Birth and Rebirth

Meanwhile in Dana’s Apartment on Central Park West . . .

Peter stood in the doorway of Oscar’s room, watching Dana dress him in powder blue footy pajamas, and lay him down to sleep. He marveled at how much he loved them both, and wondered how he ever lived without them. Dana tiptoed over to him, and they silently exited their sleeping baby’s room.

“I’m glad you came over, Peter. We don’t get to spend many nights together these days.”

“Yeah, I know. What can I say, I just had to see you.” He stroked her neck with both hands then kissed her forcefully before dropping his hands to her backside. She sighed to herself. This was a typical ‘Venkman Overture’. Peter always put on a big show of proving his intentions when he was blatantly lying. They pulled apart and she smiled serenely at him.

She nodded in understanding. “Slimer was on your bed again, wasn’t he?”

“Frosted it like a cake.” They laughed heartily while going to get ready to retire.

In Dana’s bedroom, Peter undressed while Dana brushed her teeth in the bathroom that connected to her room. “Hey Dana?”

“Mm humph,” she replied around a mouthful of Aquafresh.

“Do you ever think about having another kid?”

She rinsed, gargled, and spit out the toothpaste. “What?” she called over the running water.

“A baby. Do you want to have another one some day?”

She emerged from the bathroom, in a nightgown, smelling of rose-scented lotion and mint. “Sure. I mean I guess so.” She gazed at him in puzzlement. “Where did that come from?”

He shrugged. “I dunno.”

She looked at him seriously and he glanced away. She smiled knowingly. “Jake and Jess make a nice couple, don’t they? They seem so happy.”

“Yeah. It must be nice.”

“What!” She looked hurt.

He looked up suddenly, realizing what he’d just said. “Oh no! Uh . . . being married, I mean. It must be nice being married.”

“Oh.” She relaxed visibly. “It must be nice going through the pregnancy together, too.”

Peter’s gaze met Dana’s and he swallowed hard. “Yeah. It must be nice.”

She let out an empathetic sigh. “Oh Peter. I know you wish that you were Oscar’s father, but I think it’s just enough that you’ll always be his daddy. My ex-husband isn’t shit. You were right; he ditched me when we found out I was pregnant. He left me to put my career on hold because he didn’t want to compromise his own goals. You would have never done that to me. I would love to have a child with you, but if that isn’t in the cards, just know that Oscar and I love you very much.”

“I love you both, too. Yo my my family. I just want to be a real father too. A good father.”

“Peter, blood doesn’t make a good father. You should know that better than anyone. Love makes a family. And the ones you chose to love are just as much your family as the father whose attention you had to fight for, maybe even more so. You chose Egon, Ray and Winston to be your brothers, Janine to be your little sister, Mrs. Faversham to be your surrogate mother, and me to be your wife. Now you’ve chosen Oscar to be your son. When we get married, he will be Oscar Peter Venkman, and if we do have other children together, you will be equally his father and theirs.”

Peter smiled and kissed her. “I knew there was a reason I loved you so much.”

“What’s a ball-and-chain for?” she asked while seng hng herself beneath her down comforter.

Peter laughed heartily and leapt into bed beside her.