We're here." Jamie yelled through the house as they entered his childhood home. Eddie's mom was expected to join them at Sunday dinner tonight. The pair was exhausted they just got off of the overnight shift and this was the only day her mom was available to come to town.
Danny walked out of the kitchen into the foyer to greet them, while drying his hand with a towel from doing the dishes. "Woah, what happened to you two?" he questioned as he looked at them puzzled. "You get hit by a bus or something?" he chuckled and stared at them. Both of their eyes were baggy with dark circles and look like they could sleep at any moment.
"We had a night shift," Eddie said as she unzipped her heels and placed the first one on the floor. Danny took her jacket out of her hand to hang it up while Frank walked in.
"Must have been a long tour." he greeted the couple with a smile. "Dinner should be done in a little over an hour and your mom will be here in a little less than an hour so why don't you guys go relax on the couch. Don't worry about dinner."
Eddie immediately responds, "oh my gosh, no it's fine." she added, "we're fine." she said as she placed her other shoe back on the floor.
"I insist."
Eddie looked at him gratefully and then Jamie spoke, " he insisted, I'm going to the couch."
Eddie and Frank both chuckled as Eddie followed him into the den.
The T.V. was on a random channel that neither of them watched for very long. Eddie was passed out on the couch with her legs curled up and her head on his lap. Jamie followed her and had his feet propped up on the coffee table and another. One hand was holding up his head and the other was draped over Eddie. Danny walked into the room to hand both of them a beer when he found them placed on each other like a puzzle piece.
"Erin, get in here," he shouted quietly into the kitchen.
"What?" she yelled.
Danny spoke quickly and quietly in order not to wake them up, "just get in here." he yelled back.
Erin walked in confused why Danny was calling her. "Wha-" she stopped as she noticed the two of them asleep together. A smirk escaped her face, "oh leave them alone." she smiled, "they're tired." she laughed.
"Obviously," he said loudly.
Erin smacked his chest, "can you be quiet for 5 seconds. Leave them alone." she looked back at the two of them and was lost in a train of thought until Danny spoke.
"I miss that," he said as he voice went sad.
Erin felt that. It came from his heart. "I know," she said sorrowed. "But, hey you need to help me in the kitchen," she said as Danny followed her.
A half hour later, the two of them still cuddled together, the doorbell rang. Danny walked to the front of the house opened the door to reveal Eddie's mom. She looked nothing like Eddie. She had her designer purse, a pair of high heels, makeup covered her face from top to bottom, along with a long fur coat.
"Hi, how are you," he greeted her with a hug.
"Good," she said while ended the conversion.
Danny could sense this was getting weird. "How was the ride here." He asked trying to ease the conversation while she took off her shoes.
"Good."
Danny watched her take off her coat, "here, let me," he said as helped her take it off. She smiled slightly at him and placed her shoes next to Eddie.
She looked down at the pile of shoes arranged and scowled at Eddie's. "Who's heels are those," she looked at them in disgust.
"Oh, uh, those are Eddie's." He started quickly and Frank walked into the room.
"Hi, so nice to finally meet you." He said as he greeted her with a kiss.
"You as well," she said nonchalantly. She looked around the room and then back to Frank. "Where's Edit?" She questioned. The reason why she was there was for her daughter. This was the last place she wanted to be.
Frank looked puzzled. "I haven't seen them in a bit." His eye contact moved to Danny.
"Oh, uh, they are in the den. They passed out for a bit." He said to her and then eyed his dad, which gave him the hint. "Lemme go get them." Her mother nodded and looked at Frank.
"So," he said and took a breath, "would you like a drink?" He asked as he led her in the Den.
Danny walked into the kitchen and gave Erin a look.
"What?" She asked confused.
"I can see why she never wants to be with her." He said seriously. "I wouldn't wanna live with that lady either."
Erin looked at him like he was crazy, " I'm sure she's not that bad." She said keeping an open mind.
"Ha," he laughed as he went into the Den to wake them up. "Just wait,"
Danny walked into the room to find Eddie still asleep in exhaust and Jamie stroking her blonde hair. "Hey," he said.
Jamie looked up, "hey,"
"Eddie's mom is here. You might want to wake her up before-" He said when he saw Frank and her mother starting to walk closer to the room.
"Eddie…" he whispered quietly so he didn't startle her. "Hey, wake up," he said and leaned down to give her a kiss.
Her eyes fluttered open and she went right to Jamie. "Hi," she said quietly. She sounded so fragile. She leaned closer into Jamie and moved her body a tad as she stretched. She placed her head back down on her lap and removed the blanket that Jamie placed on her. Her eyes went heavy and started to close when she heard her mom's voice.
"Edit?" her mother asked loudly to startle her, which was exactly what Jamie was trying to avoid.
She jumped a little in Jamie's arms and sat up. "Mom, hi," she said as she went up to hug her.
She turned back and looked at Jamie, "uh, this is Jamie, my fiancee."
"Hi, nice to meet you," he said nicely as always.
Eddie moved closer to Jamie and stayed snug next to him. It made her feel more comfortable, almost as if he was protecting her from all the evil spirits coming from her mother. When her mother did not respond, Jamie spoke, "let's go eat," he said as he squeezed her side letting her know he wasn't leaving her alone.
Her mother continued to play around with the food on her plate, while the rest of the table was almost finished. "Are you not hungry?" Eddie asked as she took a sip of her wine.
He mother put down her fork and looked at Eddie and spoke louder than she needed to. "I don't eat pork," she said and sat back in her seat.
Frank responded ever so quickly, " we can make you something else." he offered.
"No thank you," she said stuck-up and rude which was annoying Eddie.
Everyone got up to clear the dishes. Jamie went to grab Eddie's dish when she grabbed it first. "Here let me help," Eddie said as she helped clear and Eddie's mom grabbed her arm and plopped her back down. Jamie could tell she was getting uncomfortable and her mom wanted to talk to her so he left the room.
"What?" She asked annoyed at how rude she was being.
"Don't 'what' me. Have some manners," she said as she talked to Eddie as her present.
"I have manners." She said as she was interrupted before she could continue.
"You ate like you've never seen the food before,"
"Excuse me?"
"You were sleeping on John, Jim,"
"Jamie." She said sternly.
"That's something you do on your own time." Her mother stated.
"We weren't doing anything mom. We had a long tour."
"Tour?" Her mother asked rudely.
"It's called work,"
Her mother rolled her eyes. "You're still a cop." She said as pretended to be sick.
"Yes, I am, and I love it."
Her mother rolled her eyes, "how much does Jamie make?" She asked out of curiosity.
"Come on mom," she begged her to stop.
"And your shoes. Where did you get those? A garage sale?"
"I'm going to help clean up." She said and left her mother.
"Is she okay in there?" Danny asked. He could see Eddie uncomfortable during Dinner.
"I don't know. Her mother is a piece of work." Jamie sighed as Eddie pushed through the kitchen on the verge of tears, wiping her eyes as a few spilled.
She took a deep breath and placed the rest of the dishes on the table. "Sorry, here are the rest of the plates." She said without making eye contact with anyone.
Jamie looked at his dad and the rest of the family and made his way to Eddie signaling for everyone to leave the kitchen. She was rinsing off some of the dishes when Jamie put his hand on her back. "Hey, look at me." He said to her. "Don't listen to her. You're perfect. You hear me?" He asked gently.
She let another tear escape. "Can we talk about this after...please," she said as she took an uneven breath. Jamie placed a kiss on her forehead and rubbed her back as she finished.
Her mother was finally leaving as she placed her shoes on. Eddie was leaning on Jamie and watched her mother scowl at her shoes which she didn't miss. "Bye, thank you." She said as she left.
Everyone said goodbye and Jamie immediately turned to Eddie. Her eyes rimmed red and Jamie didn't miss a beat. "Come here," he said as he moved her into the living room.
She looked up at him and started to cry as tears were spilling uncontrollably. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she said as she apologized for her mother's actions.
Jamie wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace and sat her down on the couch. "You are nothing to be sorry about. You didn't do anything." He said to her calmly. "Look at me, the way your mom was didn't change a thing alright. You are still the same Eddie." He stroked her back. "Ed," he said she lifted her head from his chest.
"I'm sorry." She apologized again.
"Stop apologizing for something you didn't do."
She quickly spoke. "She treated you and everyone today like some type of slave. Not to mention that she hates everything about me." She said and dropped her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, for everything. I knew it was a bad idea from the start."
"Hey, this was not your fault," he said a little more stern.
"It feels like it." She said as another tear left her eyes.
Jamie leaned down and planted a kiss on her head. "It's me and you. Not me you and your mom."
"I love you." He said to her.
"I love you more." She said and planted a kiss on his lips.
