{"id":74,"date":"2019-12-15T04:57:23","date_gmt":"2019-12-15T04:57:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2019\/calendar\/?p=74"},"modified":"2020-11-04T23:58:57","modified_gmt":"2020-11-04T23:58:57","slug":"december-15th-merger-and-acquisition-by-dawnwind","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2019\/calendar\/?p=74","title":{"rendered":"December 15th- Merger and Acquisition by Dawnwind"},"content":{"rendered":"

Note:<\/strong><\/span> This story is a sequel to\u00a0A Women’s Work Is Never Done<\/strong> <\/span><\/a>posted in the 2017 Advent Calendar<\/a><\/strong><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDid you put the champagne on ice?\u201d Minnie asked, expertly cutting the cheese for the plate already brimming with salami, crackers, a bowl of spinach dip, and slices of French bread.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat if they say no?\u201d Linda asked, biting her thumbnail.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTo champagne?\u201d Minnie laughed, wiping her hands on the dishtowel. \u201cYou know those boys better\u2019n that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not what I mean,\u201d Linda fretted. \u201cI\u2014\u201d She stopped, shrugging. \u201cAll this planning, discussion\u2026could be for nothing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBaby.\u201d Minnie pulled Linda close, clasping her hands behind her lover\u2019s slender waist to sway her in an impromptu waltz. She kissed Linda, humming Waiting for a Girl Like You. <\/em>\u201cThen we try elsewhere. They ain\u2019t the only fish in the sea.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Linda took a calming breath, her normal optimism resurfacing. \u201cThis just seems like such a perfect solution that could go horribly wrong. They\u2019re friends of ours and I don\u2019t want to change that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Minnie tucked a lock of Linda\u2019s fiery red hair behind her ear, using the gesture to stroke her neck. \u201cYou are so pretty when you worry.\u201d Stepping away so she could shove the platter of hors d\u2019oeuvres into Linda\u2019s hands, she smiled as confidently as she could. It wasn\u2019t like she didn\u2019t have reservations herself. She did, but that wasn\u2019t going to hold her back. This would work out; she could feel it in her bones.<\/span><\/p>\n

The doorbell chimed as Linda dropped a kiss onto her cheek and wheeled away to carry the food into the living room. \u201cI\u2019ll get that!\u201d she called.<\/span><\/p>\n

Summoning every drop of confidence, Minnie swept into the living room with a sassy grin on her face. \u201cStarsky, Hutchinson, get in here!\u201d She waved at her friends as they tromped into the small house.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wasn\u2019t the first time she\u2019d noticed how the place seemed to fill up with just two other people inside. Should she and Linda consider that going forward?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know we\u2019re not supposed to talk shop,\u201d Hutch said, as usual sitting so close to Starsky on the settee that there was no space between them, \u201cbut you two put the pieces together to take down Rodriquez in record time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Linda grinned in appreciation, taking a mocking bow. \u201cSometimes, those guys just don\u2019t pay much attention to two little girls.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWho you calling little?\u201d Minnie challenged with a laugh. \u201dThem\u2019s fighting words.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBe careful, Linda, she knows karate,\u201d Starsky reminded, digging into the temping platter of food.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cKung Fu!\u201d Minnie dropped into a crouch, stiffening her hands, and pretending she was about to take on Kwai Chang Caine.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s demonstrated her prowess to me on many occasions.\u201d Linda took a chair, pulling her partner down into its mate.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hutch held up the bottle of wine he\u2019d brought. A California white, Minnie noted with appreciation.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a corkscrew there on the side table,\u201d Linda said, pointing to a row of wine glasses beside it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWho wants some?\u201d Hutch said, easily pulling out the cork.<\/span><\/p>\n

Starsky had his mouthful of French bread and spinach dip so he raised his hand. Minnie held up two fingers for herself and Linda, her belly suddenly in knots. She\u2019d been so calm, so sure this was exactly what should happen right before they arrived, but now she\u2019d caught Linda\u2019s case of nerves.<\/span><\/p>\n

As if reading her mind, Linda latched onto her hand, giving her a slice of salami on a cracker at the same time.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThanks, babe,\u201d she and Starsky said at the exact same time as Hutch handed Starsky a glass of wine. That seemed to break the brittle tension she\u2019d sensed in the air and they all laughed, settling into the hors d\u2019oeuvres.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe talked it over,\u201d Starsky said finally, wiping his fingers on the paper napkin Hutch had draped over his knee. \u201cAnd we both think it\u2019s an amazing idea.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Caught in the act of taking a sip of wine, Linda gasped and choked, giggling as if she\u2019d drunk the whole bottle instead of half a glass.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou breathing?\u201d Minnie asked lazily even when joy was bubbling up inside her like the champagne she had in the ice bucket in the kitchen.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yes.\u201d Linda grinned at her and abruptly leaned over to give her a quick kiss.<\/span><\/p>\n

Minnie didn\u2019t even glance at their guests. Starsky and Hutch knew about their relationship\u2014just as she and Linda knew about theirs. Part of the reason for the get-together tonight.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGettin\u2019 raunchy in here. Save it for the bedroom, ladies,\u201d Starsky teased.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t have any reservations?\u201d Minnie asked, to put things on an even keel. Had to be practical, at all costs.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHalf a dozen,\u201d Hutch said calmly, despite the worrisome reply. \u201cBut who doesn\u2019t? Isn\u2019t that the point? No one knows how something like this will turn out. It\u2019s the unknown, but the important thing is to try.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNever thought of you as a motivational speaker!\u201d Starsky looked at him in surprised admiration.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t tell you how\u2026grateful we are,\u201d Linda said, grabbing each of their hands. \u201cThere are other ways, I know–Minnie keeps reminding me, but this just seemed–\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLike the closing of a perfect circle,\u201d Minnie finished. She sipped her wine, relishing the warm glow it provided.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo what now?\u201d Starsky stuffed another piece of bread smeared with spinach dip in his mouth. \u201cNot like I\u2019m really up on the specifics of this\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re well-grounded in the basics, believe me.\u201d Hutch grinned, selecting a slice of French bread.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut I did some reading, as a matter of fact.\u201d Starsky shot Hutch a top that<\/em> look. \u201cAnd don\u2019t you have to be\u2026uh, at the right time of the month, kinda thing?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are,\u201d Linda said, slightly pink at the embarrassing topic. \u201cWe\u2019re\u2014\u201c<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSynced,\u201d Minnie provided. \u201cHave been since we got together. Weird at first but now, we both know.\u201d She shrugged, rubbing Linda\u2019s arm. \u201cSo it\u2019s tonight or\u2014\u201c<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn one month,\u201d Hutch said. \u201cMy sister explained some of this when she was pregnant. How do you want us to work this?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe guest bedroom is all set up. There\u2019s a small bowl, and a plastic syringe,\u201d Minnie explained. \u201cSome Marvin Gaye on the turntable and a couple of magazines, if you need them. But I didn\u2019t figure you did.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNope. We don\u2019t generally have a problem getting in the mood.\u201d Starsky winked at Hutch.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOnce you\u2019ve both made a deposit into the bowl, pull it up into the syringe and alert the media\u2026\u201d Linda snickered. \u201cIt will be our turn.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTurkey basters at the ready,\u201d Minnie said, wanting to do it immediately.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo no one will be sure?\u201d Hutch said in wonder. \u201cIt could be any of the four of us?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUntil evidence proves otherwise.\u201d Linda pressed her hands over her heart. \u201cIt\u2019s all of ours.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

Minnie groaned, gripping the car handle, that fateful night playing out in her head like a movie. Contractions contorted her huge belly, rippling across the expanse of her abdomen like hidden sharks circling underwater. The sequins on her party gown seemed to flicker and dance with the movement.<\/span><\/p>\n

This was not at all how they\u2019d planned it. Her due date wasn\u2019t until 1984\u2014January third, to be exact. She wasn\u2019t at all ready! No overnight bag ready for the hospital, no little outfit set out for the birthday baby-to-be.<\/span><\/p>\n

She and Linda had been at a Metro after-Christmas gala to raise money for foster and orphaned kids serviced by the Child Protection unit. She\u2019s been ignoring what she hoped were Braxton-Hicks contractions for most of the day. None of them had been consistent, nor all that painful. Not until the dessert buffet\u2014maybe it had been the fried shrimp she had for dinner?<\/span><\/p>\n

Glancing over at Linda driving the car as if she were qualifying for safe-driver award of the decade, Minnie couldn\u2019t help but admire the Kelly green party dress she wore. Set off her bright hair perfectly, and the faux diamond clip Minnie had given her for Christmas sparkled in the passing streetlights like fireworks.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou look beautiful,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou look pregnant,\u201d Linda deadpanned, flicking her eyes off the road for a split second.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd here I thought this dress hid the bulges\u2014Damn.\u201d She grit her teeth against a particularly sharp pain that threatened to rip her from rib cage to pelvis.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGorgeous curves,\u201d Linda corrected, taking a left. \u201cYou okay? I told you those weren\u2019t Braxton\u2014\u201c<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor what? This isn\u2019t ruining my evening. It\u2019s the best Boxing Day gift I ever got!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBoxing Day?\u201d Minnie repeated, perplexed. \u201cI meant, thought we\u2019d be doing this together.\u201d She had to wait out the rest of the contraction before finishing. \u201cBoth of us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDoll.\u201d Linda braked at a stoplight.<\/span><\/p>\n

Up ahead, Minnie could see the illuminated Bay City General sign. Their destination.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t go there. It didn\u2019t happen. And for the record, as I\u2019ve told you already, ever since Francine\u2014and your sister Mariah\u2014told us about dealing with newborn twins, I\u2019ve been glad we didn\u2019t get knocked up on the same night.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow are Cyrus and Cyprus? Isn\u2019t this their first birthday?\u201d Minnie recalled in horror. She\u2019d sent them identical sets of Duplo blocks last week, she should have remembered. Pregnancy brain was real.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, so Mr. Mister here had better come tomorrow, because we\u2019re not having cousin birthday wars,\u201d Linda said snidely. \u201cBad enough that Iris had Lamont on our birthday, so now there are four of us on June 19th<\/sup>, competing for cake.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGeeze, how did your mother manage triplets\u2026?\u201d Minnie moaned, and not from a contraction.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou are not having triplets. Multiples may run in both our families, but that is not<\/em> happening here.\u201d Linda bumped the car into the hospital parking lot, heading for the ER doors.<\/span><\/p>\n

Minnie spotted the bright red and white Torino parked in a tow-away zone. \u201cStarsky and Hutch are here.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t call them!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow much longer?\u201d Hutch groused to no one in particular, giving his cuffed and bleeding prisoner the evil eye. They\u2019d already been in the ER waiting room for half an hour. Just his luck\u2014or maybe this was some kind of cosmic karma. The day before he and Starsky were due to go for a three-day after-Christmas vacation to Santa Catalina. Just them, the ocean, and endless hours to lie in bed in a century old restored lighthouse, when their bust of a crack dealer had gone bust.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou think I like this?\u201d Rigoberto Reyes-Rodriquez, or Triple R, as he was known on the street, retorted with a pout more suited to a five-year-old rather than a streetwise eighteen-year-old. \u201cThis is cuttin\u2019 into my overhead, man. I am an entray-pen-oor.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEntrepreneur,\u201d Starsky corrected sourly, balancing his swollen right ankle on the side of his left foot. \u201cYou\u2019re nothing but a drug dealer, Rig, and don\u2019t you forget that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou can add assaulting a police officer to your list of charges,\u201d Hutch said, seeing a nurse come out of the double doors. \u201cResisting arrest, dealing, and possession.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe fell on me!\u201d Rigoberto sent Starsky a petulant snarl. \u201cI hit the curb when he landed on me.\u201d He pointed to the gash on his head. \u201cI\u2019d\u2019a got away if he hadn\u2019t jumped out of the car.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou got your priorities all catawampus,\u201d Starsky said, brightening as the nurse walked nearer. \u201cMy turn, Margery?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, Starsky,\u201d she said, going past them as a couple of elegantly dressed women came through the automatic doors.<\/span><\/p>\n

A slender redhead wearing a Kelly green mini was pushing a wheelchair containing a lovely pregnant woman resplendent in a silver sequined maternity cocktail dress.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLinda.\u201d Hutch stood, staring at them.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMinnie!\u201d Starsky yelped when his sprained ankle hit the floor.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThose are the bitches put my bro away for life!\u201d Rigoberto snarled, jumping to his feet.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDown, Fido.\u201d Hutch jerked him back into his chair by the handcuffs, mentally berating himself for getting distracted when he had a prisoner. There was no way he was going to let Triple R escape\u2014particularly in front of fellow cops.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIs the baby comin\u2019?\u201d Starsky demanded as Margery intercepted the pair. \u201cI thought he wasn\u2019t due \u2018til next year!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe.\u201d Minnie ground out, gripping the armrests of the chair, her knuckles blanched from the strain. \u201cStarsky, we had this conversation already.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNeither of you will get an answer until Mr. Mister comes out,\u201d Linda interrupted. \u201cTomorrow, if I have any say in the matter.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBabies come when they decide,\u201d Hutch said, suddenly giddy that the baby was about to arrive. \u201cMy sister\u2019s had three. Not one of them came on the day the OB predicted.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Linda looked more than a bit frazzled, but she took a calming breath, addressing the nurse who\u2019d been trying to get a word in edgewise for the last minute. \u201cMinnie Kaplan is in active labor, contractions less than ten minutes apart and getting more frequent. Her doctor is Esme Hughes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll give the L and D floor a call, and send you right up,\u201d Margery said with a nod. \u201cAnd Starsky, then it\u2019s your turn.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about me?\u201d Rigoberto wailed, pointing at his bloody head again. \u201cI\u2019m the injured party here.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRigoberto, what are you doing hanging out with these two?\u201d Linda snorted a laugh, patting Minnie\u2019s shoulder.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hutch recognized the gesture. He\u2019d done the same many a time when Starsky was in distress, when the touch of a partner was enough to soothe the both of them.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHad to find a way to get into prison like your brother?\u201d Minnie finished Linda\u2019s sentence, grasping her hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAfter you two took Raymundo Rodriquez out of the equation, Triple R here staged a\u2014what would you call it?\u201d Hutch swung around to look at his partner with a chuckle.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s what they refer to as a coup d\u2019\u00e9tat<\/em>,\u201d Starsky said, grinning maniacally, extending his leg across several chairs to protect the swollen ankle. \u201cRigoberto thinks he\u2019s managerial material.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI been reading up!\u201d Rigoberto said indignantly, blood dripping around his eye, which made it look like his bright red mascara was running. \u201cHigh Input Management<\/em> and How to Succeed in Busin\u2014\u201c<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a musical,\u201d Linda said, not sounding at all impressed. \u201cGo to prison, get your GED before you spread your wings\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe three Rs, baby boy,\u201d Minnie added, \u201cain\u2019t the initials in your name. Oooo\u2026\u201d She trailed off as another contraction hit. She leaned back in the wheelchair, stretching her legs forward as if to push the baby out immediately. \u201cShitshitshit.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hutch had never actually witnessed his sister giving birth; only heard about the spectacle secondhand from his mother. This was much more graphic than he was prepared for. He wasn\u2019t about to help deliver a child that might be his\u2014or Starsky\u2019s\u2014right here on the ER waiting room floor.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s about to blow!\u201d Rigoberto said snidely.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShut your trap, RRR,\u201d Starsky snarled. \u201cThat\u2019s one special lady about to have a very important baby.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Linda bent, giving Minnie a gentle but awkward hug. \u201cThat nurse hasn\u2019t come back. I\u2019ll wheel you upstairs myself. Where\u2019s the elevator in this joint?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Starsky, Hutch, and Minnie all pointed down the hall as Linda shoved the wheelchair forward.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCome upstairs when you can!\u201d Minnie called over her shoulder.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re about to become\u2026\u201d Hutch stared at Starsky, his heart pounding with anticipation.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFathers!\u201d Starsky shook his hand, as new fathers did, giggling when Margery returned with a wheelchair for him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDo I have to sit near them?\u201d Rigoberto rolled his eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

Other women had told her about labor: described the intensity, the pain, the fear of motherhood, and the dread possibility of a damaged baby. They were all wrong and all right. It was like nothing Minnie had ever encountered in her entire life. Because she was thirty-six-years old, the doctor had informed her that she was\u2014in medical terms\u2014an elderly primip, or first-time mother.<\/span><\/p>\n

Damn.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

She\u2019d be in her mid-fifties when this one was twenty. Even older if she or Linda had another child. She\u2019d never even considered that angle. The whole pregnancy had been so perfect. She\u2019d gotten pregnant immediately\u2014had no complications, no morning sickness. Had worked until her eighth month, transferring to the Child Protection unit in her second trimester to avoid another stint in records. She simply hadn\u2019t stopped to reflect on what the future might hold.<\/span><\/p>\n

Suddenly, she was terrified\u2014and there was a whole phalanx of medical personnel huddled around her bent knees, intent on yanking a poor defenseless infant into this cruel world.<\/span><\/p>\n

Linda sighed in wonder; apparently she could see what Minnie could not. \u201cThere\u2019s a head,\u201d she cried, tears on her face.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not ready!\u201d Minnie wailed, gripping Linda\u2019s hand with all her might. Felt like her entire insides were being sucked out of her pussy. \u201cPut it back!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou have a beautiful daughter!\u201d Dr. Hughes proclaimed, holding up a squalling baby.<\/span><\/p>\n

She was a girl all right; that was obvious. Screaming her tiny lungs out, bright red and covered in all manner of bodily fluids, her hands and feet slightly purple.<\/span><\/p>\n

The most gorgeous baby on the face of the planet. Minnie gasped, holding out her arms, all trepidation utterly gone. All she wanted was to hold that baby.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe looks perfect,\u201d the doctor said, quickly cutting the cord so that a nurse could wrap the baby in a pink and blue striped blanket. \u201cYou can hold her.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWho does she look like?\u201d Hutch asked, gazing down at the newest member of the combined Kaplan-Baylor-Starsky-Hutchinson family.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone keeps askin\u2019,\u201d Minnie said dreamily, cooing at her baby. She lay back against the pillows in her hospital bed, cuddling the blanket wrapped bundle closely. \u201cShe looks like me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

That was the truth. Linda placed a finger in her daughter\u2019s sweet, warm palm, relishing the miracle of it all when five tiny fingers grabbed hold. What infinite bliss just to look into those bluish gray eyes and wonder what life held for her.<\/span><\/p>\n

She looked exactly like Minnie. Of course, she was only six hours old. There was lots of time for her to grow into herself. But right now, she was Minnie\u2019s girl with skin the color of pale mocha and wisps of dark hair across her round head.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t see a bit of me or Hutch.\u201d From his chair by the bed, Starsky grasped Hutch\u2019s chin in one hand, scrutinizing his face for any resemblance to the baby. \u201cNah, doesn\u2019t have your arrow straight nose or big chin.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo crooked grin or moles,\u201d Hutch shot back across the bow.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHey, hey, trashy daddies,\u201d Minnie chided. The baby made a tiny sound that riveted them all for a moment.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe need a boob?\u201d Starsky asked, stroking her cheek. She opened those fathomless eyes, peering up at him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou are so crass, Starsky.\u201d Linda rolled her eyes, amused nonetheless. \u201cWhat she needs is a name. The nurse said we could take a couple of days, if necessary, but the Birth Certificate lady comes at eight a.m. every morning.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThen you have one hour.\u201d Hutch covered a yawn with one big palm, but it was clear he\u2019d been up for a long time. He leaned back in his chair as if a short nap might be in order.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve all talked about this some.\u201d Minnie shifted her daughter, placing her into Linda\u2019s arms. \u201cBut I really wanted to see what name would suit her.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI remember the rules,\u201d Starsky said, propping his ace-bandaged foot on Hutch\u2019s knee. \u201cShe gets her own name. No Davidas or Kennethies\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cKennethie is not even a name,\u201d Hutch retorted with a beleaguered sniff, although he didn\u2019t shove off Starsky\u2019s foot.<\/span><\/p>\n

Linda perched beside Minnie on the bed so they could hold their daughter together. \u201cNo sharing names. There is Lamont, Cyrus, and Cyprus on my side. And her sister Mariah recently had twins Krystal and Tiffani.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy brother\u2019s kid is Charlemagne.\u201d Minnie pressed a kiss on the baby\u2019s forehead and then a second on Linda\u2019s mouth.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cReally?\u201d Hutch gaped. \u201cMy sister went for much more plebian fare: Jennifer, Joshua, and Jason.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNick\u2019s girlfriend is due in the Spring,\u201d Starsky said thoughtfully. \u201cShould I tell him the rules?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThese are our conditions,\u201d Linda stressed. \u201cNo Ms, no Ls.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat does that leave?\u201d Hutch asked. \u201cAbigail, Beatrice, Camille\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNoel,\u201d Minnie said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI just said that, doll.\u201d Linda grinned at her. \u201cLeftover pregnancy brain? No Ms, no Ls.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNoel,\u201d Minnie said, tapping the baby\u2019s tummy. \u201cHer name is Noel.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cChristmas in French. Perfect.\u201d Hutch nodded. \u201cBecause her birthday is December 27th<\/sup>, on the second day of Christmas.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIsn\u2019t that pronounced knoll?\u201d Starsky asked. \u201cLike the actor who was in Girl From UNCLE.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOnly if it\u2019s for a boy.\u201d Linda kissed Minnie right back. \u201cNoel. Noel Kaplan. I like it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWish it could be Noel Kaplan-Baylor, but they only allow a mother and father\u2019s name on the birth certificate,\u201d Minnie said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd no matter who\u2019s her daddy.\u201d Starsky chucked Noel gently under the chin. She burped. \u201cWe don\u2019t wanna advertise our arrangement just yet.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo it\u2019s Noel Kaplan,\u201d Hutch said, yawning again. \u201cWhat about a middle name?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMore decisions!\u201d Linda moaned, happier than she\u2019d been in a long time. There would be changes in the new year, adjustments, but that was what life was all about. Right now she had a wonderful, if unorthodox, family to bring into 1984. \u201cMerry belated Christmas\u2014\u201c<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd happy New Year,\u201d the other three chorused.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Note: This story is a sequel to\u00a0A Women’s Work Is Never Done posted in the 2017 Advent Calendar. \u201cDid you put the champagne on ice?\u201d Minnie asked, expertly cutting the cheese for the plate already brimming with salami, crackers, a … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,9,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-74","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fic","category-sfw","category-slash"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2019\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2019\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2019\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2019\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2019\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=74"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"http:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2019\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":584,"href":"http:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2019\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74\/revisions\/584"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2019\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=74"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2019\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=74"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2019\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=74"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}