Chapter Fourteen – Return to Hell
"Oh, Jeb, this place is beautiful!" Carolyn exclaims as she adjusts Eve in her highchair. She has dressed Eve in a pink turtleneck, pink pants, and brown and white tennis shoes, for she knew Jeb had plans to take them to a fancy restaurant, but she never thought that it would be one this fine.
"Nothing but the best for my girls," Jeb smiles at his wife and daughter.
"You're getting me used to the high life again," Carolyn says with a mischievous smile on her face, "It won't be fair."
"Sure it will!" Jeb exclaims jokingly. "We'll come here every night – that is, when we're not attending Broadway plays."
Carolyn laughs and looks at her menu. Her face falls as she looks at the prices. "Oh, Jeb, I don't think we can afford this."
"If I say we can, we can," Jeb says with a final tone as he, too, looks at the menu, "How about spareribs?"
Carolyn shakes her head. "Too messy – you can have those if you want." After a moment, she smiles and says, "I think Eve would like the honey bee cake."
Jeb nods. "What do you want?"
"The baccala looks good," Carolyn says, "Plus, I haven't had fish in a while."
The waiter then comes up to the table and says, "Are you ready to order?"
The Hawkeses have a marvelous meal. Jeb enjoyed his manly spareribs, Eve her honey cake, and Carolyn her fish dish. After they were through, they noted that a band was now playing some of the hits of the year. Jeb takes Carolyn's hand, and silently through a look asks her to dance. "What about Eve?" Carolyn asks in a low voice.
"No one'll steal her," Jeb assures his wife, "The employees will see to that."
Carolyn looks over at Eve worriedly. "Won't she cry though if we stand up and leave her like that?"
"Come on," Jeb says, pulling at Carolyn's hand.
Carolyn reluctantly says, "All right," and stands up. They walk over to the dance floor while the band is playing Oh Babe What Would You Say, and start dancing to the romantic upbeat song. "I haven't had this much fun since I was nineteen," Carolyn admits.
"Good," Jeb says, smiling down at his beautiful wife, "I'm glad you're having a good time."
Carolyn's emotions overcome her, and she hugs Jeb. "I love you, you know that?"
Jeb nods, "Yeah, because I love you just as much."
Jeb pays the bill and the family leaves the restaurant and drives back home. Carolyn, Jeb, and Eve are walking up to their apartment when Carolyn sees a shadowy figure in front of their door. "Jeb!" she whispers frantically.
"I see him," Jeb says with marked bravado, "Stay here."
Jeb carefully walks up the stairs, trying not to make any noise. As soon as he stands directly in front of the figure, a familiar voice says, "Hello, Jeb."
The figure steps into the line of the street lamp, and Jeb immediately recognizes the man's sinister smile and black, greased-back hair. "Nicholas!" Jeb exclaims in surprise.
"Surprised to see me, Jeb?" Nicholas asks with his usual fixed smile. "You shouldn't be. It's been a year and a half."
"Jeb?" Carolyn's voice sounds behind him. "Jeb, what's going on?" She sees Nicholas and her face becomes stony with anger. "What are you doing here?"
"I've come to see Jeb," Nicholas says with his charming smile.
"Well, Jeb doesn't want to see you," Carolyn says defensively. She turns to her husband and asks, "Jeb, what does he want from you?"
"Yes, tell her, Jeb," Nicholas says in a subtly threatening tone. Jeb glares at Nicholas, then looks down at his wife and his child. What he had to tell her is terrible, and Carolyn will never understand, but he has to – he has to break her heart again. "Ah, I see you've had a child!" Nicholas exclaims, breaking Jeb's train of thought. "I warned you that that would make it more difficult, but at least you'll leave your wife with something."
"Leave?" Carolyn says, the truth dawning on her – he's going to leave her. The only word running around her brain is why? Why now?
"Carolyn, I – I have to go away," Jeb says reluctantly.
"Why?" Carolyn says, voicing her thoughts.
"I have to," Jeb says, "I'm sorry – I can't explain."
"I think you'd better," Carolyn says, her hurt causing tears to sting her eyes, "Tell me why you want to leave me."
"I don't want to," Jeb says, his voice full of sincerity. He places a single hand on Carolyn's beautiful hair. "I have to. Believe me, it's for the best."
"Oh?" Carolyn says, her defensiveness hiding her true pain. "I don't agree. I don't agree that Eve is better off without a father." She then turns to Nicholas, her eyes piercing with hate. "I don't know why you want to take Jeb away from us, but I warn you, leave him alone."
"I could let him stay here," Nicholas says, his smile becoming more evil than charming, "How would you like that, Jeb? The alternative."
"No!" Jeb exclaims.
"Jeb, I don't know what the alternative is, but anything's better than losing you again," Carolyn says.
"Don't say that," Jeb says, turning away from her to hide the tears. He knows the alternative – he had lived through it. And for Carolyn and Eve to be subjected to his pain – he can't go through with it. "Try to understand – I'm trying to protect you."
"You won't get away with this, Nicholas," Carolyn says, trying in vain to make Nicholas keep Jeb there, "You can't just threaten a man and ruin his life."
"But I can," Nicholas says in a silky tone, "I have." Nicholas claps Jeb on the shoulder and says, "It's time."
Jeb nods and turns to his wife and child. He kisses Carolyn and Eve and says, "Take care of Eve, will you?"
"Jeb, please," Carolyn says through tear-filled eyes.
"Good-bye," Jeb says, leaving the apartment building with Nicholas. Carolyn stands there with Eve for a moment before her grief turns to heart-wrenching sobs.
Jeb is soon in a place he had become very familiar with whilst not with Carolyn: Hell. He stood there with Nicholas, facing Diabolos, Nicholas' superior. "Well, Jeb," Diabolos says will coming forward to inspect the returned prisoner, "How was life on the surface?"
"I wish to return," Jeb says bravely.
Both Nicholas and Diabolos laugh at his remark. "Do you really think you can sway me again, Jeb?" Diabolos says. "You were granted a year and a half to spend with your widow."
"But now I have a child," Jeb explains, "She needs a father."
"And soon she will have one," Diabolos says comfortingly, "Mortal women as pretty as your widow attract men easily."
"But I should be with her!" Jeb argues.
"We warned you of the consequences of reproduction," Diabolos said cold-heartedly, "Nicholas, take him back to his quarters."
"No!" Jeb says, struggling against Nicholas. "I won't go back! I want to be with Carolyn!"
Nicholas forces him back into the dungeons of Hell, Jeb struggling the entire way.