by Jan
The spring was glorious in Port Charles, but no more glorious than life for Brenda and Jax. Life had settled into a comfortable routine, and Brenda felt safe and secure in Jax’s love.
One evening in late March, they decided to take some time off and go to a movie. Brenda had dressed in a beige colored, gauzy pant-set, and pulled her hair into a pony-tail high on her head. Jax teased her constantly about her personal thermostat, which seemed to be permanently set on "warm." They had put the top down on the Jag and Jax drove to the movie, discussing the Barrett/J&J Jacks merger. It seemed like it was finally going to be a reality, with the signing of the papers due in early April.
"I talked to daddy about my idea today – you know, the one about having a celebratory dinner for all the employees."
"What did he say?" Jax asked, as he watched traffic flow into the downtown Port Charles area.
"He thought it was a good idea, as long as we don’t get any more cryptic messages from Sonny," Brenda answered, frowning as she spoke.
Jax covered her hand with his. "Things have been quiet, Brenda. Let’s just be happy and hope they stay that way."
After he parked the car, he helped her out and they walked towards the movie. "I heard you talking to Lois on the phone today. How’s are she and the baby doing?"
Brenda smiled to herself. "Lois and Brooke Lynne are both fine. She and Ned are adjusting to parenthood so well. Lois says Ned is an expert already on changing diapers!"
"Why don’t you ask her next time you talk to her about where they took Lamaze classes. Shouldn’t we be starting those soon?"
Brenda stopped and gazed in amazement at Jax. "How did you know about tha…Oh, I know. You’ve been surfing the Net again, haven’t you?"
He looked charmingly sheepish. "Well, a guy has to find out about these things somewhere. Seriously, don’t I have to learn about how to coach you and tell you how to breathe?" They began walking again. "IF I’m going to be your coach, that is."
"I was actually considering having Josie be my coach, but I’m afraid she’ll re-organize the entire maternity ward at GH in the process." They laughed together, but then Brenda got serious. "I think you’ll do." She smiled at him with love in her eyes. "I’ll call Lois first thing tomorrow about the classes. Maybe we can go shopping together!"
He groaned. "MORE shopping? Now what for?"
"Well, I’ll have to get a new dress for the merger dinner, of course," Brenda smiled.
"Of course, Mrs. Jacks. I’m sure the merchants are having withdrawal symptoms since you haven’t been shopping in at least, oh, how long?" Jax was holding Brenda’s hand, and suddenly stopped when she pulled him back to her.
He turned to look at her face, and saw she was holding her stomach and had a pained look. "Brenda, what’s the matter? Is it the baby?"
She spoke in a hushed tone. "Jax, I think I’m bleeding!" They both looked down at her stomach, and at that moment, her pants were stained a bright crimson as blood rushed down one leg.
Jax swept her up in his arms, and ran back to the Jag. As he placed her gently in the seat, he noticed the spreading stain and her look of alarm. "Jax, it’s too late for this! I’m not supposed to be bleeding at this stage of the pregnancy. What if I’m los….."
Jax quieted her with one finger and practically jumped over her to get in his side of the car. "Don’t think that way. We’ve been through too much with this little one to lose her now!" He peeled out of the parking lot and headed for GH, calling on his cell phone to alert the ER staff to page Dr. Meadows.
Jax made it to the hospital in record time, and thankfully Bobbie was on duty to assist him when he carried Brenda into the ER. She brought them to a cubicle, and as she stripped off Brenda’s blood-soaked clothing, she asked her a few questions.
"It’ll be alright, Brenda. Dr. Meadows is on her way and I’m sure it’s nothing major," Bobbie said in her best "Nurse Bobbie" voice.
Jax kept holding Brenda’s hand and looked like he never wanted to let go. He stroked her hair with the other, and asked gently, "Are you in pain, love?"
Brenda shook her head. "But there’s so much blood…"
Jax shushed her. "I’m sure Dr. Meadows will answer all of our questions."
At that moment, a smiling Dr. Meadows appeared in the doorway of the cubicle. "What’s this I hear about a problem with my happiest patient?"
"I don’t know what happened, Dr. Meadows. Jax was just walking with me to the movies when all of a sudden, all this blood started running down my legs," Brenda said in a tight voice.
She looked at Brenda’s chart. "No unusual activity today? No accidental falls or bumps or stress?"
"None. I even made her stay home from the office since Keith already told me her calendar was clear. She didn’t work on the baby’s room, either," Jax answered.
"Well, I’ll know a lot more after I examine you and hook you up to a fetal monitor. Mr. Jacks, would you mind stepping outside for a few minutes?"
Jax was about to explode, but Bobbie took his arm and guided him out of the cubicle. "Jax, we really need to give the doctor room to work. Why don’t you come out here with me?"
He followed Bobbie reluctantly, and sat with her on a chair in the waiting room area. "Do you want me to call Jerry for you?" Bobbie asked gently.
"No. No point in worrying any of the rest of the family until we have to. Where is he, by the way?"
Bobbie smiled. "He’s with Lucas at a ball game. Jim’s with them, too, so you don’t have to worry. But I know he has his cell phone with him, just in case." Bobbie went on from there to tell Jax about how Lucas was in heaven having both Jerry and Jim to watch him play and yell at the coach for not putting him in the game sooner. Jax listened to Bobbie drone on about Lucas’ baseball talents, but his eyes never strayed from the curtains that separated him from Brenda and their child.
After about 20 minutes, Dr. Meadows came out of the room and motioned that Jax could come back in. He almost flew back in to resume holding Brenda’s hand. He saw she was hooked up to a monitor, and it was beeping reassuringly.
"Well, folks, I don’t think either one of you should worry about this. Everything on the monitor appears to be normal with the baby. What I suspect happened is that a blood vessel broke and that’s what caused the bleeding today. You haven’t had any cramps or pain, have you?" Brenda shook her head. "That’s good."
"Then she can go home? They’re both OK?" Jax asked with relief.
"Yes," Dr. Meadows answered, "but she’s going to have to take it easy for at least a week." She looked Brenda in the eye. "By that, I mean lay on your side, in bed, and try to avoid any kind of stress or physical activity. The bleeding should stop in a few days." She made some notes in Brenda’s chart. "Of course, if it doesn’t stop, or if it increases or if you have any pain, I want you back in here, pronto!"
"I understand, doctor. I’ll make sure she gets a lot of rest," Jax smiled, and squeezed Brenda’s hand.
Dr. Meadows’ confidence was a great reassurance to Jax and Brenda, even though the bleeding continued that night. Brenda was scared, but Jax was there for her, holding her during the night and trying to will some of his strength into her body.
He stayed home from the office during the next two days, and never left her side. As they watched TV together one afternoon, Brenda took his hand.
"You know, sometimes I feel like this all happened because I was working on the baby’s room, exposed to all those paint fumes…"
Jax stopped her. "Don’t be silly, love. You were working with Tom back in January. That wouldn’t cause you to bleed 2 and a half months later. You’ve been so good, not working late, and taking care of yourself around here. This isn’t your fault."
She looked embarrassed. "Yeah, but the other day…"
He prompted her gently. "What?"
She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "I was just in a really down mood and I looked at my clothes and wished I wasn’t pregnant anymore so I could fit back in some of my old things. I felt so fat and awkward, I just wanted my old shape back.
He shook his head. "Brenda, don’t feel that way. It’s just your pregnant hormones driving you crazy, that’s all. I’m sure all expectant mothers feel that way at one time or another. You wouldn’t lose the baby just because of that."
Jax was her rock during the next 2 days, and Brenda finally noticed that the bleeding was slowing down. She faithfully laid on her side, and Jax was with her constantly, reading to her, watching videos with her and teasing her about knowing the endings, and even playing cards with her. He was amazed that she was such a good gin player, but she explained that she had learned a lot during the trip she took with Josie to Naples.
By the end of the week, the bleeding had stopped, and Brenda called Dr. Meadows. As she ended the call, Jax strolled into the bedroom. "Everything OK?"
Brenda smiled at him. "Perfect. Dr. Meadows says she’s almost certain that it was a blood vessel. The bleeding’s stopped, and I haven’t had any cramps at all. She says I should stay in bed for one more day, and then I can get up a little for 2 days, and then start getting back to my normal routine."
"That’s wonderful, sweetie," Jax said, sitting down on the bed and kissing her forehead. He took her hands in his. "You know, you really had me scared that night. All I could imagine was you miscarrying and dying." He looked deeply into her eyes. "I can’t imagine how I would ever live without you, Brenda."
He stroked his cheek with her hand. "I’m not going anywhere, so you don’t even have to wonder." She smiled at him in contentment. "But I realized something, too. I realized just how much I love and want our baby."
Jax leaned over to envelop her body in a hug, and then drew back suddenly, a funny look on his face. "What was that?"
Brenda giggled and pretended ignorance. "What?"
"You punched me in the gut!"
"That, my love, is our linebacker son."
Jax looked at her in amazement, and put his hand on her stomach again. After a few seconds, he pulled it away and laughed. "I felt her! I felt her move! Our little one is alive and kicking mad in there, Brenda!"
Brenda recuperated from her scare, and the first week in April, the merger between J&J Jacks and Barrett Industries became a fact. The papers were signed, and all that remained was for government agencies to approve the merger.
As Brenda had hoped, a gala was planned for all the employees to celebrate the merger. A dinner dance at the Versailles Room seemed appropriate, and Brenda volunteered to chair the event, with a lot of help from Jane. Josie was never far from the plans either, almost acting like Brenda’s ghost whenever there was a meeting.
Brenda sat at the head table the night of the gala, watching her handsome husband and her father sharing the spotlight. She had gone on a shopping trip with Jane, and found a beautiful royal blue gown, with two diagonal stripes of gold lame cutting across her body to draw attention away from her abdomen. Her hair was piled high on her head, with gold ribbons woven in to match the gown.
Jax looked breath-taking in his midnight blue tuxedo and gold tie, matching Brenda’s ensemble. Every now and then, he would glance over at her and meet her eye, squeezing her hand for encouragement.
When the dinner ended, Jax rapped his spoon on his glass and went to the podium to address the crowd. "We want to thank you all for coming to join us celebrate this evening. We realize that without all of you, J&J Jacks and Barrett Industries would not be the giants that they are today."
"With the signing of this agreement, we form a conglomerate, J&B International." He grinned at Brenda, and continued. "Now, some of you are probably speculating that this new name came from me stomping my foot and insisting that the Jax part come first."
Josie spoke out above the crowd. "Good for you, Jasper. Give ‘em hell!"
"But that’s only a small part of it," he continued after the laughter died down. "Some of you probably believe that we named the new entity after the new venture that my wife and I are producing together, debuting sometime next month!"
Brenda blushed, and Jax leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.
Jax smiled at the group. "And that’s part of it, too. But, truth be told, I can’t take credit for the name. It was Harlan Barrett’s idea, and he named it after the two most precious things in his life – his two daughters. At this point, I would like to introduce the man responsible for the "B" portion of J&B International, Harlan Barrett." At that point, there was a round of applause for Harlan, and he came up to shake hands with Jax at the podium.
Harlan looked at Brenda, and leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Sorry I had to list the J first, honey, but don’t they always say "Age before beauty"?"
Brenda laughed and hugged Harlan for the first time she could remember. As Jax went on to explain the new divisions of the company and introduce the directors, Brenda surveyed the room, thanking her lucky stars that life had been so good to her.
When dinner was over, Josie came over and sat down with Brenda. "How’s my favorite granddaughter doing?"
Brenda rolled her eyes. "Josie, I think you’re exaggerating again!"
She patted Brenda’s hand. "Now, dear, that’s not true. Jerry picked a wonderful woman in Bobbie, and you know that I just love little Lucas to death. But I hold you and Jasper in a special place in my heart. Maybe because he’s named after my Jasper, or maybe just because the two of you remind me so much of my beloved and myself. We fought like cats and dogs when we first were together. But we managed to work things out and look where it brought us – to all of this wonderful family. It’s hard to realize sometimes that all of this came from just two people."
Brenda was beginning to get teary. "Now, Josie, you know you shouldn’t talk like that to such a pregnant lady. You’re going to have me turning on the waterworks and ruining my makeup."
Josie chuckled. "Well, then, how about if I just tell you about the time Jasper and I almost got caught with a whole bathtub full of homemade gin!"
Just as Josie was about to start on the story, Jax came over to the table. "May I join the two loveliest ladies at the party this evening?"
Josie bristled. "Well, it’s about time you came to keep this poor neglected wife of yours company!"
Jax winked at her. "Actually, I was hoping to spirit her away for a dance."
"Oh, honey, I don’t know – I’m so pregnant!" Brenda wailed.
Jax leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Then you’d better tell the little one that daddy wants to dance with mommy, and it’s HIS turn to lead, so she’d better be quiet!"
He reached out his hand to draw her to her feet. As they glided out onto the dance floor, the orchestra began to play a slow, haunting melody.
I have dreamed that your arms are lovely,I have dreamed what a joy you'll be.I have dreamed every word you whisper.When you’re close,Close to me.How you look in the glow of eveningI have dreamed and enjoyed the view.
In these dreams I've loved you so
That by now I think I know
What it's like to be loved by you-
I will love being loved by you.
Everyone in the room couldn’t take their eyes off the stunning couple. Jax and Brenda, meanwhile, only had eyes for each other.
Alone and awakeI've looked at the stars,The same that smile on you;And time and again I've thought all the thingsThat you were thinking too.
How you look in the glow of eveningI have dreamed and enjoyed the view.In these dreams I've loved you so
That by now I think I know-
What it's like to be loved by you-I will love being loved by you.
Jax brought her back to the table, and then had to make the rounds of the room, speaking with important people from both sides of the merger.
About an hour later, he finally made his way back to Brenda’s side. "Are you ready to go home, Mrs. Jacks?"
She leaned into his arm. "I would love to stay here all night, Mr. Jacks, but my feet were ready to leave about 30 minutes ago."
He took Brenda’s thin gold wrap and placed it on her shoulders, helping her to stand to leave.
As they walked to the car, Jax had his arm around her. "I think things went well tonight, don’t you? And have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?"
"Yes," she said, "but you can tell me again anytime."
"Well, you do," he said, stopping to turn her to face him. "Somehow I don’t think it’s quite right – how can a pregnant woman look so beautiful and desirable and sexy?"
"Well, I think it helps if her husband is a sex maniac."
"That, too," he chuckled. "I think things went SO well tonight that a private celebration is in order when we get home."
Brenda looked at him slyly. "And I think I know exactly how you intend to celebrate!"
As they got to the car, he held the door open for her and brought his face down to hers. "Any objections to that?"
She kissed him briefly but deeply. "None at all."
They drove home and as they entered the house, only a small table lamp was on in the hallway. "I told Louise she could go home for the night," Brenda explained. "I figured we would have plenty to eat at the banquet."
Jax brought her to the living room couch. "But what if I’m hungry again?" He sat her down and pulled her into his arms for a sizzling kiss.
Brenda supported herself on his body. "Now how did I know you were going to say that?" She kissed him back, engaging his tongue in a sensual dance.
Jax looked at her, desire in his eyes. "The little one has been quiet tonight. Is she asleep?"
Brenda looked back with the same desire. "He is, but mommy’s awake." She pulled his head down to her for another kiss, and hands started to reach and explore and slip beneath buttons and zippers.
Jax went to scoop her into his arms, but the front doorbell interrupted them sharply.
Jax’s expletive made Brenda blush. "Jax, not so loud! He’ll hear you," she said, cradling her stomach and giggling.
"I’ll handle this in a hurry. You stay here and don’t forget where we were before the bell."
She heard Jax’s footsteps go to the front door. "Well, hi, what a surprise." Brenda couldn’t hear the other party’s voice, and now her curiosity was piqued.
To her surprise, Jax came back into the living room, preceded by her sister, Julia. He was carrying what appeared to be her suitcase.
"Julia! What a surprise! Come here and give me a hug!" Brenda said with genuine emotion.
Julia moved without a word to the couch and hugged Brenda. When she finally spoke, her voice was choked. "Brenda, you look great! How are you feeling?"
"Fine, just heavy," Brenda replied. Then she pulled back and saw tears in Julia’s eyes. "But you asked me that on the phone last week. Why are you here?"
Julia took a deep breath, and the tears began to flow. "Oh, Brenda, everything is such a mess. You see, I’ve left Bill. My marriage is over!"
Jax’s mouth dropped open, and Brenda’s heart sank as she knew her dream was over and morning had broken.
To be continued….
Music note: "I Have Dreamed," by Oscar Hammerstein, from The King and I. This song also was used in the movie "An American President" when Michael Douglas and Annette Bening danced for the first time at the state dinner.