Hey, there! Sorry this took a while…Work, life, all that blech…ugh. Anyhoo, there is some saucy language and some shecksiness in this installment. Thank you for the continued kindness via the lovely reviews and Tumblr posts . You guys are so lovely!

"Babe?"

Dropping the baby bag at the door, Andy quickly made his way into the house, Annie Grace bouncing on his hip as they made their way towards the master bedroom having found the kitchen and family room empty.

"Babe? Babe, where are you?"

"Babe! Babe!" Annie Grace mimicked Andy's call as they approached the master's closed door.

Immediately wondering what troubles had accompanied the lunch with Jack, he instinctually put his hand on the knob, but hesitated given that he had the toddler in his arms.

"Babe!"

"Shhh…shh, lovebug." He turned the baby away from the door whispering, "I think Nana's night-night. Let's go change your diaper and check on the doggies."

"Nana night-night?"

The sound of the door hinge lightly creaking was followed by Sharon's gentle voice. "Hi, my sweethearts."

"Nana!" Annie Grace stretched her little arms out towards her grandmother. "Hold you, Nana?"

"Oh, yes, yes, please. Come here, angel baby, and let Nana love on you." Sharon quickly gathered the little one to her, kissing her neck. "Oh, you're sticky! You had a big day, didn't you? Did you have so much fun with Gandy and Lou-Lou?"

Watching the interaction between his wife and grandbaby, Andy's stomach twisted with worry as he noted how pale Sharon looked, not to mention her red-rimmed, puffy eyes.

"You okay, honey?"

Resting her cheek on the side of the baby's head she did her best to smile, but he detected a sadness behind it that inspired him to wrap his arms around her.

"Whatever it is, it's going to be alright. It will."

She appreciated the comfort he offered and would have liked nothing more than to curl up in bed with her husband and granddaughter, but the baby's diaper was heavy and both she and Andy smelled of sunscreen, not to mention Annie Grace having remnants of blue cotton candy on her little cheeks and around her mouth, so she gave his cheek a quick kiss and murmured, "We'll talk later. Why don't you take a quick shower and I'll give Missy Prissy here a wipe down with a warm washcloth. Sandwiches for dinner okay?"

"You don't have to do that. I can feed and bathe Annie Grace and you can rest…"

Leaning back, she shook her head, her voice thick as she admitted, "I want some time with her. I need to hold her for a bit."

Tension filled his body as his imagination went wild with the possible ways Jack could have driven her to her current emotional state. "What did he do this time?"

Shaking her head, she whispered, "Later."

Their light supper quickly and quietly shared, a warm bath and fifteen minutes of rocking to her grandmother's sweetly sung lullabies resulted in Annie Grace going down for the night, the day's excitement and the lack of an afternoon nap leading to the toddler crashing hard.

"That was fast."

Andy wrapped his arms around Sharon's waist, his chin on her shoulder as they watched the baby sleep from the doorway of the nursery.

"She was wiped out from all the fun with her Gandy," Sharon whispered, reaching up and gentling cupping his cheek.

"Nana seems a bit wiped out herself."

Sharon had said little during dinner, Andy carrying most of the conversation as he recounted the young woman asking to film Annie Grace and all the smiles and waves she received as other patrons recognized the beautiful baby with the smiling green eyes from the big screen. Sharon, in turn, refrained from admitting she had seen them on the television, even when they moved from the patio to the family room and Andy pulled up the moment in the fourth inning when the trio was filmed on the DVR.

Now in his arms, the emotional toll of whatever had transpired with Jack was evident in the way she leaned against him, her arms limp and spine curved under an unseen weight.

"How about a hot bath and a glass of wine?"

"Oh, yes, please."

Slipping out of her clothes and into the cool satin navy blue robe with which her husband had gifted her on her last birthday, Sharon removed her glasses and traded them for the glass of rose sitting on the dresser as she listened to Andy move about the master bath as he filled the tub and added her favorite bath oils while Alexa softly filled the room with her classical playlist.

The bath full, Andy lit a few candles before sticking his head around the doorway, his worry renewing as he found her leaning against the edge of the dresser, her head bowed and hands covering her face.

"Oh, sweetheart." He pulled her against his chest and ran his hands up and down her back.

"Sorry," she quickly wiped her face, twisting away from him. "I hate that I'm crying. It's ridiculous."

"Why is it ridiculous? I wish you'd tell me what he did that has made you so upset."

Turning back into him, she rested her forehead against his collar bone and wrapped her arms around him, grateful for his care, but dreading the actual telling.

"Come on. We don't want your water to get cold." Taking her hand, he led her into the bathroom and helped her out of her robe before assisting her into the tub. Her contented sigh giving him a small sense of relief, he turned towards the door and offered, "I'll get your wine…"

"And then will you stay?"

Grateful she wanted his company, he leaned over and kissed the top of her head. "Of course."

She rested her head against the edge of the tub and looked up at him. "Thank you. Oh, and will you bring the baby monitor in with you? Just in case."

"Yeah, sure thing. Anything else?"

Smiling, she shook her head. "Just you. I just need you."

Returning her smile, he placed a quick kiss to her forehead before slipping from the room.

Left alone, Sharon's gaze went to the ceiling, her tears returning as she slipped beneath the water allowing herself a few moments of escape to decide how she wanted to share the difficult news of Jack's illness and all the complications that came with it.

Pushing her head far enough out of the water so that her mouth cleared the water line, she waited to speak until Andy had returned and had lowered himself to the floor so that he was comfortably leaning against the wall opposite her head. "Before we get into my afternoon, tell me some more about yours. Tell me something happy, I mean besides getting to show the world and his wife what a proud grandpa you are, what was the best part of your day?"

"Well…" he moved to his knees and reached into the water. "Here, give me your foot, babe."

Letting herself enjoy the exquisite feel of his thumbs pressing into her arch, she sat up long enough to take a sip of her wine before prodding him to talk. "Come on. Best part?"

"Well one of the definite highlights I will show you after your bath. I took video on my phone and I already sent it to Em, but you have to watch that little monster tear into some cotton candy. I think I went through half a package of wipes trying to clean her up. Louie tried to steal a bite, but she pulled the bag away and said, "Not you, Lou-Lou."

"Oh, I can't wait. That girl is too funny."

"It was a great day. She loved it so much; the people, the music, the food. We had a great time. Maybe you and I can take her to another game before he summer's over."

"I'd love that. Just you and me."

Andy released one foot and waited for her to give him her other before asking, "So, enough about our day. Tell me about yours. What was the reason for lunch? Money? A place to stay?"

"Cancer."

The foot massage came to an immediate halt as Andy repeated the word, unsure if he had heard her correctly. "Cancer?"

She nodded.

"Jack has cancer?"

Sharon eased her foot out of his hand before drawing her knees up to her chest as she sat up in the water. "Pancreatic and it's bad. He only has months."

"Jesus." Andy waited for her to continue, but she only closed her eyes and rested her cheek against her knees. "So, what are his plans? Is he staying with his brother? Will he go into some sort of facility? Does he want to stay here?"

"He didn't ask me if he could stay here and his brother is the latter stages of Alzheimer's so that's out, but he is refusing to seek palliative care or to go into hospice." Sharon quietly explained as she lifted her head so that her chin now rested on her knees.

"Okay. Would you want him to stay here?" He shifted so that his elbow was resting on the edge of the tub, his hand supporting his head.

"I don't think that will be necessary."

Andy found her response surprising given their history. "Why is that?"

"He doesn't want to wait to let the illness take him so he's going to crush up pain killers and mix them into something and just…go to sleep."

"Good God, Jack." He sat up, sighing and shaking his head.

"And he wants me to be there when he does it."

"What!?"

"Shh! Calm down, sweetheart." She reached out and wrapped her hand around his wrist. "I told him no and then he asked me if I would agree to be the one to find him and contact the authorities after he's done it."

"No. Absolutely not."

His strong and immediate response didn't surprise her. "I didn't agree to it. I told him I would think about it."

"It puts you in a compromising position, Sharon!"

"Please keep your voice down." While she was certain Annie Grace was far enough away that his angry shouting wouldn't reach her, his outbursts were counteractive to the relaxing atmosphere he gone to so much trouble to create for her, and ultimately served no purpose other than to raise his blood pressure and fray her nerves.

"I'm sorry. Sorry, I just…"

"I know, but I can't totally turn my back on him, for Emily and Ricky's sake, at the least, and, of course, history aside, I can't just dismiss what he is going through for the same reason."

"God, poor Ricky and Em. When he is going to tell them?"

"He's not."

"What do you mean?"

Sharon shrugged. "Just that. He wants the last bit of time he gets to spend with them to be happy, and he's mostly just scared that they will be, in his words, indifferent to his situation."

Andy scowled. "I know this is the pot calling the kettle when it comes to being a shit father, but in spite of his crap history in that department, he has great kids who were raised by a fantastic mother. They are sweet, kind people; of course, they won't be indifferent to his being sick. Good grief."

"I told him something very similar, but he seemed determined. I did ask him to let me be there if he does change his mind and decides to tell them."

"Dammit. He can't even do the right thing in the face of his own death."

Sharon shifted back against the back of the tub her eyes shut tight as she fought a new bout of tears. "Why is this getting to me? After all he's done…"

Andy reached down and tenderly stroked her leg. "Your tears aren't for Jack, babe. I mean, of course, you feel bad for him. You are a good person and no matter what he has done to you and the kids, you're going to feel sympathy for anyone who was just diagnosed with terminal cancer." He used his free hand to gently wiped under her eyes as he continued, "These tears are for the kids and what you know they are about to go through, and I think you are probably also grieving for the husband and father Jack could never find it in himself to become."

Years of AA meetings and family counseling gave Andy a perspective on life that had surprised Sharon on more than one occasion, but perhaps never more so than at this moment.

"You're a little bit amazing, you know that?"

Leaning forward to kiss her, he returned, "You're a lot amazing."

Strains of "Clair De Lune" filling the otherwise quiet room, the couple took a moment to simply exchange loving smiles before Andy asked, "Would you like me to wash your hair?"

Sighing gratefully, she nodded. "That would be wonderful."

Sliding back into the water, she rewet her hair and then sat up while he retrieved her shampoo and conditioner from the shower stall.

"Tip your head back, sweetheart." He poured a small amount of soap into the palm of his hand before gently working it into her locks and then massaging her scalp.

"That feels so good."

Leaning forward, he kissed her shoulder and whispered, "Good," before retrieving a small pitcher from below the sink on the opposite side of the room.

Waiting until he had most of the shampoo rinsed from her hair, Sharon shared her final bit of news. "Jack wants to see Annie Grace."

"When Em is here weekend after next?"

Sharon twisted her head around as she reached up and took one of his hands. "This week. He knows we're keeping her while Emily is out of town."

"What?! I thought he was under the impression that she took her with her."

"He was."

"And you told him she was here?!"

"Andy, please, honey, please keep your voice down. No, I did not tell him. He saw her on the television in the patio bar; the jumbotron video. That's how he knows."

"Dammit!' He pulled his hand away and moved to his feet so he could make a quick circuit of the room, his fists clenching and unclenching as he fought to contain his composure. "So, what? He's just going to show up and expect us to just hand her over to someone who is practically a stranger? She doesn't know him, Sharon. He's not…" He didn't finish the thought as he ran a frustrated hand through his hair while perching on the bathroom counter, his focus on the tiles in front of him.

"He's not you. He most definitely is not you. You are her sweet, wonderful Gandy whom she adores. He is her mother's father, and therefore, her grandfather, and of course, we are not just handing her over to him. I told him there were multiple conditions to his seeing her."

Sighing, he forced himself to look at her. "And these conditions are?"

"Well, Emily has to okay it for starters. Her child, her decision, and if she does agree to let him see her, it won't happen here. I told him he can't just show up at our home on a whim. We will schedule a date and a time in a public place and you and I will both be there."

He still wasn't thrilled with the idea, but her terms did make the concept seem a tad more palatable. "It isn't that I begrudge a dying man the chance to see his family, but..."

"But if he hadn't been diagnosed with a terminal illness, he would be making absolutely no effort to see her. I know, I know Andy. Believe me, I don't like it any more than you, but it is what it is. And who knows? Maybe Emily will say no."

"Fingers crossed."

"I don't want to talk about Jack or Cancer or death any more tonight." The melancholy tone of Vaughn Williams' "The Lark Ascending" only enhancing the tension in the room, Sharon suddenly announced, "Enough," before calling out, "Alexa, play Van Morrison."

The opening notes of "Crazy Love" starting, the corners of Andy's mouth curled up as he pushed himself away from the counter. "Van, huh?"

There was a palpable shift in the room as the tenor's gentle voice sang the first few lyrics.

"You bet your ass Van. Now, Mr. Flynn, I need a distraction. You think you could help me out?"

Swaying lightly as he began to cross back towards her, he sang along:

…And when I come to her that's where I belong,

Yet I'm running to her like a river's song,

She give me love, love, love, love crazy love…

Bracing himself on the edge of the tub, leaned down and gave her a lingering kiss before whispering, "I've got an idea about how I can distract you."

"I think I'm going to like this idea." She gave him a quick peck before adding, "Let me finish my hair and then I'll meet you in the bedroom."

In the time it took her to finish her bath and give her hair a quick blow dry, Andy had lit candles throughout the bedroom and changed from his comfy sweats and t-shirt into a pair of navy-blue silk pajama pants that coordinated with Sharon's open robe.

Standing at the end of bed as he lounged in the middle, she teased, "You're wearing your fancy pants."

"I thought you liked my fancy pants."

Climbing onto the bed, she rested on her knees as she reached out and tugged on one of his pants cuffs. "I do. I like the way they feel when I do this." She moved onto all fours and let her right hand slip up the inside of his left leg, a sly smile on her face as she watched his gaze move to her breasts, the firelight from the candles illuminating her ivory skin.

"I like the way it feels when you do anything," he whispered as she straddled his lap and brought his hands up to cup her breasts.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she ran her fingernails up the back of his head, leaning forward and sucking on his earlobe before whispering, "Make me forget today."

And for the next hour he did.

"Boo-bell! Booby! Dunny!"

There was early morning dew on the grass, but knowing they had no plans for the day, Sharon set a barefoot Annie Grace into the yard just off the patio and watched the little one toddle towards the excited dogs who were shimmying and panting as they anxiously waited at the gate for the baby's attention.

"Everybody wants to give Annie Grace kisses this morning," she cooed as the toddler giggled while receiving licks from the other side of the gate through which her arms were outstretched.

Coffee in hand, Sharon settled into a patio chair and pulled her phone out of her shorts pocket and checked the time before calling out, "Mama is going to call us in a few minutes, angel baby."

"You sure you don't want some eggs or something?" Andy asked as he appeared on the patio with a tray containing two bowls of malt-o-meal for himself and Annie Grace, as well as a bowl of fruit and a few slices of toast. "You need something more than toast and coffee."

"I'm good for now."

Truth be told, she had woken at four and been unable to get back to sleep and was now experiencing the nausea that often accompanied a lack of rest coupled with stress.

"Well, I'm happy to get you whatever if you change your mind." Andy kissed the top of her head before turning and doing a silly walk with his arms outstretched in Annie Grace's direction. "I'm-a-gonna get you! I'm-a-gonna get me a baby!"

Watching Andy chase their squealing, laughing granddaughter, she almost missed Emily's call.

"Good morning, sweetheart!" Sharon smiled brightly at her daughter who was also still in her pajamas from the view FaceTime provided.

"Hey, mom. How's it going?"

Sharon had to fight making a face as she considered the loaded question, but managed to maintain her smile as she answered, "Really well. Gandy is chasing down that crazy girl so we can clean the puppy dog kisses off of her and eat some malt-o-meal."

"Puppy dog kisses and malt-o-meal sound pretty good to me."

Picking up the phone, Sharon turned the screen so Emily could watch Andy cradle Annie Grace in his arms, burying his face into her belly and making gobbling noises which earned him a massive burst of giggles as they made their way to the sink near the grill.

"It's a shame they don't like one another," Emily teased. "She's never going to want to come home with me after being spoiled rotten by Gandy and Nana for a month."

"Oh, stop. She is going to light up like a Christmas tree when she gets over here. She always does." Looking over her shoulder briefly, Sharon took a deep breath and gathered her wits before telling Emily, "So, your Dad is in town. I met him for lunch yesterday while they were at the ball game."

Emily's brow furrowed in response. "Of course, he's in LA when I'm not. That figures."

"I think he'll be here for a while." Sharon was intent on staying as ambiguous as possible when it came to information about Jack. "He asked if he could see Annie Grace."

The immediate tension in Emily's body was apparent even on the small screen of the Iphone. "Well, that's certainly out of the blue."

"I told him it was your call. I'll do whatever you want, Em."

"But you're the one who will have to deal with him. How did he look? Sober?"

"I think so. I told him that if you were okay with it, we could meet in a public place and that both Andy and I would be there."

"She doesn't know him, Mom."

"I know, honey."

"Is it terrible that I want to say no just because it's his idea?"

Sharon inhaled deeply, giving her daughter an understanding nod. "It's understandable, not terrible, but…"

"But if I say no, he'll hold it over me for years."

Sharon took another deep breath, her promise to Jack regarding telling the kids about his illness making it hard for her to respond. Thankfully, Emily kept the conversation going as she asked, "Let me think about it, okay?"

"Of course, honey."

"I'm sorry you're in the middle, Mom. I'll try to call him and see if he's willing to wait until I get back into town, so you don't have to deal with him. It won't hurt him to wait. God knows he's left us waiting plenty of times."

"Okay, well let me know what he says. You know I will do whatever you think is best." Sharon glanced back over her shoulder as she heard Andy and Annie Grace approaching. "Like I said, it is your call."

"Mama!"

"Hi, Pickle! Oh, I miss you so much, baby!"

Nothing more about Jack was said after Sharon took her granddaughter into her arms so Annie Grace and Emily could begin their morning ritual of blowing kisses and singing silly songs.

Much to Emily's surprise, her dad answered her call on the second ring.

"Emily Jane Raydor, the most gorgeous girl I know! How are you, darling?"

Ducking back into a doorway in the hall just inside the stage door of the Seattle theatre in which the company was currently booked, she took a deep breath before answering, "I'm fine, Dad. How are you?"

"Ah, well, old and ornery, but that's nothing new. So, how is your tour?"

"It's going well, I think, I mean we are still making a few adjustments, but we're getting good reviews."

Unbeknownst to Emily, her father was currently curled in the fetal position in the middle of a full-sized bed at the back of a small rent house a buddy was letting him use in-between tenants. A sharp pain shooting through his abdomen, he tried to swallow a groan, but wasn't entirely successful.

"Dad, you okay? You don't sound too good."

"No, no, I'm okay, sweetheart. Just a bit of a stomachache. I think I had some bad shellfish or something. Anyway, tell me more about your tour."

The dance captain of the company suddenly stepped outside the door to let Emily know they were ready to do a run through. "Like I said, it's early, but I have high hopes. Look, Dad, I talked to Mom this morning and she said you are in town and want to see Annie Grace."

"Oh, yeah. She and I had a nice lunch yesterday. So, well, I just figured since I was here…"

Emily bit her bottom lip, deciding how to proceed. "I guess it would be okay, but you know she isn't that familiar with you, right, Dad? Don't get me wrong, she's very social and sweet, but she is very close with Mom…"

"And Andy. I know, I know, sweetheart. Don't worry. I don't expect her to leap into my arms. I'd just like the chance to see her, that's all. Just a little bit of time to watch her play and hear her little voice. That's all I'm asking for, Emily."

There was a desperation in Jack's tone that surprised her and with little deliberation she quickly answered, "Okay. I'll get with Mom and she'll call you to set up something."

"Oh, thank you, sweetheart. Thank you so much."

"How long will you be in town, Dad? I'll be home from the tour in a month."

Another strong pain hitting him, Jack's answer came through gritted teeth. "Yeah, maybe I'll be around. I'm not sure, but I'd love to see you, sweetheart." Taking a breath as the pain mercifully subsided, he managed, "I know you won't have much time, but your mom said you and Rick would both be in town weekend after next. Do you think I could steal just the two of you away? Maybe meet for a late dinner, you know, after the baby is asleep." His voice softened as he added, "I know your time with her is precious."

Surprised by the request and alarmed by his unusual tone, she once again asked, "Dad, are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, Em, I told you just old and ornery. So, what about getting together?"

The dance captain appearing again, Emily waved and nodded to signal she would be in shortly. "I'm sure we can work something out. I'm sorry, but I really must run, Dad. I'm glad we got to talk and I'm glad you're going to see Annie Grace."

"Oh, me, too, sweetheart. Me, too. Thank you so much."

"I'm sorry, but I really have to go."

"Sure, sure. Hey, just…I love you, Emily. I love you so much."

"Dad?"

His voice thick as tears ran down his cheeks, he quickly ended the conversation with, "Go do your thing, sweetheart. We'll talk soon."

Lifting Sharon's wrist to look at her watch, Andy reported an annoyed, "It's already ten after one," before pulling out the wand from a bottle of bubbles and sending a swarm of iridescent spheres floating around their delighted granddaughter and three dogs in their fairly secluded section of the park.

"Punctuality was never his strong suit, among other things," Sharon responded as she took a few steps from the picnic table at which they had set up lunch in anticipation of Jack's arrival. A hand lifted to shield her eyes from the midday sun, she scanned the parking lot about fifty yards away for any sign of her ex-husband. Turning back, she couldn't help but smile as she watched Andy attempt to teach the little one how to blow bubbles which resulted in a few adorable raspberry's blown from the toddler's lips.

"Here, let Nana blow the bubbles and Gandy can help you catch them."

Now in control of the wand, Sharon kept a steady flow of bubbles dancing about them as the little girl squealed and giggled as her grandfather swung her through the swarm while the dogs barked and yipped around them.

"Gandy, don't overdo it. Nana has some plans for you later." Lifting her eyebrows suggestively, she stopped blowing bubbles long enough to wrap an arm around his waist as she lifted her face for a kiss which was quickly returned, although Andy quickly pulled back as he realized the real reason for this sudden show of affection.

"You're wiping your sticky fingers on my shirt, aren't you?"

Biting her bottom lip, Sharon gave his side a squeeze before jogging away. "Bubbles are messy!"

"Oh, your Nana is in for it now, isn't she, lovebug?" Andy set the baby on the ground before taking off after her grandmother.

"Andy! Don't you dare!" Dodging one way and then running the other, Sharon only managed a few steps as her husband anticipated her moves and soon had his arms around her waist and his face buried in her neck as he blew similar raspberries to the toddler's.

"Me! Me! Hold you!" Not wanting to miss the fun, Annie Grace was soon wrapped around Sharon's legs.

Andy reached down and soon had the little one nestled between them as he made gobbling noises on her shoulder and the back of her neck.

Laughing, Sharon happened to glance over and notice the figure of a man very similar to Jack's build heading away from their direction and towards the parking lot.

"I think that's him," she made sure Andy had a good hold on Annie Grace before she set off after the man. "Jack?! Jack!?"

Jack, however, ignored her calls and picked up his pace until he reached a gray Camry at the far-side of the lot. To his chagrin, the exit was exactly where Sharon was headed and he had to choose whether to continue to ignore her presence or endure an interrogation if he stopped. Knowing the latter was inevitable, he slowed the car down and rolled down his window.

"Look, Sharon-"

"What the hell are you doing? Where are you going?"

Sighing, he shifted his gaze from her to where Andy and Annie Grace were waiting by the table in the distance, the little girl distracted by the three dogs while Andy's focus was directed on him. "I thought it would be okay, Sharon. I really did, but then I see him and you and she's…you're so happy and she's happy and I…look, I just can't do it. I thought I could, but I can't."

One of Sharon's greatest gifts, whether it played into her being a police officer, a mother, a wife, or simply a fellow human being, was her ability to put herself in another person's shoes which she did at this moment.

"She is your granddaughter, Jack, I get it. I'm sure it is incredibly hard to see someone filling a role that could have been yours, and we've reached a point that accusations and blame are inconsequential because time is a precious commodity which is exactly why you can't afford to squander it. Please don't throw away this opportunity."

Jack's head remained pressed against the headrest and his eyes closed as they had been since Sharon had begun her plea. "I fucked it all up, Sharon. I hate myself for fucking it all up."

Unable to bear watching him cry, she turned and looked over her shoulder to fine, as expected, Andy watching them. Her gaze shifted to the ground for a moment as she considered how hurt Emily would eventually be to know her father had given up the chance to spend time with her child when he knew he had only a few months to live.

"Look, what if Andy takes the dogs down to the other end where the dog park is? It would just be you and me and Annie Grace."

Jack slowly opened his eyes, glancing at her before turning back to the windshield. "That won't piss him off?"

"Oh, I'm sure it will, but he will eventually get over it, if not for me, then for Emily."

He quickly wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and nodded. "I do want to see her. I'd like this time with her and you."

"Go park and give me a few minutes to talk to him."

Jack nodding in agreement, she steeled herself for her husband's reaction as she set off back towards their table, only to be met halfway by Andy who had Annie Grace on his hip and the leashed dogs at his feet.

"So, what? Is he staying or going?"

Sharon shook her head and nodded towards Annie Grace. "Please don't get upset. Look, I'm not saying he doesn't deserve to suffer or endure…a lot of things, but he doesn't have much time, Andy, and this might be the last chance he has to ever see his own daughter's child."

Confused, he scowled as he asked, "Don't get upset? What is going to upset me?"

"He walked up and saw us having this wonderful time together with her and it was more than he could bear so he was going to leave, but you and I both know it will break Emily's heart if she finds out he didn't see Annie Grace, but he isn't comfortable seeing her with you," she placed her hand on his chest as she finished explaining, "so I asked him if he would stay if you took the dogs down to the dog park and gave him some time with just her and me."

"Are you serious? You're serious?" Andy's tone was high, his exasperation evident not only to Sharon, but to Annie Grace as well, whose bottom lip was curling as she held out her arms to Sharon.

"Nana?"

"Come here, baby," Gently patting her granddaughter's back, Sharon softly pleaded, "Please stay calm, honey. You have to know I don't like it, either, but in the end, it will mean something to Em that her dad spent at least a little time with her daughter before he died. This isn't for Jack. It's for Emily. Please do this for Emily."

Throwing his head back, Andy sighed deeply before looking back down into two sets of beautiful, but sad green eyes.

"Andy?"

"Okay. Okay, I'll go. How do you want to…when should I come back?"

"I'll text you. Won't be more than forty-five minutes or so, okay?"

"Okay." Andy ran his hand over Annie Grace's curls. "I love you, lovebug. Give Gandy a kiss." He kissed the baby's head before leaning down and receiving a sweet peck first from her and then Sharon.

"Thank you. I love you."

"I love you, too."

"I'll make it up to you," Sharon promised with a wink.

"Gonna hold you to that, Mrs. Flynn." He gave her a cheeky smile before giving the leashes a gentle tug. "Come on, girly-girls, let's go see if any of your buddies are down the hill."

Watching her grandfather and dogs turn to go, Annie Grace suddenly lurched forward and cried, "Go Gandy! Booby!"

"It's just for a little bit, baby. Gandy and the doggies are going to be right back. You and Nana are going to eat some lunch," Sharon quickly turned in the opposite direction and headed back towards the table, bouncing the little one as she tried to distract her. "We've got lots of yummy stuff."

"Gandy…"

"Shh, shh, it's okay, angel girl. Gandy will be right back. Let's get some juice."

A sippy cup and apple slices pulled from their insulated bag, she had the baby safely seated on a blanket in the middle of the table when Jack approached.

"God, she looks so much like Em."

Annie Grace immediately turned and looked up at the stranger.

"Hi, there, gorgeous girl."

Sharon watched the interaction between Jack and their granddaughter closely as each regarded the other until Annie Grace suddenly offered a pudgy hand holding an apple slice in his direction. "Bite?"

"Oh, thank you, sweetheart. Thank you very much." Jack cautiously sat on the opposite side of the concrete table and opened his palm to receive the piece of fruit. He looked up at Sharon, ennui coloring his face. "She looks like Em, but those eyes are all you." Turning his attention back to the baby, he whispered, "You've got your grandmother's beautiful eyes."

Pleased he was behaving himself thus far, she managed to quickly dismiss his charm as she cleared her throat and turned to the baby. "Annie Grace, this is Jack. Can you say hi to Jack?"

Scooting around on her bottom, she waved her now empty hand. "Hi," before looking back and forth and pointing at Sharon. "Nana."

"Oh, yes. I know your Nana." Jack said with a grin.

Pointing in the direction of the dog park, the little one smiled as she announced, "Gandy!"

Jack's face fell and he sighed before nodding, "Yeah, I know him, too."

Ten minutes of gentle interactions between Annie Grace and Jack passing, Sharon was beginning to unpack the rest of their food when she asked, "How are you feeling, Jack?"

"Eh, I have good days and bad. This, thankfully, is a good day."

Sharon placed halved sandwiches on paper plates, handing one to him and then setting one between she and Annie Grace as she lowered herself to the seat beneath her.

"Are you in a lot of pain on these bad days?"

"I manage." He picked up his sandwich but couldn't bring himself to take a bite and offered it to Annie Grace. "Here, sweetheart."

The toddler looked over at Sharon who smiled and cooed, "Go on, baby. It's chicken. You like chicken."

The sandwich accepted, Jack leaned to the side and gave his ex-wife his own questioning look to which he received a somewhat tentative nod, so he pushed the plate to the side before slowly lifting his arms out towards the toddler. "You want to sit with me? Will you let me hold you, sweetheart?"

There was a bit of hesitation, but the baby eventually put the sandwich down on the plate before moving to her knees and crawling towards him until he pulled her into his arms. "Oh, my darling girl, aren't you just…oh…"

Sharon turned her head to the side, unable to bear watching them; not because it was Jack and not Andy holding their grandchild but because of the tears that were falling onto Jack's cheeks.

"You're perfect. You're just so perfect."

She turned back to find Jack kissing the baby's head as she retrieved her sandwich from the plate, happily devouring the chicken salad, oblivious to his wet cheeks.

"When we finish eating, you want to go swing, baby? I bet Jack will push you on the swings."

He quickly wiped his cheeks just before Annie Grace turned to look up at him. "Yeah, yeah, we can swing. I'd love to push you on the swings." Meeting her eyes briefly, he couldn't bring himself to hold her gaze, so he leaned his cheek against the little one's head as he waited for her to finish her sandwich.

"Oh, she loves it."

Sharon chuckled as she watched the baby lean back in safety seat, her little arms stretched out, eyes closed, and wearing a blissful smile as she enjoyed the breeze rushing over her face and then against the back of her head as Jack pushed her.

"It was Ricky that loved the swings, right? Em loved the merry-go-round."

She was surprised he remembered these details from their children's childhoods. "That's right. I could never understand how Emily could spin and spin and spin and never throw up."

"That's why she could always do more pirouettes than any of the other girls in her ballet class."

Sharon nodded. "Probably."

"When did she start dance class?"

"Um…three, maybe three and half? Gymnastics when she was four."

"How about this kiddo? She going to follow in her mother's dance steps?"

Grinning as she recalled the baby's excellent sense of rhythm as she bounced and shimmied to the Beach Boys music on the patio that very morning while she and Andy did a bit of gardening, Sharon assured him, "Oh, I think that's a given. This girl loves to dance. She hears music and she starts moving and shouting, 'Shake you booty,' don't you, angel baby?"

"Shake you booty!"

"Your Nana is a pretty good booty shaker, from what I remember."

"Oh, God. Don't…"

"In fact, if memory serves, I believe the last time I really saw you shake it, there was a pitcher of martinis and some Aretha involved."

"No. Nope. I don't know what you're talking about." Sharon's voice was flat as she fought not to smile knowing that he, indeed, remembering correctly, but she lost her battle with the smile as he began to sing and move his shoulders.

Chain, chain, chain…..

Chain of fools…

Chain, chain, chay-ee-ay-ee-ay-ee-ain,

Chain of fools…

"Oh, for the love…stop!" she cried as she giggled. "That night. I vaguely remember it."

His pushing fell off as he noted, "I'm not surprised. You put away nearly an entire pitcher by yourself that night."

"Mmm…and got the mother of all hangovers the next morning."

"The hangovers we had were the immediate result of that night. The real pay-off came nine months later."

Sharon wrapped her arms around herself as she shook her head in agreement. "Miss Emily Jane."

"And, in turn," Jack caught the swing, resting his chin on Annie Grace's head, "this little bit of wonderful."

It was in rare moments like this that Sharon saw flashes of dashing, charismatic man she had fallen in love with nearly forty years before. Her reverie was interrupted, however, as Annie Grace bounced and bucked in her seat, twisting around and calling out, "Jack! Pease? Go, Jack!"

"Oh, sorry! Sorry, sweetheart. Of course!" He held Sharon's gaze as he took a few steps back and let the swing go so that the baby was flying back and forth between them.

A few minutes of quiet swinging passed before Jack suddenly said, "I've settled my debts."

She tried not to react, although if asked, she would have to admit she had wondered what sort of state his finances were in given his current plight.

"There will be a little left over after…" He focused on something unseen in the distance as he continued, "Anyway, I do have a life insurance policy that names you, Rick, and Em as beneficiaries. It'll be a decent amount for each of you."

"Split it between the kids, Jack. I'm fine…"

"No, Sharon, I am leaving something to you, I mean, it isn't near what I owe you."

"I don't care about that anymore."

"I know, I know. Just listen. I want Rick and Em to have the money for them. For a down payment on a house or whatever. I would like you to use the money I am leaving you for her," he nodded towards Annie Grace, "and any other grandbabies that might come along."

Sharon bit the side of her cheek, her eyes filling with tears.

"Dance or soccer or summer camps; put it in a fund for college. Whatever you think. You'll know what's best." He let out a haggard breath before adding, "You always know what's best."

Gritting her teeth, she could only manage a nod.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Wiping her eyes, Sharon sniffed before softly telling him, "She's asleep. You can stop pushing."

Jack let the swing's momentum dwindle before he let it come to a rest against his body, his fingers gently running through the baby's soft curls.

"She won't waken up if you want to get her out and hold her for a bit."

"Yeah. Okay."

Watching him tenderly extract the little girl from the swing, Sharon jumped as she felt her phone buzz in her shorts pocket.

How's it going?

Turning away, she quickly responded to Andy's text.

Okay. She had a sandwich and fell asleep on the swings. Letting him hold her for a bit. 20 minutes?

She waited for his response as she watched Jack tenderly rub circles over Annie Grace's back as he made his way to a nearby bench.

See you in 20. Love you.

A photo she had taken two days before of Annie Grace with her hands wrapped tightly around Andy's neck as they pressed their cheeks together, huge smiles on both their faces sitting at the top of her screen above Andy's name, the corners of her mouth curled up as she quickly typed, Love you, too before making her way to the bench and lowering herself next to Jack.

"Have you given any more thought to telling the kids?"

Jack scowled, refusing to meet her gaze as he carefully shifted the baby to a more comfortable position. "I told you I'm not telling them."

"Em said you asked to see them both next weekend. They're going to know something is up, Jack. You look…"

"Like hell."

She sighed as she corrected him. "You look unwell."

"I'll tell them I'm getting over the flu or something."

"Our children are fairly astute individuals. They're going to know this is more than the flu."

His brow furrowed as he repeated, "I'm not telling them."

The conversation clearly going to be one that would simple go in a circle, she changed the topic. "Where are you staying?"

"A friend has a rent house he's letting me use. He's doing some renovations before he rents it out again so I'm there to oversee the work."

She hesitated before asking, "What about when you need…assistance?"

"It's not going to get to that point."

"Jack…"

Slightly shifting his body in her direction, he reached down took her hand. "I know what I'm doing, Sharon. I know it's hard to believe, but I do."

"I've given it a lot of thought and we have the room so you could come and stay with us. You'd be able to spend more time with Annie Grace for the next few weeks and our friend Patrice Provenza could help. She used to be a nurse. We can work this out where you have care but aren't left alone with strangers."

He abruptly pulled his hand back, not surprised by Sharon's offer; he had been expecting it, but it still irritated him and he lowly spat out, "They're gonna put your image on candles, you know that? They are going to sell cards and medallions. Sharon, the Patron Saint of Women Taken for Granted."

Her spine straightening, she whispered, "Don't do this. We're having a good afternoon, Jack."

"Then don't push, Sharon. Don't try to manipulate me or coerce me-"

"I am doing neither. I am only offering to help you do the right thing."

He put his hand over Annie Grace's ear as he hissed, "The right thing for whom?"

"The right thing for the people who love you and are going to be left behind when you take this coward's way out."

"Go to hell." He stood from the bench, his face and chest red with anger. "Take her."

"Don't, Jack. Sit down, please."

"Goddammit, Sharon, I said take her."

Sharon was on her feet and had the baby cradled in her arms within seconds. "Jack, wait," she called as he turned on his heel and stormed off in the direction of the table and parking lot.

The dogs exhausted from a solid half hour of play with a German Shepherd named Toby and Bobble, an Australia Sheep Dog, Andy was heading towards the parking lot to put them in the back of the station wagon when he caught sight of Jack entering the lot on the opposite side.

"Hey, Jack!"

"I'm not talking to you, Flynn."

Andy picked up his pace, trying not to pull too strongly on the leashes as he stepped around an in front of the dogs. "Wait! What happened?"

"Ask her."

"Jack, for the love of God, wait a minute!"

Their paths crossed just a few feet from the Volvo and between Andy and the dogs blocking his way and his diminished stamina, Jack had no choice but to stop.

"Here." Andy clicked the key fob to lift the hatch of the car. "Sit down for a minute. You look like you're about to drop."

"Christ." Jack slumped down onto the gate, equally resentful and grateful for the seat. "I don't want to talk, Andy. Just let me catch my breath and I'm out of your way."

"Is Annie Grace okay?"

Jack huffed, a mirthless grin on his lips. "She's fine. Sleeping in her grandmother's loving arms."

"And Sharon?"

"Oh, Saint Sharon is disappointed in me and spouting her self-righteous bullshit, you know, the usual."

Andy rolled his eyes as he lowered himself to the other side of the opening. "Which must mean she offered help that you resented, and she is calling on you to do the right thing when it comes to your kids."

"Oh, fuck you, Flynn," Jack attempted to stand, but a bout of dizziness led to him falling back onto the gate. "Dammit!"

Ignoring Jack, Andy reached behind him and opened a small ice chest to retrieve a bottle of water. "Here." The slumped, scowling man on his left ignoring his offer, he rested the bottle against Jack's thigh before pulling a large dog dish from the cargo netting on his right which he filled with another bottle of water for the dogs.

Watching the girls happy lapping from the bowl, he waited until Jack finally opened his own bottle and took a drink to ask, "Are you in pain?"

Screwing the lid back on the bottle, Jack shrugged. "Only every minute of every day."

"You drinking?"

"Nah. Just makes me throw up."

"Sharon said you don't want to tell the kids."

"Don't start…"

Andy lifted his hands. "I'm not. God knows I'll never win any father of the year awards, Jack, so I have no right to lecture you about your kids, but I do love them and I'm always going to watch out for them. I want you to know that. I promised Sharon I would when we had her heart scare, and so I'll make you the same promise."

Jack threw back another swig of water before letting his head fall to the side, regarding the profile of his ex-wife's husband. "You remember the old days? We had a good time at McGinty's, you and me. You remember that place?"

Andy instantly recalled the corner bar with its dark paneling and the mustachioed owner-bartender Dermot who had filled more beer mugs and shot glasses for the cronies in the late eighties than Andy could count.

"Yeah. I can still smell the charming scent of stale cigarette smoke mixed with urinal cakes."

Jack chuckled before sitting up and reciting: "There are many good reasons for drinking. One has just entered my head. If a man doesn't drink when he's living how the hell can he drink when he's dead."

"I remember that. It was on a sign hanging between the sinks in the john, right?"

"Yeah, and someone had taken a marker and changed all the "i's" to look like dicks."

Andy chuckled, "That's right. Classy."

"So, my comrade in cups, what happened? I showed up one night and the barstool next to me was empty, and then the night after that, and then then night after that, and here we are thirty-odd years later and my drinking buddy is sleeping with my wife."

Such a comment from Jack would once have set Andy's heartrate skyrocketing, but the passage of time and his sense of allegiance to Sharon allowed him to calmly reply, "She's my wife now, Jack, but you know what? It doesn't matter, and just to be clear, I'm not gonna fight with you."

"Because I'm dying?"

Andy shook his head and shrugged. "Because it wouldn't be a fair fight."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, really, because no matter what either one of says, I'm still gonna be the one sleeping next to Sharon tonight and the one taking Annie Grace for a snow cone when we leave here today. I get Christmas mornings and first communions and birthdays and hundreds of other days I probably don't deserve but will damn well cherish and you're in a spot, pal. It's a bitch, but it's the way things are."

Jack would have preferred Andy punch him in the gut than have confronted him with a genteel, yet very real version of the truth. His exhaustion extinguishing the normal fire Andy's words would have ignited, he could only manage, "Shit, Flynn, you've been taking lessons from her, haven't you? Slip the knife in quickly but twist it slowly."

Andy ignore the comment and instead softly offered, "You could stay with us."

Jack groaned. "Yeah, she already tried that."

"She did?" Andy was surprised by the news. He and Sharon hadn't even discussed the possibility.

"It's why I left. I don't need your help, either of you."

"That's where you're wrong. You may not want our help, but I think you very much need it."

The hydration and few minutes of rest giving him a boost, Jack pushed himself onto his feet, a sense of finality in his words as he bluntly stated, "I don't want or need anything from either of you. Look, I appreciate you letting me see the baby today, but that's it. I'll contact my kids, but you two can leave me the hell alone."

"What about letting Sharon know when you've…when you've done it."

Jack took a few steps in the direction of his car. "I'll figure something else out."

"Don't be like that. You'll cool off in a few days."

Jack continued his slow trek towards his vehicle. "Goodbye, Flynn."

Watching the defeated man lumber away, Andy found himself on his feet and calling out, "I'll do it."

Jack stop mid-stride as Andy's words hung in the air.

"I'll stay with you when you do it. I'll take care of things."

Slowly turning back towards the car, Jack regarded Andy for a moment. "Why are you offering?"

Andy's answer was immediate and heartfelt. "Because I love the people who love you."

Jack couldn't help but smile and shake his head. "Maybe they'll put you on a candle, too."

"What?"

"Never mind. Doesn't matter. What'll you tell Sharon?"

"That's my problem."

"So, what? I just call you?"

"Yeah. We'll work it out, but you know you can call me anytime, Jack."

The men held one another's gaze for a few moments until Jack gave a simple nod and turned, his gait slow, but somehow lighter than it had been a few minutes before.

"Well, you're in it now, Flynn," Andy whispered to himself before sitting back down on the gait and closing his eyes for a few minutes as he considered the gravity of his offer.

"He's gone?"

His head jerked up and he opened his eyes to find a heavily laden Sharon standing a few feet away.

"Here, honey, give me those bags. Why didn't you text me to come help?"

Letting him take the insulated bag, backpack, and blanket as she continued to hold their sleeping granddaughter, she answered, "I could see you two were talking and I didn't want to interrupt. What did he say?"

The couldn't begin to fathom how, or even if, he would broach the fact that he had offered to assist Jack in his death with her, so he opted for ambiguity over truth as he said, "A whole lot of nothing. He's still hell bent on going out his own way and doesn't want the kids to know. Stubborn jackass."

Sharon sighed and rested her cheek against the baby's head. "Well, at least he didn't upset her."

The dogs and bags safely loaded into the back of the car, he helped Sharon load Annie Grace into her car seat, kissing the baby's head as her eyes fluttered open.

"Hey, sleepy-time. You still want Gandy to get you a snow cone?"

A sweet smile on Annie Grace's face, she whispered, "Pease," and then closed her eyes, falling back asleep before he managed to climb into the driver's seat, his mind still spinning from the exchange with Jack.

They were nearing the park's exit when he felt Sharon's hand squeeze his thigh. "You okay, honey? You seem…out of it."

"Yeah, no. Sorry. I'm good. I'm going to stop and get lovebug a snow cone at the stand around the block. You want anything?"

Sharon glanced over her shoulder. "She's out like a light, honey. She won't remember if we don't."

"We can put it in the freezer. A promise is a promise."

"You're too sweet, Andy Flynn."

He forced himself to smile and pat her hand, although he felt a painful twist in his stomach as he wondered if she would feel the same if he kept another promise.