Author Note: Coming into the homestretch!
Chapter 29 - The Letter
Jackie was on her way to the grocery store when she noticed that someone and brought in the mail. She set her purse and keys on the kitchen table and was looking through the mail when she found a letter to her with a return address she didn't recognize. Red came in the kitchen with Katie tucked under his arm and grabbed a beer out of the refrigerator. "Want one Jackie?" She smiled at the cute little image they portrayed, Grandpa and the football baby, "No thanks Mr. Forman, I'm drinking lemonade."
She opened the bank statement and telephone bills and put them aside. Was this mysterious letter from her mom? She slid a fingernail under the flap and found a letter written on lined paper.
Jackie
I don't know if you'll ever get this letter but I need to tell you something. It's been a long time and I don't expect you to forgive me right away but first, I should to tell you - I still love you. I did and said some horrible things and treated you like the enemy when in fact, you were the person that meant the most to me.
I didn't mean to marry Sam – she was the result of a booze binge in Vegas. Babe, if I thought even for a second, that marrying her would have meant losing you, I would have cut off my right arm.
Seeing the pain on your face killed me – I couldn't live with the guilt of hurting you, so in the end my pretense of not caring hurt you more than any words. I know the past couple of years have been hell. It was just hard to be Zen when my head was in a bad place.
I realize now that the booze was just a mask to stop feeling anymore - It was a way to stop the hurt of caring so much. Jackie, you were the only person who could make me feel emotions. Do you know how terrifying it is to expose your heart to someone? I did that for you. I was scared of losing you. The whole Chicago thing – I was afraid I lost you.
Now I think I may have lost you forever - just when I need you the most.
Doll face, I'm in a sober home. I've been clean for over two months and my head is finally clear. I've been in counseling and I'm making progress so we can be together again… the way you always wanted. I need you Jackie.
Be with me, please?
I love you so much
Steven.
Jackie closed her eyes. She couldn't believe this was happening. Jackie wiped away an angry tear and threw the letter on the table. Kitty popped in to get a bowl. "Mrs. Forman, can you watch the baby? I have to go out."
Kitty noticed that Jackie was upset. 'We'll watch her honey. Will you be gone long?" Jackie looked at the return address again. "I don't know. I just have to go" she sobbed running to her car.
Kitty watched Jackie drive off and curiously looked at the letter that was left on the table. She saw where it came from and said, "Crap." She picked up the letter and started to read. How could Steven do this to her? "ERIC!" she yelled from the kitchen.
*
Donna had tried calling information for Jackie Burkhart's phone number but there was none listed. She tried calling Samantha but the phone was disconnected. She tried calling Hyde at Groove's but the number was forwarded to the Milwaukee store. The only way Donna could get in touch with Jackie was through the Forman's.
Donna knew she wouldn't be welcomed there. Kitty was upset when she and Randy eloped – it didn't matter that a short time later Eric sent a break up letter to her. Donna only knew that she had to talk to her old friend and try and make up the years. Jackie couldn't raise a child alone and if this baby was Hyde's either he didn't know about it or was denying it.
If she and Randy left now, they could be in Point Place in a couple of hours.
*
Earlier:
Eric and Fez were watching I Dream of Jeannie reruns and pondering whether being a genie was better or being Major Nelson. The argument was Major Nelson could go anywhere at anytime but Jeannie could be confined to the bottle. It was a worthy discussion. Jackie dropped a bag of chips in Eric's lap and kissed his cheek. "I'm going to get some more of that diaper rash medicine. Katie and Red are watching some sports thing upstairs."
Eric pulled her over the back of the sofa and into his arms. Fez protested that Jackie was blocking the TV. Eric smiled and ran his fingers through Jackie's dark shiny hair. "Are you going to be gone long?" He stole a kiss from her surprised lips and Fez grumbled, "Get a room!"
Jackie giggled while Eric replied, "This is my room. Talk a walk."
Jackie struggled to her feet. "I'm walking. I gotta go and I'll be back shortly!" she promised. She grabbed her keys and purse and headed upstairs to the kitchen.
"She loves you so much. Eric you are one lucky bastard." Fez sighed with a tinge of jealousy.
"I know. It's so great!" he replied.
Eric passed the chips to Fez as Jeanie zapped Major Nelson to a tropical jungle. They laughed and enjoyed the antics until Eric heard the yell that made his blood run cold. His mom shouted, "ERIC!" in the same pitch that one yells for fire or someone has a gun! Fez dropped the chip bag and the two men flew up the stairs.
*
"Donna, I don't know why you are so obsessed with finding Jackie. You and Sam are good friends, why are you picking on Jackie?"
Donna glanced over at Randy. "I'm not picking on her. Why would you even say that?"
Randy put on his blinker and switched lanes, "Well, after Hyde married Sam, you kinda dropped Jackie from your friendship circle. I mean she still hung around the Forman's but basically she was a loner."
Donna argued, "That's not true. Jackie lived with me. She's like my sister."
Randy snorted, "Yeah, your evil step-sister." He laughed and patted her thigh. "She was a pain in your ass with all her drama. Just admit it." Donna glared at her husband, "Well maybe I had a change of heart. Sam isn't really that great of a friend – Jackie was always someone I could talk to. I miss the midget."
Randy scoffed. "Nope - you are obsessed with Cameron's project. This is just a way for you to justify your guilty feelings by checking on Jackie and making sure she's hopeless and single and needs a friend. Why would you even think she has a baby?"
Donna pulled a folded piece of paper from her handbag. "This is why. This is Kitty Forman holding a baby. This baby is huge – why would she draw a picture of someone else's baby? This baby looks like Jackie."
Randy glanced at the picture. "Cute kid – but how do know when she drew it? It could have been yesterday or five years ago." Donna frowned, Randy had a point. The pictures in the gallery weren't dated – only signed. But Donna was so sure this baby was Hyde's. After she and Randy moved to Madison, Jackie could have easily got pregnant. According to Samantha, Hyde wasn't necessarily a faithful husband. Donna folded the picture and slid it back in her bag.
"Okay I suppose you could be right. But still I do want to see Jackie. Hyde never talked about her and Dad sometimes asks about her mom. Let's just see if the Forman's know where she is."
Randy had to smile at Donna's persistence. "You know Kitty's not going to be happy to see us." He cautioned. "I mean I did steal you away from Forman."
Donna laughed lighthearted, "You didn't steal me away. Eric and I grew apart. It was one of those high school romances. I mean how many people ever really marry their teenage boyfriends?"
"It's less than 2 percent." Randy answered. "I read that in magazine." He added quickly - he didn't want to add that it was a women's magazine.
Donna looked out the passenger window at the cars speeding alongside them. She and Eric thought they would be together forever and they had big dreams but Donna got restless. She wanted to go places and do things and Eric liked Point Place – he wanted to settle there after school – that wasn't in Donna's plan for the rest of her life.
Randy was handsome and interesting and had a diverse way of looking at life. He made Donna feel valued in a different way than Eric. Donna didn't feel like the girl next door – she felt remarkable and sexy and Randy Pearson loved that she was a strong woman. He didn't need to prove that he was the man – he had a great sense of self and confidence and Donna admired that about him.
She smiled, how like him to accompany her on a ludicrous field trip like this! "Anyway, I just want to see Jackie and then I'll drop the subject. You have to know how frustrating it is when you can't find someone that used to be so easily available!"
"I get you Donna – really – this is going to be a quick trip." Randy grinned and stepped on the gas – only 25 miles to Point Place.
*
Eric and Fez scrambled through the basement doors to find Kitty standing in the middle of the kitchen with a paper in her hand. Red was holding Katie against his chest and looking very upset. Eric approached his mom.
"What's wrong, why were you screaming?"
Kitty handed the paper to her son. "Honey…Jackie read this and left here crying. I think you should read it." Eric looked puzzled. "She was going to the store. Why would she cry about that?"
Red cleared his throat. "Um, Steven sent her a letter."
Eric took the paper from his mother's hand and started to read…
Jackie
I don't know if you'll ever get this letter but I need to tell you something. It's been a long time and I don't expect you to forgive me right away but first, I should to tell you - I still love you
He looked up and Kitty was crying. "When did she get this?" Eric asked alarmed. Kitty looked at the envelope. "I've never seen it so it must have been in with your bills."
Red shifted Katie to his other shoulder, "Jackie was looking at the mail when I came in." Eric continued reading.
Doll face, I'm in a sober home. I've been clean for two months and my head is finally clear. I've been in counseling and I'm making progress so we can be together again the way you always wanted. I need you Jackie.
Be with me, please?
I love you so much
Steven.
Eric felt sick. Hyde was playing with Jackie's head and heart again - Eric could feel it in his gut. He threw the tainted letter on the table. "Mom, what did she say to you?"
Kitty wiped her eyes, "She just asked if I could watch the baby and she had to go. She looked at the envelope and ran off to her car crying. I hope she didn't go to the sober house."
Fez picked up the envelope and looked at the return address. "This is a few miles outside of Kenosha." Eric looked at his friend. "How do you know that?"
Fez blushed, "I was on a date and that was where she lived." Fez recalled his adventure with Miriam was a very good time. Red stepped over, "Before you get a hare-brained idea and go driving all around town, let's just call W.B. and make sure Jackie is not on Steven's visitor list." He looked at Fez. "Where else do you think she could have gone?"
Fez instantly replied. "A candy store!" Eric glared at his friend. "No, NOT a candy store."
"Well that's where I would go – in case you were looking for me." Fez declared. "Anyways, maybe she went to talk to Brooke."
Kitty smiled – that's something Jackie would do. "I'll call Brooke and Kelso to keep an eye out for her. It's not good for her to be driving if she's upset."
Red handed the baby back to Eric. "Take care of your daughter while your mother and I made some phone calls." He pointed at finger at Fez, "Do not let him go anywhere."
Eric sat down at the kitchen table. Where the hell did Jackie go? This was a disaster in the making!
*
