Chapter 37

Elizabeth came down the steps with a duffle bag hanging on each arm. She let out a grunt when she dropped them on the floor by the door. She had spent most of the morning preparing for their vacation. Of course she was dragging physically because Jason had worn her out last night, multiple times.

"I would have gotten them." Jason whispered, looking at the bags and covering up the mouthpiece of his cell phone. "Yea, I'm here." He said returning his attention to the phone that was resting against his ear.

Elizabeth studied his face and could see that there was a problem. He had yet to make eye contact, his expression was hard and his body was tense. After a couple Oks, he hung up the phone and shoved it into his pocket. His hand wiped down his face and he turned back to Elizabeth who was leaning against the banister at the bottom of the steps watching him.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Jason stood there, not sure how to approach this conversation with her. He knew that she was not going to be happy. His eyes rose and finally met hers.

"I'm not going to like what you have to say am I?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

He closed his eyes for a brief moment and released a deep breath, "There is a problem that I need to take care of."

She nodded her head and shrugged her shoulders, "Well go, I'll finish getting everything together."

He shook his head as he walked over to stand in front of her. "It's going to take a day or two, I have to go to Miami."

"Miami?" she repeated back to him coldly.

He shallowly nodded.

Her expression was flat, "So you have to drop everything for Sonny?"

"I have to do this."

"Why… what is so important that we cannot go today, why can't it wait?"

He reached for her hand but she slipped away and walked past him to the middle of the Livingroom. "You know I can't…"

"Don't say that you can't tell me Jason!" she slightly raised her voice. "Why do you have to go to Miami? What is so important that YOU have to do it, why can't Max go or better yet… Sonny?"

He flung his arms in the air then brought them back down and tucked them into his pockets, "You know that we have had problems with out shipments, well we have discovered who was behind it… but they were hired by someone so we need to find out who. We have to go to Miami to find out."

"We? You still haven't told me why YOU have to go Jason!" her face was turning red with anger.

"I can't trust anyone else to do it, Sonny is distracted and I cannot count on him to handle this. Max is going with you."

"Max… what do you mean Max is going with me?" she shot furrowing her eyebrows.

His voice was low as he explained, "I thought that you could go on without me and I would fly right there from Miami, meeting you as soon as I can get there."

Elizabeth stared at the wall on the opposite side of the room, sure to make no eye contact with Jason. He had yet to give a strong excuse why he had to handle the situation himself and now he expected her to go without him. If he hadn't kept her up half of the night last night she would have the energy to throw the lamp at his head. Instead she brought her hand to her growing belly and spoke "So let me get this straight, you are going to send me, fat and very pregnant me, with a one year old and a six year old for an um-teen hour plane ride and…"

"You aren't fat, you are beautiful." He whispered and she glared at him.

"You are going to send us to Italy while you traipse down to Miami to do whatever it is that YOU need to do down there. You are going to meet us when… tomorrow? The day after that?"

He did not answer her because he really didn't know when he would be there. All he knew was that the sooner he got down there, the sooner he could meet them in Italy.

"Ok, so you don't know when you will be there… that's fine. Go!" she said pointing to the door. Jason stood still, not sure what to say or do. He did not want to upset her further but also did not want to leave things how they were.

"I-I'm not..." his voice trailed off and his eyes closed as he sucked in a deep breath. There were really no words to make her feel better or keep her from being angry with him. When he reopened his eyes, he saw her leaving the room, stomping her feet into the kitchen. He followed her. "Please don't be mad. I will take care of this problem and be there in two days… three at the most."

"We're only going to be there for a week Jason! So you are going to be there for half of the damn trip!" her back was to him as she grabbed snacks from the cupboard and placed them in a bag on the counter. Jason flinched when she slammed the cabinet door shut. Elizabeth leaned forward on the counter and cupped her hands over her face. She tried to gather herself but couldn't. She finally turned back to him. He saw the tears in her eyes and his heart sunk. "You know Jason…" she said calmly, swiping a hand across her cheek. "The problem is not that you have to go or that I have to go alone with the boys… although it does annoy me. The problem is that once again… you are putting your job before not just me this time but before me and the boys. We have been planning this for months. Anything else, fine… you miss a dinner or even have to go away and leave me home with the boys… that's fine, I accept that is part of your job. But this… why should I even go now?" She seemed to think about that for a minute before speaking again. "I'll be the understanding wife… you go ahead and I'll schlep the kids to a foreign country where I don't know anyone and wait patiently for my husband to arrive."

She barreled past him so fast that he didn't have the chance to grab her arm to stop her. He had to go, it was too late. A meeting was already being arranged with their contacts and a plan was being put into action. Sending Max or another one of his men would not have the same effect and waiting a week could be detrimental to their organization… not to mention could cause further danger for his family. He was hitting below the belt by accusing him of putting work before his family. He would never do that but sometimes he could not walk away from a problem. This was something that needed to be dealt with swiftly and carefully.

Elizabeth only had one bag left to pack, Jake's. She was in his room when she heard Jason next door moving around in their bedroom. His closet door opened and she heard the unmistakable sound of a box clicking closed... the box that held his gun and ammunition. She had heard that sound many time over past months, every time it filled her with worry. Now on top of being angry with him, she was going to worry about him too. Wiping a tear from her cheek, she heard his footsteps in the hallway behind her. She turned around and saw him standing in the doorway of Jake's room. "Be careful." Elizabeth voiced, very matter-of-factly.

Jason spoke in a low voice. "Max will travel with you. I'll call Emily and let her know that you will be picking the boys up on the way to the airport."

Elizabeth sniffled and nodded, "Sounds like you have it all worked out." She shot without looking back up at him.

"Elizabeth, please… I d… don't want you to…"

She shook her head and cut him off, "Don't. Just go… I'll see you in a few days."

"I love you." Jason whispered in her ear, startling her. She had not heard him walk up behind her. He kissed her temple, letting his lips linger for a few seconds before repeating himself, "I love you."

Elizabeth closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath. She cleared her throat then spoke very coldly, "Yea… I love you too… be careful." Then he was gone and she let herself fully cry. She hated being so cold and detached toward him. She promised him that she was ok with his job and felt like she was being hypocritical for being angry with him, but he had to understand her disappointment. He would never leave her and the boys unless it was absolutely necessary. She knew she was overreacting but just could not stop herself, the words just left her mouth before she could stop them.

By the time she finished packing Jake's things, she gathered herself and carried the last bag down the steps. Jason had neatly stacked the bags by the door and she could see Max patiently waiting outside beside his SUV. She heard a faint chirping sound and grabbed her purse off the table. There was a text message on her phone from Jason, "I'm sorry. I love you."