Jeremy followed her to try to get her to talk. "Talk to me, Mom," he pressed. He was tired but this couldn't be left as it was.

"There's nothing to talk about," she said covering her face with her hands. She was at the end of her rope.

"I think there is," he sat on the steps. "You're mad at him."

"No, I'm hurt," she corrected. "That's a big difference."

He nodded, "He wanted to protect us, that's why. You know how he feels about being seen as weak or as a burden and there's a reason I believed you were the one that was sick, Mom. Because you look it, you look tired and rundown, you do."

"I'm fine," she insisted. "If not tired."

Jeremy gave up and just hugged his mother close to him. "We're going to get through this. We are." He hugged her until Lydia interrupted them. "Dad, I don't think Grandpa feels good again." She was biting her lip.

This time, Denise got up and went to her husband. If he was sick or in pain she needed to be there, her own feeling be damned.

He was coughing pretty hard, she hadn't seen or heard it quite like this before. Dakota was up, so was JJ. He was hanging onto Dakota while Lydia held onto Jeremy.

Denise went and held his hand. "It's okay honey," she soothed. "I'm right here, just don't fight it."

After about ten minutes Tanya got up and went in there, "Do you want some medication?" she asked him. She knew how important it was that he be in control of his own fate.

He shook his head, speaking was out of the question.

She shook hers but waited it out until finally it stopped. "Better?" she asked. She tried to appear to be doing something for the sake of her children who didn't know the truth.

"Yeah," he replied still more or less gasping for air.

"Okay, lie back, I'll get you some extra pillows, that might make it easier." Tanya rubbed arm and touched her mother- in- law's hand. She got the pillows and shooed her kids to their room. She knew by the look on her husband's face, he knew the truth.

Lydia was attached to her father's side. Jeremy was trying not to show his emotions, "Is Grandpa still sick?" she asked her Mom. "Can you fix it?"

"No baby, we can't fix it," Tanya replied sadly. "We'll talk in a minute."

"Let's go in our room," Jeremy told his kids. "All of you."

They all nodded and went to their parents' room.

Jeremy sat on the bed along with Tanya and the kids. She took a deep breath, "Guys, Grandpa is sick. He has cancer; you know what that is right?"

Lydia and Dakota started to cry immediately, they knew exactly what that was. It killed people.

"Well he's going to do chemo and stuff right?" JJ asked. "I'll quit the band and help."

"No sweetie, he isn't," Tanya replied, she was choking up. She knew chemo may buy him time, but it cost him too.

Jeremy took over, "The truth is that Grandpa...Mom and I are going to help Grandpa and Gram as much as we can and help him feel as well as he can as long as he can. But, Grandpa's going to go to Heaven."

"No!"Lydia screamed. "Stop lying! He isn't going anywhere!"

Denise appeared in the doorway, Frank right behind her. He'd heard the tears and made her let him go. "They aren't lying, Angel." Frank told her. "They aren't."

"Yes they are!"She sobbed, he think little shoulders shaking so hard the thought she'd turn herself inside out.

"Why would they lie?" Denise asked her quietly. "Why would they want to lie to you about that?"

"To make me feel guilty," she sniffled looking at her father.

Frank sighed, "Everybody out. All of you, Denise, Jeremy, all of you but Lydia, out."

They all nodded and left the room, when he spoke they all listened.

Frank went to Lydia and sat down on the bed. "Guilty about what, Sweetie?" He pulled her onto his lap and held her; he was trying to show her that while he might be sick, he was still, for now, strong and there for her.

"For being a rotten daughter," she replied and sniffed back again.

"A rotten, honey, you're not a rotten daughter, why would you think that?" Frank asked. If his son did anything to make her feel that way he'd deal with him.

"I can't help Mom and Dad with their marriage or money problems, I can't do anything about any of it," she told him, confessing a feeling of responsibility far beyond her years.

"Mom and Dad have money problems?" Frank asked. "You know, you can do something. You can tell me and I might be able to help. Tell me what's wrong with their marriage and the money."

"Dad quit his job so Mom has to work extra hours to make ends meet and they fight constantly," she said. "He actually shoved her."

Frank was speechless, "Are you talking about his Army job or his architecture job?"

"Architecture, he was discharged from the Army," she told him wiping her face with the back of her hand. It stung.

"I know that," Frank sighed. "When did he shove Mom?"

"The night before you got here, he shoved her and cursed at me and Dakota," Lydia explained. If Grandpa wanted to know she'd tell him. It felt better out of her.

Frank nodded, "Has he ever...hit Mom or you kids?"

She sighed and looked at her lap; that was enough of an answer for Frank.

"Tell me about it," Frank was getting tired but she needed him. They all did.

"He drinks...a lot," she said. "And he gets mean."

"Has he touched you in a way that is...Where has he touched you that hurt?" Frank asked. He was getting sick to his stomach; he had to deal with his son, soon.

"Mostly my face." She pointed to her cheeks then her forearms. "And my arms."

"What about your legs or anywhere else?" Frank asked praying he was not going to find out his son hurt his daughters that way.

"No," she replied, shaking her head.

"Okay, listen to me, Lyds," Frank sighed and looked her right in the eye. "You are growing up, but you're not an adult and the things you told me are adult problems, baby. Do you want to help your Mom and Dad?"

She nodded vigorously.

"Then whenever you see Dad drink or when he gets mad and loses his temper with anyone you tell me right away, no matter what I'm doing, even if I'm asleep, you come and get me, promise?"

"Promise," she said finally beginning to calm down.

"That's my girl, Mom and Dad weren't lying about that other stuff, but Grandpa's got some work to do so I'm going to stick around awhile, I'm old but I'm tough." He kissed her cheek. "No more crying, go back to bed, it's after 2."

She nodded, she was falling asleep on his lap, she kissed his cheek. "I love you Grandpa."

"I love you too Lyds," he sighed. He stood with her in his arms and carried her to her bed. "Denise!"

Denise hurried to the bed room. "What?"

"Let's go to bed, I have a lot to do tomorrow," he looked at Lydia. "Very enlightening conversation."

"What about?" she asked.

"Jeremy, our boy's in trouble and I didn't see it, this is going to make it worse," he wrapped his arms around her. "Let's go to bed, I need sleep and then I need a plan."

She smiled and nodded "I love you."

"Let's get some sleep." He took her to their room. "I want you to take Tanya and the children out tomorrow, all of them unless I say different."

"Okay." Denise knew when Frank got like this to just nod and go along.

He lay down and pulled her close, only his body didn't relax at all, he remained very tense and on alert.

Denise rubbed his arms to help him relax "You okay?"

"Far from it, Dee," he sighed trying not to cry thinking of what Lydia told him. "Far from it."

"What's wrong?" She leaned up on her elbow.

"I don't want to talk about it right now," he was trying to hold the tears back.

"Frank, please, you're scaring me," she moved closer.

"Not right now," he said again. "Just, just come here...come here."

Denise snuggled close to him, she buried her face in his chest, she did this when she was frightened.

"I'm going to fight it Dee," he sighed.

"I know."

"No, I mean I want to do the chemo, all that...I think I'm going to try to fight it," he told her. He had to; he couldn't leave things like this.

Denise smiled brightly "Thank you."

"Try, I won't promise I'll stay on it," he clarified.

She nodded. "Fair enough," she said and held on to him tight "I love you so much Frank."

"Love you too, try and sleep," he kissed her hair. "Try to sleep."

She nodded and laid on his chest and closed her eyes

Denise fell asleep quickly, Frank didn't sleep at all.