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Queens, New York, October 2010…the Adler apartment…

“Hey, hon…Julie?” Dov called as he laid his lunchbox on the counter. He wasn’t due back at the fire station for three days, and he looked forward to spending some time with wife. She walked into the kitchen and hugged him. He noticed she was still in her robe.

“Rachael called…they haven’t finished going over the inspection yet.” She reached up and kissed him. Her face was red and puffy.

“Hey…none of that…I’ve got some time off…I switched with Juan, and we need to forget about everything except us, okay?” He kissed her back, grabbing her rear and squeezing. She melted in his arms; some things, even very important things, seemed to fade a bit when they kissed. He grabbed her hand and led her to the bedroom

A while later….

"Hon...Don't...I'm okay....don't worry about me." Julie tried not to cry, but the tears streamed off
her face onto his arm as she cradled her head.

"Julie...this is important, and after yesterday's news, I know what you're thinking."

"Well, It's true, isn't it? I can't give you anything but love? Isn't that how the old song goes? I can't even give you that.

"It's going to take time, honey...we knew that when we got married. We're just like any other newlyweds learning about each other, right?"

"Well, by that reasoning, everything should be just fine, right? Just a matter of time; so we'll just go out and get a kitten or a puppy to tide us over. It's not fair. We’ve been married for nearly nine years, and things…well, if things worked with the adoption, I could almost deal with everything else."

"Hon...Have I ever complained? You’re beautfiul and I love you. And you're going to make a great Mom...we both know that." Dov said as he stroked her hair. He did; she didn't know what she was capable of. Her parents had been distant and self-absorbed with their careers even before she came out to them in her junior year in high school.

"Oh...we don't care…Do what you want."

Her mother had said before leaving for a business meeting across the globe somewhere. She rarely saw her father, and when she did it was in between phone calls and quick departures. So anything she knew about being a parent came from books. She read everything she could and took as many parenting classes as she could and prayed as hard as she could.

"My Mom will help you."

Dov had said. His mother was like most mothers-in-law, at least from the daughter-in-law's perspective. She couldn't seem to please Rebecca no matter how she tried even just as a new bride; how much harder would it be to pass inspection as a new Mom. And the difference between her and any other daughter-in-law was glaring, no matter what Rebecca told her. No grandchildren...ever...at least in the biological sense. Julie felt like a failure on all fronts; not unlike every other new bride might from time to time. But she could only count her successes on one hand while the shortcomings seemed to be piling up day by day.

"She asked you how I am in bed, Dov."

Julie might have been angry at that, but she had little inside her that was proud or confident, and she could only cry in embarrassment.

"That's not what she said." He shrugged his shoulders, feeling nothing would make his wife feel good about her self.

"She might as well have. What did she say? Oh yes...When we came back from the honeymoon, she looked at you and just said, ‘Well?’ With a grin, no less.”

"She talked with you just before we left. She wanted you to know that she loved you and accepted you, no matter what. And she told you not to worry about our time…that everything would be okay. She wasn't mocking you; she wanted to know if her encouragment helped. Honey...you read way too much into what she said. She loves you…you’ve got to let it go.

"I...I know...I just feel like I'm just the biggest failure ever." Julie began to sob. Dov took her in his arms and kissed her.

"I don't think you're a failure...Doesn't my opinion count for something?"

"Yes...but..."

"Shhhhhh." He put his finger over her lips to shush her and then finished by kissing her once again.

"I love you, Mrs. Adler...very much. Nothing could ever make me as happy as you have. No matter what we can't do or have or hold, it doesn't mean a thing stacked up against the love I have for you, okay?" He kissed her again and she kissed back, partly out of need for comfort, but with a new stirring inside that helped her growth and change...she was feeling more and more loved and that helped her heart.

An hour later they lay in bed, tired and warm and peaceful. Julie had settled into a nook, resting half on his chest while her arm rested on his waist, her hand half into his pajama bottoms. Dov lay back, tears in his eyes; even now frustrated at his decision to marry. He loved her but he doubted his ability to sustain the kind of encouragment his bride required; not unlike many husbands who feel inadequate to the task of providing support. The phone rang.

"Yes....yes??? Oh, thank you...thank you...yes...oh gosh yes....She's right here." He put a hand on the mouthpiece of the receiver and woke Julie.

"Hon...It's Rachael...she wants to talk to you." He handed her the phone, giving her little time wake and respond.

"Hello...yes...yes, I'm fine...what's...what???? Oh..yes...yes." She began to cry. Dov took the receiver from her hands.

"Thanks, Rachael...yes...say hello to Aaron for me, okay? Yes.....she's just fine."

"She said we passed every test...every test." Julie shook her head. Dov nodded.

"She said we can pick him up tomorrow at her office. He's ours, Dov...he's ours...we have a son."

"Yes, dear wife, WE have a son. I think my brother is smiling down on us. One Joseph blessing another, I think."

"Joseph Steven Adler, I like the name...He sounds strong with compassion and courage. Dov...we have a son." She melted into his arms in tears.

"Joseph Steven Adler. We have a son," he agreed before he kissed his wife once again.

Next: Dale's Story