Linda looked down at her plate during Sunday dinner. She was glad Erin had agreed with her, but the rest of the family was taking Danny's side. She hated arguing in front of her three and six year old boys. "You know what? I'm tired of playing second fiddle to everything around here." She threw her napkin down and got up from the table, not caring that Frank had tried to call her back.
"Is she cry again?" Little Sean wondered, pushing his vegetables away from his chicken.
"What?" Danny looked to his youngest.
"Shh!" Jack nudged Sean, warning him to be quiet.
"No, Sean, what did you say?"
"Mommy cries. A lot."
The table looked around at each other, confused as to what was happening.
"Maybe she's mental," Jack Boyle, Erin's husband, who had been coming to Sunday dinners less and less, suggested.
"Maybe your mental," Danny spat back. He knew something was going on between his sister and her husband. He knew Jack was hurting her, and whoever hurt his family, must have a death wish.
"What's your problem?"
"My problem? What's my problem? You, for one. I've got a wife, who's been crying all the time. Kids we have to put through school, and a job that pays dick. So why don't you get your arrogant ass back to your white bread world?" Danny got up and went looking for Linda. He found her sitting on the grass, near the big tree in the backyard. He sat next to her, feeling the cool fall air. "Sean says you've been crying a lot... Wanna talk about whatever the hell it is?"
"That's the thing," Linda answered quietly through her tears. "I don't know what it is."
Danny frowned. He always knew what was bothering him, ailing him. Why wouldn't Linda know?
"I think I'm crazy."
"Crazy? Crazy how?"
"I didn't used to cry like this... remember when Sean was about two years old, and the doctor put me on those hormone supplements?"
"Yeah, the iron thing... iron in June."
"What?" She finally looked at him.
"Iron in June. It was Fe, Iron, then something with June."
"JunelFe."
"Whatever."
"And it didn't work, so she put me on Sprigtec?"
"Yeah, I remember."
"I didn't used to be like this before the pill."
"Linda, I'm not sure-"
"What else could it be, Danny? You're home, safe and sound. You still have nightmares sometimes, but that's too be expected." About six months ago, Danny had come back from Iraq. He was still dealing with some PTSD, but for the most part he was okay. "I wasn't like this before."
Danny looked down, "is it true that you cried yourself to sleep when I was in Iraq?"
Linda looked at him, wondering where he had heard that.
"My Mom told me one night. She said if it wasn't for the fact that you were pregnant, you wouldn't have been taking care of yourself."
She nodded, "yeah, that's true... I can't believe I got pregnant in those two weeks of RR... it was really scary."
"I know. Ma told me. You know... maybe you have a little PTSD?"
"That's impossible."
"Anything can trigger it, Linda."
"But if I tell my doctor, she'll put me on antidepressants. And I need that like I need a hole in the head."
"I know what you mean. I hate 'em, too."
"I just-" Linda looked up to see her niece standing in front of them. "What's the ma-"
"Are you getting divorced?" Nicky asked straight out.
"What?" The married couple wondered.
"Dad says fighting and crying leads to divorce."
"Oh, Nicky," Linda gently tugged her wrist, prompting her to sit. "Divorce is what happens when people stop fighting for each other."
"We're going to be fine, Nicky. I fight with your Mom all the time, but I don't hate her," Danny explained, rubbing her arm.
"We've just run into a little problem, but we'll get through it."
"That's right. We're Reagans, what could happen?"
"So you two still love each other?" Nicky looked down at her Aunt and uncle's knees touching.
"Very much. It's just... we're on a..." Linda furrowed her brow. How could she say this without scaring Nicky?
"You know how you have good days and bad days?" Danny wondered, continuing when Nicky nodded, "we're just having a bad day. But we'll have a good day soon."
Nicky nodded and leaned against Linda. She hoped they were right. She loved her Aunt Linda, and she didn't want her to leave.
"We're gonna be just fine."
