibodaux.”

“That guy whose niece shares a birthday with me?”

“Yeah.  He wants to bring his niece over early so that I’m here when she meets you.”

“Ok.  When did he want to bring her over?”

“Probably tonight.”

“Alright.  Ask what she likes to eat and your mother and I can make her an early birthday dinner.”

“She’s a Cajun, Dad.  She’ll probably want something spicy with pork in it.”

“Just fucking ask, Jacob Micah.  I’m sure you’re mother and I can figure out a way to make it without pork.”

“Yes, sir”, he laughed.

David’s mood lightened up instantly.  “Old habits die hard, huh, Jake?” he laughed.

“Sure do”, he laughed in return.  “You get a certain tone in your voice and it’s a reflex response.”

“Call Tom and let him know and ask him what his niece likes to eat.  We’ll have her something ready.  Hell, I might even have Meagan and Makayla head into town to get us a cake”, David said with a chuckle.

“You got it, Dad.  As soon as we hang up, I’ll call him back.”

“Then we had better get the hell off of the phone, huh?”

“I guess so, Dad.”

“I’m hanging up now, Jacob.”  And the call ended.

---------------

Jake had been right on all counts.  Tom did want to bring his niece over that night and she DID want something that was spicy and full of pork- red beans and rice.  Tom explained that Jake’s family didn’t eat pork and she said, “I’m sure they can substitute beef smoked sausage then.” 

All Jake did was laugh when he heard that.  “That’s fucking priceless”, he said.

“Oh, chere, she gonna have y’all rollin’ in da flo at dinner tonight”, Tom laughed.

“I bet she will.  We like jokers around here.  She’s about my little sister Jessi’s age.  Maybe they can exchange numbers and become friends.”

Brianna sounded off when she heard that.  “You have a little sister around my age, Dr. Draiman?”

“Brianna, I’m the third of ten.  What do you think?”

“My oncle say you have twin sister.”

“You’ve met her.”

“Jordan?”

“Yep.”

“That’s funny, chere”, she laughed.

“Glad I could amuse you, Brianna.”

---------------

 When Tom’s family arrived at the Draiman house, Brianna could hardly be contained.  She was buzzing with energy.  Jake answered the door when the bell rang and she automatically threw her arms around his neck.  “’Dis is the best early birthday present ever!” she exclaimed.

Jake laughed and hugged the young woman.  “You’re welcome, Brianna.  Now, let me go, I can’t breathe.”

She pulled back and blushed.  “Sorry, Doctor.  I didn’t mean to knock your breath out.”

“It’s fine.  Now, why don’t we go to the Kitchen so that you can meet my Dad?”

“I still don’t believe that David Draiman is your father”, she said skeptically.

“You know, Brianna, I get that a lot.”  He opened the Kitchen door and let her go in ahead of him.

When she spotted the tall bald man at the island, her eyes lit up.  “No way!”  David looked up from the bread he was cutting up and looked a question at her.  “You really are David Draiman”, she shouted, her Cajun accent thick.

David laughed.  “Yet another person that doesn’t believe that I’m Jake’s father, huh?”

“It’s just hard to believe, Mr. Draiman”, Tom said and extended his hand.  “I’m Tom Thibodaux.  I’m one of Jacob’s colleagues.”

“Pleased to meet you”, David said as he shook Tom’s hand.  “This is my wife, Brie.”

Brie looked up when she heard her name and shook Tom’s hand.  “Pleased to meet you, Tom”, she said with a smile.

“Pleased to meet you too, Mrs. Draiman.”  He turned to Brianna.  “May I present my niece, Brianna Devereaux?”

She smiled brightly.  “Pleasure to meet you both”, she said as she ducked her with a blush.

“Pleased to meet you, too, Brianna”, David and Brie said in unison.  David took over.  “So, rumor has it, Brianna, that you and I share a birthday.  Prove it.  When’s your birthday?”

“March 13, 2018”, she said with pink cheeks.

“NO”, David said with a chuckle.  “Mine’s March 13, 1973.”

“You’re 45 years older than me”, she laughed.

“Hey, now.  I’m not old.”

She gave him skeptical look.  “If you say so, Mr. Draiman.”

Meagan and Makayla walked in with a big cake.  “Here’s that cake you asked for, Dad”, Makayla said.  They set the cake on the counter behind their father.

“Thanks girls”, he said.

“You got a CAKE?” Brianna said with a smile.

“Of course”, he said with a smile.

“Mr. Draiman, would it be ok if I gave you a hug?  This is da’ nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me.”  He glanced at his wife out of the corner of his eye and she shrugged ever so slightly.  He waved the young woman around the island and she threw her arms around his neck.  “Thank you so much, Mr. Draiman.”

He chuckled.  “It wasn’t just me that made this possible.  You should thank Jacob and my wife for this too.”

“I did thank the Doctor, Mr. Draiman.”  She looked at Brie.  “Can I give you a hug too, Mrs. Draiman?”

Brie smiled and set down the wooden spoon that she was using to stir the red beans and smoked sausage down.  “Of course, honey.”

Brianna threw her arms around Brie’s neck and hugged her.  “Thank you so much for making this possible. You don’t realize what this means to me.”

“You’re very welcome, dear.”  When Brianna let her go, Brie stirred the beans and looked at David. “Baby, ring the dinner bell, if you don’t mind please.”

“No problem.”  He walked to the living room and got his children’s attention to go wash up for dinner.

“Why don’t you both go on ahead and have a seat at the table?” Brie said to Tom and Brianna.

They were sure to be in their seats when the rest of the family flooded into the kitchen.

-----------------

After Tom and Brianna left, David went up to his office and ordered the first set of tickets that would get Jake and Delilah out of the country and to Ireland.  When he came down, he gave Jake the print out with the confirmation number.  “Here you two go.  Have fun.  And don’t worry about Miri.  We’ve got her.”

Jake smiled.  “Thanks, Dad.  We both really appreciate this.”

“Not a problem.  I’m a man of my word.  I said I’d send you two on your honeymoon and I meant it.  Enjoy yourselves.  If we hear any news, we’ll be sure to call and let you know.”

“Thanks, Dad”, Delilah said with a smile.

“I’m amazed at how quickly you started calling me ‘Dad’.  I honestly never expected it.”

“Well the more comfortable I became the easier it got to be.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear it, Delilah.  Now, you two go get us some clothes for Miri for the next little while and you two can go finish packing your things for your trip.”

Jake ran out of the house and threw Miri a bunch of things in a diaper bag and ran back into the house.  “Clothes, shoes… the works.  I even grabbed bows for her hair.”

Brie laughed at her son.  “Anxious are you?”

“Yeah, I’m anxious.  I’ve been doing nothing but working for pretty much the last year.  I LOVE my daughter with every fiber of my being, but I need alone time with her mother.”  She looked at his mother, then leaned down and whispered in her ear.  “I also had a dream last night that she’s going to get pregnant on this trip and she’s going to give me a son.”

Brie smiled.  “I see.  Keep me updated on how that goes.”

David looked from his wife to his son, then back again.  “WHAT?”

“Don’t worry about it right now, baby.  I’ll tell you in a minute.”  She looked at Jake and Delilah.  “Go away, you two.  Jordan said she’d take you two to the airport in the morning.”

“Though I can’t stand her at times, I love my twin”, Jake sighed.  He reached out and took Delilah’s hand.  “Let’s go to bed and get some rest.  We’ve got a LONG flight in the morning.”

“Ireland, here we come!” Delilah said as they headed out to their little house out back.

Brie laughed and started humming a tune that no one recognized.  “What are you humming, Mom?” Jake asked.

“It’s a song called, ‘Ireland’ that came out before you were even DREAMED of, Jacob.”

“Sing a little, please.”

She smiled.  “Ok, here it goes.”  She took a deep breath.  “Ireland, I’m coming home.  I can see your rolling hills of green and fences made of stone, I am reaching out, won’t you take my hand? I’m coming home, Ireland.”

David eyed his wife.  “Let me guess; that was your father’s all time FAVORITE song.”

“Until he heard ‘Stricken’”, she laughed.

David fought not to laugh, and lost.