Chapter Seven

As another week went by, Eddie and Janet seemed to have formed some sort of a truce.

They didn't actively seek out each other's company, but they no longer went out of their way to avoid each other either. Eddie stopped choosing his nights out based on Janet's schedule, and when they ran into each other on the street they each actually managed a smile. It wasn't the situation either of them wanted, but given the circumstances, it was the best one they could come up with.

Janet came home from work one night to find shards of glass scattered across her living room floor. Looking up, she saw a hole slightly larger than her fist right in the middle of her front window. Investigating further, she discovered a baseball hidden beneath the couch and a note taped to her back door.

Janet –

The kids were playing out in the front yard again and unfortunately a foul ball found its way through your front window. We're so sorry for the trouble. Please give us a call in the morning and we can talk repairs. All expenses, of course, are on us.

-Jim and Dana Mathison

Janet had wondered if something like this would eventually happen. Her neighbors' son Johnny had quite a swing when it came to baseball, he just hadn't yet learned how to control the ball enough to choose its direction. Sighing, Janet cleaned up the glass and pulled the curtains closed. Luckily it was a warm night and she wouldn't have to worry about a draft coming in through the broken window. She'd give the Mathisons a call in the morning.

The following afternoon, Janet answered the knock at her front door. She saw Eddie standing outside with his tools and a fresh sheet of glass. The Mathisons had first suggested calling Cataldo Builders for the repairs, but Janet had insisted on Best Friend Windows. Even though he was her best friend's fiancée, she just couldn't bring herself to give Ray the extra business.

"Hey Eddie," she greeted him nervously. She had assumed Nick would be accompanying him on the job, but looking out at his truck she could see that Eddie was here alone.

"Heard you had some window trouble," he smiled sympathetically.

"Yeah," she motioned for him to come in and led him to the front room. "The neighbors' kids were playing across the street and little Johnny hit a foul." She gestured toward the hole in the glass.

Eddie shook his head. "I wouldn't be surprised to see that kid in the majors one day."

"He does have quite a swing," Janet agreed.

It fell quiet in the room.

"Well," Eddie broke the uncomfortable silence, "if its okay with you, I'll just get to it." He motioned to the broken window.

"Great!" Janet agreed a little too loudly. "Is there anything I can get you, or help you with?" she asked nervously.

"I've got it covered," Eddie told her.

"Well, just give a yell if you need anything."

No, that wasn't awkward, Eddie thought sarcastically, as Janet left the room and headed into the kitchen. Still, at least they were on speaking terms. Things could have been a lot worse.

When the call came in from the Mathisons early that morning, Nick had wanted to take the job with Ronnie to spare Eddie from a possibly uncomfortable situation. But the Commander had a doctor's appointment that afternoon, and both the Garrett boys wanted to accompany him. Assuring Nick that he'd be fine handling the job alone, Eddie called the Mathisons back and told them he'd stop by Janet's house around 2:00. He'd just be replacing some glass, he assured Nick. Nothing he couldn't handle himself. He sure as hell wasn't expecting the sight of Janet to hit him as hard as it did. Sure, he had seen her since the breakup. But those times had been at Sully's, in the sandwich shop, around town. This time he was seeing her in her living room. In her house, which held a lot of memories for him. He was standing opposite the couch they had made out on while supposedly watching On the Waterfront. And he didn't even want to think about her bedroom just off to his left.

Resigning himself to the tortuous thoughts his mind was dragging up, Eddie put down his tools and got to work.

"Damn it," Eddie muttered from the living room.

Janet was in the kitchen washing dishes when she heard the muffled curse. Wiping her hands on a dishtowel, Janet headed into the living room to see what was going on.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, your window's done," Eddie told her, "but I cut my hand cleaning up some of this glass on the outside pane. You don't have a Band-Aid, do you?"

"Sure," Janet went into the bathroom and pulled out the first aid kit. Coming back to find him, she noticed he had moved into the kitchen and was holding a paper towel to the cut.

Not realizing she was back in the room, Eddie pulled the towel away to get a closer look. Unfortunately for him, that meant Janet got a closer look too.

"Eddie, that's more than just a little cut!"

"The blood just makes it look worse than it really is," Eddie tried to assure her.

"Sure, and I've recently taken up skydiving," Janet replied sarcastically. "Sit down and let me clean it," she ordered.

Eddie hesitated.

"Look Eddie," Janet told him, "there are no ulterior motives here. Your hand is bleeding, quite badly I might add. The least you can let me do is clean and bandage it."

Realizing the practicality of what she was saying, Eddie sat. But at the sight of Janet pulling out a bottle of peroxide, he started to look wary again.

"Let me see it," Janet held out her hand for his, not realizing his discomfort. He placed his wounded hand in hers. "This might sting a little," she warned, and started to put the cloth on the cut.

"Ow," Eddie said, pulling his hand back.

"Oh, you baby, I didn't even touch you yet. Come here."

Eddie hissed as the peroxide touched his open skin. Janet cleaned the cut as best she could.

"There, that wasn't so bad, was it?" she asked, as she started to pull out some butterfly bandages.

Eddie didn't say anything; he just continued to look at her bent over his hand.

"Why'd you do it?" he asked finally.

"Do what?" Janet asked. Her attention was still on bandaging the cut.

"Sleep with him," Eddie explained. "Why'd you do it?"

Janet looked up in surprise. But looking into his eyes, she saw no malice there. Only sadness, and a clear desire to know the truth. She had wanted the opportunity to explain things to him since that day in the hospital when she first told him about sleeping with Rooster. Eddie had just been too angry to listen. But now, she realized, he was giving her the opportunity to have her say.

"Well, for starters I was drunk," she explained, as she continued bandaging his hand. "And I'm not saying that to make excuses, I'm just stating the facts. I was drunk on Rooster's cousin's homemade corn husky, and I thought I had just lost you to your high school sweetheart. I saw you kissing Rory on your porch and I was devastated. So I turned to alcohol, and to someone I thought was a friend.

"I had no idea he felt that way about me," Janet continued. "I was sitting there, knocking back shots and crying my eyes out because I thought I had lost you, listing all the ways I come up short in comparison to Rory. And then he said some things. Things about me that I had waited my whole life to hear a man say. And in my pain and drunkenness, it just didn't seem to register that I was hearing them from the wrong man."

Eddie looked down in thought.

"I'd give anything to take that night back," Janet said emotionally. "Eddie, you have to know that. And I am so, so sorry I ruined what we had."

Eddie was silent, lost in thought.

"I still don't know if I can forgive you for what you did," Eddie admitted finally. "But I'm starting to understand a little more why you did it. Thank you for telling me Janet."

"Thank you for listening," Janet smiled sadly. "You know, what hurts most is that I not only lost you as a boyfriend, but I also lost you as a friend."

"Boyfriend," Eddie repeated thoughtfully. "I don't know if I can get back to that place in your life," he said honestly, "but if it's okay with you, maybe we can work on the friend part of it."

"Really?" Janet's face lit up with hope.

"Really," Eddie confirmed. "Bottom line, my life has been miserable these past few weeks without you. I miss talking to you, I miss laughing at your jokes. But mainly I just miss you, Janet."

"I miss you too."

The two sat together in silence for a moment, just smiling at each other in the kitchen.

"I think you're all set here," Janet said finally, placing his newly bandaged hand in his lap.

"Thanks," Eddie smiled. Walking back into the living room, he started to pack up his tools. When he was done, Janet walked him to the door.

"Maybe I'll see you at Sully's soon," Eddie said, stalling for time.

"I'm looking forward to it." Janet smiled at him.

"Me too." Eddie smiled and reached for the doorknob. "I'll see you later Janet."

"Bye Eddie," Janet said as he walked out the door. "See you soon."