One Chicago: First Christmas Season 1

Chapter 907

An Hour Later, after eating lunch in the living room:

Jay's POV: After eating lunch together as a group, we all decided to stay up here this afternoon because we wanted to talk. Wrapping my arm around Erin as I moved my hand to her baby bump, I smiled while also drinking a beer and talk about what Hank is like now that he's going to be a grandfather. "I swear, he's become someone you can walk all over. I mean, Erin could ways get her way with him before but...now with the baby, it's just ridiculous." Antonio chuckled while looking at me, nodding.

"I totally agree. Honestly, I mean...I had to beg to work from home. You guys, he literally orders you to work from home! It's not fair. When you guys take over the unit, I want you to put it in writing that if a pandemic comes again...all staff automatically get the option to work from home if they are not required to be in the office." Erin nodded and agreed. "I am also going to be instituting a permanent maternity leave program, expanding it to at least 9 months." 

I was confused when she said 9 months. "Why that long?" Erin looked up at me and smiled. "You give up 9 months of your life being pregnant to give birth. You might as well get that much time to bond with your baby. Dads will get the same opportunity. However, they will only get 3 months of full time off. The last 6 months are work from home months." Antonio nodded and agreed. "That's a great idea. Or, you could just institute a work from home policy."

Erin nodded. "Oh I am however, only during health pandemics. If something like this ever happens again in Chicago, I don't want to have to make a proclamation that people are allowed to work from home. The ability to do so will be automatic." Natalie agreed and smiled. "That should've been the case the minute it was declared a pandemic by the NIH and WHO. By the way, can we all agreed that Dr. Fauci has been the best over the past 9 months?" We all agreed and smiled. I then put my beer up.

"A toast to Dr. Fauci and a goodbye Donald Trump!" We all laughed when I said that because we all hated him. "Agreed!" Gabby smiled when I said that. "Honestly, it's going to be nice to have the first female, African American, Asian vice-president of the United States. No better person than Kamala to be the first. She is going to be such a great teammate for Biden. I am pretty sure she is going to do most of the interviews though. Biden after all does have the stutter."

Antonio nodded. "It's amazing what he has had to overcome though. I mean, he lost his wife and daughter in a car crash. Then, he lost his son Beau to brain cancer. And of course, he was an Afghan Veteran. I mean, who worse than to get cancer...a military veteran. I don't care if it was his health...I blamed his death on terrorism. Had 9/11 never happened, he would've never been to war and never had all those problems." I couldn't disagree.

"Honestly, I agree with you. But, I would just like to say that when you go over there...you don't think about why you're there. You just know you're serving your country. However, I did go there knowing I was trying to get back at ISIS for inflicting 9/11 on us. What made me even more angry was that they hit the Pentagon. That is where my supervisors work." Erin then rubbed my arm to calm me down. "Relax Jay. You're getting worked up."

That's when we heard Owen speak. "Jay, can I ask you something about the war?" I then perked up and nodded. "Anytime." Owen then looked at his mom. "Did you ever serve in a unit with my dad?" I turned to look at Owen and bit my lip. "Sorry bud, but I don't remember. Natalie, do you remember what Jeff's unit number was?" Natalie sighed. "I think he was a different one than you. He enlisted out of Joliet I think instead of Chicago to get a better chance to go to war."

I nodded and understood. "Then no bud, we never served together. I was more in Intelligence and with the Chicago unit. Sorry." He nodded and understood. "It's okay. Maybe someday I can meet someone who worked with my dad." Natalie smiled. "I am sure one of your dad's friends would love that. Let me talk to some of them."

Owen smiled and went to hug his mom. "Mom, do you think I can go spend some time in my room and play on my iPad? You guys are talking about stuff I don't like." Natalie smiled. "Of course." Owen then ran away. I however just laughed and looked at Erin. "Remind me to never let our kids use technology until they are at least 5. Don't want them to get addicted to it right away." Erin chuckled and smiled. "That's out of my hands considering we are going to be putting them in daycare."

I agreed and sighed before kissing her forehead. "You are going to take as much time as you want with Nadia when she's born. You deserve it Erin." Erin smiled when I said that before nodding. That's when I heard Antonio speak up. "And Jay, I recommend you do the same. I will stand up to Voigt on your behalf if he complains. Paternity leave was literally 2 weeks when my kids were born. Take advantage of the advances." 

Gabby then looked at her brother. "You're kidding right? 2 weeks. Now a days, it takes up to a week for the mom just to get out of the hospital. And then what? A week at home...that's ridiculous." Antonio nodded. "Exactly why I took an extra month of vacation. However, Laura hated all the extra hours I worked while she was pregnant. But, it paid off. I recommend you start working the extra hours and bank them while your kid is young Jay."

Erin then shook her head. "No, he's going to be home as much as possible. Sorry but, I am not doing this alone. No mom should do it alone. Honestly, what is it with you guys now a days. I mean, you're the one that gets us pregnant! So you guys better offer, WITHOUT HAVING BEING ASKED TO, to take time off work to help us when the baby is born. I mean, c'mon ladies...you have to agree with me that it's what the dad's should do right?"