*Ring, ring, ring*
*Ring, ring, ring*
*Ring, ring, ring*
"Hello?" Darlene says impatiently, annoyed that someone has called and disrupted her work.
"Hold on, what are you saying? I can't understand you... Oh my God...I'm on my way."
She slams the phone down and runs to the bedroom and pulls a suitcase out of the closet. She tosses it down on the bed and begins to gather clothes from out of her dresser drawers. She stops for a minute and sits on the edge of the bed as she sobs into the ball of clothes she has just pulled out. She wipes her face, tosses the clothes into the suitcase, closes it and rushes to the livingroom and grabs her car keys. Just as she is about to walk out the door, she almost runs into her husband David.
"Where are you going?" He asks.
"I have to go back home." Darlene answers hysterically.
"Why, what happened?"
"Dad had a heart attack!"
"Oh no, how is he?"
"I don't know." She says sounding defeated "Becky called me all hysterical and I could barely understand her. All I could understand was dad had a heart attack and that she was there when it happened."
"Well let me drive you, you're in no condition to drive." David says trying to comfort his wife.
"You should stay with the kids. You guys can just come down tomorrow evening."
"Well sit down for a minute and get yourself together. You have a two-hour drive and you can't do it in this condition."
David takes Darlene by the arm and leads her to a chair in the kitchen. She sits down and puts her head in her hands.
"It's been so long since dad's other heart attack, I didn't even imagine this would happen again."
"I know." David says stroking her hair. " Does your mom know?"
"Not yet. I told Becky to wait until I got there and I'll call her. I want to see what's going on first. The last thing anyone needs is Becky getting mom all worked up on a cruise ship."
"Do you think she is going to want to come home?" He asks.
"I would think so... Hey, I was thinking if she doesn't have the money to fly back early that we could fly her and Jackie back. We have plenty of money in savings..."
"Of course..."
"I better get going. Don't tell the kids what happened yet. Just say Grandpa wasn't feeling good or something."
"Alright, Love you." David says as he gives Darlene a big hug.
"I love you too."
Darlene and David give each other a kiss and another long hug. David walks her out to her car and watches her pull out of the driveway as she makes the trip back to Lanford.