Chapter Text
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At least he went out the way that he wanted. Not in a hospital bed, wasting away...helpless to prevent or stem the tide of
his loved one's sorrow. He died with his boots on: A HERO...Cancer didn't get him the first time, "And I'll be damned if it
gets me THIS time", he confided to his SIL; Robert Sullivan married his daughter Andrea barely 12 hours ago, and Sullivan
had responded to his words with an alarmed look. "No, no Son-I'd never do that...it's cowardly, and I would
not put Andrea through such a thing. When I do go, I'm depending on YOU to bring her through it.""Of course, Sir."
"I'm your Father-In-Law now, Robert...Pruitt or Dad is acceptable."
"I'd feel...awkward calling you PRUITT, DAD !"
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When a crest-fallen Andy arrived home later by Uber, she found her husband and infant child sprawled on the living room
sofa...
"He's GONE, Robert. My Papi's GONE." Andy whimpers like a little girl, and Sullivan can only hold her close and whisper that he's
there, WILL ALWAYS BE THERE...
"I'm so grateful for you. I don't know how I'd get through this without you; at city hall, I told him that I was ready, that I made
my peace with him dying...but I WASN'T and I'm NOT...at least I have you, and the baby. He walked me down the aisle, but
I wish he could have seen his grandchild born."
"I know", he whispered. "It's like you said before: he went out the way he wanted, at lea-HEY-are you alright?!
"The baby kicked". Andy moved so that she was half-sitting, half-leaning against him, and could bring one of his hands to
rest on her belly.
"I felt it!" Sullivan grinned. "Does that hurt?
"Not really; it's more of a pressure. He's hungry, probably."
"RIGHT-HE'S hungry! We still have plenty of the prosciutto Carina brought."
"Be nice! Lead on, Chief." They descend to the kitchen and DeLuca's tasty prosciutto-wrapped chicken.
Andy served Sullivan, their baby, and herself; as they ate they reminisced about their recent loss; grateful for the time that they'd
had and mourning what would now never be.