Tender Hearts

As Though By Chance

Mary, Aidan and baby Jennie arrived at Miami International Airport three hours late. Tom had borrowed Vanessa's Subaru to pick them up and was sweating the delay, even though she'd assured him he was alright. Once they finally appeared from the bowels of the airport and stood by the side of the proper luggage carousel, he realized he barely recognized them.

Even though they were sister and brother, Mary and Tom barely resembled each other, usually. He took after their mother with the twinkling blue eyes, broad smile, high cheekbones, blond, curly hair. The only thing he got from their father was his lean, lanky build. Mary, on the other hand, looked very much like their father, with auburn hair, dark eyes, less refined features, but her build tended more towards their mother's roundness and curves, but only a couple inches shorter than Tom. During her time in Germany, she'd changed. Her hair was bleached blond, nearly platinum, she'd lost weight and was thinner than Tom had ever seen her. Their baby brother, Daniel, looked like the perfect combination of both parents. Tom had only met Aidan once and barely remembered what his brother-in-law looked like.

Tom approached them apprehensively. "Mary?" he asked, hoping the couple he saw with the baby was his family.

Mary was the first to turn around and her solemn face spread into a grin of recognition. She ran to him and wrapped her arms around him. "Tommy!" she squealed. "You're looking so good!"

"Thanks," he replied, smothered by her hair. "It's wonderful to see you, too, Sis."

She let go of him as soon as Aidan nudged her back. "Oh, God, Tommy!" she exclaimed. "You've yet to meet my family." She stepped aside and introduced them. "This is my husband, Aidan."

Aidan stepped forward and handed the baby to Mary. He shook Tom's extended hand heartily. "It's nice to see you, again," he smiled. "I've heard so much about you, lately."

Tom glanced sideways at his sister. "Have you now?" he asked, followed by, "It's a pleasure to meet you as well." Turning his attention to the baby, he leaned in and cooed at her. "And you're my little niece, Jennie," he said in baby talk. Looking up at Mary, he asked, "Do you mind if I hold her?"

Mary nodded. "Have at it, Uncle Tommy," she replied as she handed the baby over.

"How old is she, now?" He felt ashamed that he didn't remember.

Aidan interjected, "She's almost three months, now."

"Hardly a newborn," Tom returned.

His sister laughed. "True, but she's not quite sleeping through the night, yet and I'm sure you'd just love to be awakened by the screams of a hungry baby and face the possibility of a full nappy."

He chuckled and looked at the baby in his arms. "Awww, you're too cute to be all that bad," he whispered to her.

He carried Jennie through the airport as Mary and Aidan handled their luggage and escorted them to the car, only handing her back to Mary once he needed to fish the keys out of the pocket of the cutoff denim shorts he wore. Thankfully, the large hatch-back of the Subaru was enough room to accommodate what they'd brought. Once everything and everyone was secure, he paid the parking fees, all in ones, and began driving East, towards home. "Do you want to settle in or see the beach, first?" he asked, raising his voice over the wind whooshing into the open windows.