Chapter 8
The Good Lie
Same day as Chapter 7
Eric thought he was in the wrong apartment when he put the key in the lock when he entered the candlelit room. He got as far as putting his briefcase on the floor and his coat on the hook when Donna put her arms around him. Her hands slightly shaking as she took off his blazer and undid his tie, kissing him frantically as if they were separated for many years.
"Wow," Eric almost forgot how tense these past few weeks were, "Do you mind if I enter the room again?"
"I can't argue gracefully," Donna, admitted, "I'm sorry."
He kissed her, "I love you, Donna, I'm sorry, too. I was worried this was going to break our marriage."
"I know, Eric. Sit down-I made dinner."
"Why is the telephone on my plate?"
"Why don't you see who it is?"
Eric picked up the phone, "Hello? She did? Really? That's gr-wait before we all get our hopes up-yeah, I know. Okay. I don't want your marriage to crumble over it, either. Talk to you later, bye."
Eric put the phone back on the hook and that's when he noticed the suitcase by their bedroom door.
"Ignore the suitcase. I just forgot to put it away."
"Where were you going?"
"I'm not going to lie to you, Eric. I was going to leave for awhile, just to clear my head. Then I thought I would really be my Mother's daughter if I did that. So, I had a lot of time to think and that's why I called Jackie."
Eric was shocked and stunned at the same time. "You were going to leave me but had an epiphany and decided to reconsider Jackie's offer instead? Meanwhile, Hyde still thinks this is one bad idea? Am I right on all this?" Eric asked as Donna put the main course on the table.
"Pretty much." Donna drank her water. She thought Eric would have a conniption over just her thinking of leaving. "I'm glad you decided to stay," Eric replied softly, "And I guess I can have an epiphany, too."
"Which is?"
"I'll respect whatever Hyde decides, but I still want a child, Donna, that feeling is not going away, but I don't want to fight over it like we've been doing, you're too special to me."
She got up to kiss him. She'd love to be a fly on the wall at Jackie and Hyde's.
NYC
"I hate you, too," Jackie hung up the phone ending a typical phone call with her ex-husband.
"Does he always phone at dinner time?" Hyde asked
They had the apartment to themselves as Tiffany was sleeping over a friend's in one of the apartments two floors down.
"Yeah. Steven, I don't want to talk about Brad. But, I had two interesting phone conversations while you were out." Jackie took a big helping of mashed potatoes.
"From?"
"Donna called me, she was this close to leaving Eric while he was at work, but in her words had a lot of time to think about the situation and decided to reconsider. I also talked to Eric because Donna wanted me to tell him as some sort of surprise."
"So, now it's all up to me? And if I don't agree to this, I'll be the bastard?"
"No, Steven, not at all. I just want you to-"
"Jackie, you say it's up to me but you keep pressing me to say 'yes'. Look, I'm sorry Forman and Donna can't have a child and maybe Donna's not the only one, I can also feel guilty for my part in it. Is it our fault they won't adopt? Why is it so easy for you to give away one of your unborn children?"
"You act like we aren't going to see the baby? Although, I am worried about you and Eric staying friends. The babies will interact and will know each other."
"How when they live in f***ing Missouri?" Steven drank his wine.
"The same way we do now, we visit each other during holidays and vacations."
"You have a very perfect view about all this. Life as you know by now, Jackie, is not perfect and it's our responsibility to ensure the happiness of our children." Hyde thought that statement sounded anti-Hyde but if he was going to be corny in one area it was going to be on the welfare of his children.
"Donna and Eric are not monsters, you know they'd give that baby a good home."
"I love you, Jackie, you know that. And I want to take care of you to make sure you have a problem free pregnancy but if you think I'm going to give one of our babies to Donna and Forman you are off your rocker." Hyde got up, he needed something stronger than wine with his meal.
"Why are you so stubborn, Steven?" Jackie on the other hand was starving and ate everything on her plate.
She was torn between doing right by her husband and her friends. Then in between the second helpings she had an idea that just might work, even if did involve someone she couldn't stand.
Next day 8AM
Eric poured himself a cup of coffee as Donna was typing on her laptop.
"Morning, Donna."
"Hi, Eric." They kissed each other good morning.
Eric wanted to ask her if she got a phone call at four thirty in the morning, but then it would make him involved and today he wanted to wallow in ignorant bliss. If he was meant to know something he would be told about it. Did thinking of this make him 'involved' anyway?
"I have to leave early today. My inbox has more folders in it than my outbox. I'll see you later, Love you." He kissed her goodbye.
"Bye, Eric."
Donna had to admit Jackie's idea was a good one and even though they weren't directly involving her jerk of an ex-husband, Brad still held one very important key and Donna didn't know if Jackie could pull it off.
Jackie didn't bat an eyelash this morning when she told Steven she had to go out this morning. She took an extended leave of absence from her job the moment she found out she was expecting twins. She hated, hated, hated dealing with Brad. He shouldn't be too difficult because he wasn't going to know the real reason of her visit. She came in on a good day a lot of stuff was going on as his company was finally moving into one of the towers. She was let in because everyone knew she was Brad's ex-wife. She just hoped he wasn't fondling some secretary at this early morning hour. She took a deep breath before opening his door the key with Brad was not letting him know how much you really wanted something otherwise he'd use that to his advantage.
"What do you want, Jackie?"
"To apologize for how I ended the call last night, I was stressed out. If you want to take Tiffany to visit your Mother that's fine."
"You could've done that over the telephone. What do you really want?" He got up from his leather swivel chair.
"Steven and I want to go away for a few months. I need you to sublet the apartment," Jackie debated about the money if she told him to 'keep it all' he would know something was up for sure, "You can keep 60/40."
"Sixty/Forty? Was I born yesterday?"
"Okay, Brad, how about 70/30?"
"No. Try 80/20."
She sighed for effect, "Fine."
"When are you planning to leave?"
"I don't know yet, I haven't booked our trip yet."
She was there all this time and it really bothered her that he did not ask about Tiffany.
"When you do, get back in touch with me." Brad would never say 'no' to money and that's what Jackie was counting on.
"I will. Aren't you going to ask about our daughter?"
"No, because it drives you crazy. You're gaining a lot of weight with this pregnancy. Does Steven like you fat?"
Jackie couldn't break her cool and she knew Brad was just trying to push her buttons so he could decline her offer. She had to be better than him.
"It's only baby fat," God she can't believe she actually was married to this ass**** "It'll come off with exercise."
"Well you better have a lifetime membership at the gym to get all that fat off and you're not even due for awhile yet, but I know how much you love Godiva chocolate."
"I'll fax you when we leave for our trip. Goodbye, Brad."
"Bye, Jackie, thanks for stopping by."
She hated him so much but she had to stay focused and remind herself of why she was doing this in the first place.
It was simple she just wanted to help Donna and Eric out.
The Good Lie
February
It was Saturday and all Eric wanted to was hang out with Donna in their apartment and maybe if he didn't mess it up like he sometimes did in these situations they'd spend the better part of the day in bed. Donna was at her computer again when Eric put the postcard on her table.
"Another one?" she asked
"Yeah from Italy." Although Eric found it extremely strange that a woman who was due to give birth in just a few months all of a sudden wanted to go traipsing around the globe?
"Read it for me, I have to finish this paragraph."
"Okay," Eric picked it up, "Dear Donna and Eric, Steven and I are having an wonderful time in Venice. It's very beautiful here and the food is excellent. I'll send you another postcard soon. Love, The Hyde's-Jackie and Steven. Donna, I know I asked this before, but I can't believe Hyde went along with Jackie's idea to go on all these trips when the baby is due in May." Eric was also concerned on Tiffany having to spend all that time with Brad and the rest of his snobby well to do family on the trips she couldn't go on because of school.
"Well, it's what Jackie wanted and besides not all pregnancies end up where the Mother becomes bed ridden."
"I don't know, it still seems odd to me."
"Eric, you're breaking my concentration, and I had plans to seduce you when I was done with this article you know."
"What if I don't want you to seduce me?"
"Yeah, right." Donna laughed, finishing her article.
April
Eric looked at the clock. It was nine o'clock in the morning, but that was okay, it was a Sunday. Donna said she wanted to go to the market so she wouldn't have to do it on Monday morning. He didn't want to get out of bed. Sunday's were his lazy days. Red loved that. "In my day we didn't have time to be lazy". He did the circle world puzzle when the doorbell rang. It was probably Donna with a bunch of shopping bags. He had to leave his nice, warm bed to answer the door. He was surprised when he saw Tiffany standing there carrying her little white suitcase with the big '70s pink flower on it. It had to have belonged to Jackie.
"Hi, Eric!"
"Hi, Tiffany," He peered his head out the door, "Where's your Mommy and Hyde?"
"They're coming later."
He invited her in. "How'd you get here?"
"Dad's jet."
"No, sweetie, I meant how'd you get from the airport to my apartment?"
"Dad had a car for me at the airport."
Brad let Tiffany come here to his and Donna's apartment? Something was fishy about this whole thing. Tiffany was hungry so he opened up a box of Lucky Charms and poured a bowl for himself as well. Jackie was well in her eighth month you'd think she'd want to be home in New York City to give birth. Wait a minute. Wait a minute!
"How long are you guys staying for a visit?"
"I don't know, Eric. Can we play lightsabers later?"
"Sure."
It couldn't be. Eric pieced together what he knew from what Donna told him. Brad agreed to let Jackie and Hyde sublet the apartment while they were gone on their travel adventures, Tiffany was stuck staying with her dill hole of a biological Father, Grandparents in Connecticut, as well as her with the family of her friend in their apartment building in NYC. Jackie and Hyde are coming here to meet Tiffany in St. Louis rather than NYC. If they were back in America, why didn't they just go back to their apartment? It was the good lie. If Eric knew his hunches Jackie probably played both ends against the middle hoping Hyde and Brad's paths would never cross. Because Brad would not seek out Hyde on purpose, only if he wanted something and Hyde would not seek Brad out on purpose unless it was something that concerned Tiffany or Jackie. This was the last stop. Lying was not good in a marriage and he had worries that when Hyde found out about the reason for all this, he would blow his top. Would he leave Jackie over it? Probably not. All of a sudden Jackie's perfect plan was imperfect because she tried taking the honesty route and it didn't work. All of a sudden maybe raising one of their twins did not seem like a good idea. Donna didn't reschedule that appointment with the Golden Cross and Eric knew they weren't going to be adopting a child. Still Jackie was going to drag Hyde here under a large window of false pretense. Donna was in on Jackie's plan after all she reconsidered but was still part of the good lie nonetheless. She was probably at the grocery store getting enough food for four adults and one child. It was perfect to leave sleepy Eric in his bed while she went out getting anything labeled "family sized." It was executed brilliantly, but Eric was too guilty and was surprised he didn't piece this whole thing together earlier. How could he let Hyde sit next to him at the table and watch Jackie tell him whatever she had to tell him so that they'd stay here longer, unaware that she was going to give birth in St. Louis? Jackie had the best intentions of wanting to help him and Donna have a baby, but to sneak under Hyde's radar was wrong. Eric bet his life on the fact that Jackie probably didn't bring up the Eric-and- Donna-are-childless-let's-give-them-one-of-our-twins topic all the months they've been on vacation. He probably thought she gave up on the idea all together. It was wrong to pull the wool over Hyde's eyes like that, though. Eric couldn't figure out the last piece to the puzzle. When and where Jackie was going to reveal the good lie to Hyde? He supposed she was expecting Hyde to miraculously change his mind and right there in the hospital present Eric and his lovely wife Donna with one of the babies. All smile for the birdie. Jackie could not have possibly had an ending for her plan. She had the great beginning to get them out of New York City, she had the great middle of not mentioning the situation regarding the babies and just concentrated on having a great vacation, but she did not have the great ending. Eric was sure of all this as he was certain that Star Wars was the best movie ever. Hyde had to know though; to keep it from him would be dead wrong.
"Do you want more cereal, Tiffany?" Eric asked
"No, thanks. Can I play a video game?"
"Sure."
The doorbell rang again. This time it was Donna with the grocery bags.
"Wow, you got a very big order." Eric said, helping her
They were going to have to make a few trips to bring all the grocery bags in.
"I thought we needed to stock up on some groceries."
"How'd you get up here?"
"Mr. Allen helped me. Oh, look who is here, hi Tiffany."
"Hi, Donna! Eric made me Lucky Charms."
"I'll be right back, Donna. I have to set up a video game for Tiffany."
He couldn't believe that Donna actually thought he wouldn't notice the above normal amount of groceries that were purchased, especially when she left the house ten minutes before Tiffany's arrival. It was all part of the good lie. They didn't have an ending though. Not a proper planned one like the other two steps. Eric couldn't imagine Hyde just staying here in St. Louis waiting for Jackie's water to break.
"Eric, here's the candy you like," Donna threw the bag at him
"Just like Pavlov's dog right, Donna?" Eric opened up the bag and took out a piece of candy and popped it in his mouth. He gave one to Tiffany too.
Tiffany helped out with putting away the groceries as Eric set up the Nintendo machine.
"I set up it up, Tiffany."
"You can go play, Tiffany, tell Luke Skywalker to help me put away the groceries." Donna folded the brown paper bags as she was done with them and put them in their usual spot in the cabinet under the sink.
Eric looked at Donna as he put the cans away in the cupboard that she and Jackie had the best intentions it's not like they were evil beings trying to control the universe. It was just wrong. When all of the groceries were put away and Donna was talking to Tiffany about school he snuck out of the apartment with his cell phone and called Hyde's cell phone. All he got was his voice mail. He looked at his watch and figured they'd have to be arriving by now.
"Eric, what are you doing out here?" asked Donna watching Eric try to hide his phone in his pocket.
"I went to check on the mail."
"It's Sunday."
"I know, I just remembered, silly me."
"Is there something you want to tell me, Eric?" Donna asked
"No. Let's go inside, it's cold out here." He replied.
He wished he could talk to Hyde before he arrived here, but there was nothing to do but play a lightsaber battle with Tiffany.
"Finally, Hyde!" Eric exclaimed when he saw Hyde get off the elevator without Jackie in tow.
"Forman, why do you have a towel tucked into the back of your shirt?" Hyde was tired; he thought that vacation, even though they had the money, was much too long for his taste.
"Oh," He blushed and took it off, "That's my cape. Seriously, man, I need to talk to you. Where's Jackie?"
"In New York."
"You knew?"
"Did Donna tell you?"
"Yeah, right. I figured it out."
"Me too."
"It's wrong to raise one of your twins as my own."
"SEE! That's what I was trying to f***ing say all along, man."
"I hope you aren't mad at Jackie she meant well even if she did lie-just a little."
"I know, Forman. I'm too tired to travel today, so if it's all right to crash here for the night, Tiffany and I will leave tomorrow morning."
"Sure," Eric wanted to say more, but knew Hyde was not a Chatty-Cathy.
"Daddy!" Tiffany opened the door; she knew that was his voice.
"Hi, Tiffany." Eric watched them hug. He didn't know what him and Donna were going to do, maybe he had to go back to accepting the fact that they would never have children, but he knew how much they both wanted a baby. Still and even though bless Jackie's heart for thinking of them like that it was very wrong to take one of the twins as their own.
"When are we going home?"
"Tomorrow morning."
"Eric and I played lightsabers-and I won."
"Of course you won, sweetie, you're stronger than Forman!"
Eric smirked as they went back inside the apartment.
Donna had her back turned as she was on the phone in the small kitchen area with Jackie putting the good lie to rest once and for all.
Eric thought he was in the wrong apartment when he put the key in the lock when he entered the candlelit room. He got as far as putting his briefcase on the floor and his coat on the hook when Donna put her arms around him. Her hands slightly shaking as she took off his blazer and undid his tie, kissing him frantically as if they were separated for many years.
"Wow," Eric almost forgot how tense these past few weeks were, "Do you mind if I enter the room again?"
"I can't argue gracefully," Donna, admitted, "I'm sorry."
He kissed her, "I love you, Donna, I'm sorry, too. I was worried this was going to break our marriage."
"I know, Eric. Sit down-I made dinner."
"Why is the telephone on my plate?"
"Why don't you see who it is?"
Eric picked up the phone, "Hello? She did? Really? That's gr-wait before we all get our hopes up-yeah, I know. Okay. I don't want your marriage to crumble over it, either. Talk to you later, bye."
Eric put the phone back on the hook and that's when he noticed the suitcase by their bedroom door.
"Ignore the suitcase. I just forgot to put it away."
"Where were you going?"
"I'm not going to lie to you, Eric. I was going to leave for awhile, just to clear my head. Then I thought I would really be my Mother's daughter if I did that. So, I had a lot of time to think and that's why I called Jackie."
Eric was shocked and stunned at the same time. "You were going to leave me but had an epiphany and decided to reconsider Jackie's offer instead? Meanwhile, Hyde still thinks this is one bad idea? Am I right on all this?" Eric asked as Donna put the main course on the table.
"Pretty much." Donna drank her water. She thought Eric would have a conniption over just her thinking of leaving. "I'm glad you decided to stay," Eric replied softly, "And I guess I can have an epiphany, too."
"Which is?"
"I'll respect whatever Hyde decides, but I still want a child, Donna, that feeling is not going away, but I don't want to fight over it like we've been doing, you're too special to me."
She got up to kiss him. She'd love to be a fly on the wall at Jackie and Hyde's.
NYC
"I hate you, too," Jackie hung up the phone ending a typical phone call with her ex-husband.
"Does he always phone at dinner time?" Hyde asked
They had the apartment to themselves as Tiffany was sleeping over a friend's in one of the apartments two floors down.
"Yeah. Steven, I don't want to talk about Brad. But, I had two interesting phone conversations while you were out." Jackie took a big helping of mashed potatoes.
"From?"
"Donna called me, she was this close to leaving Eric while he was at work, but in her words had a lot of time to think about the situation and decided to reconsider. I also talked to Eric because Donna wanted me to tell him as some sort of surprise."
"So, now it's all up to me? And if I don't agree to this, I'll be the bastard?"
"No, Steven, not at all. I just want you to-"
"Jackie, you say it's up to me but you keep pressing me to say 'yes'. Look, I'm sorry Forman and Donna can't have a child and maybe Donna's not the only one, I can also feel guilty for my part in it. Is it our fault they won't adopt? Why is it so easy for you to give away one of your unborn children?"
"You act like we aren't going to see the baby? Although, I am worried about you and Eric staying friends. The babies will interact and will know each other."
"How when they live in f***ing Missouri?" Steven drank his wine.
"The same way we do now, we visit each other during holidays and vacations."
"You have a very perfect view about all this. Life as you know by now, Jackie, is not perfect and it's our responsibility to ensure the happiness of our children." Hyde thought that statement sounded anti-Hyde but if he was going to be corny in one area it was going to be on the welfare of his children.
"Donna and Eric are not monsters, you know they'd give that baby a good home."
"I love you, Jackie, you know that. And I want to take care of you to make sure you have a problem free pregnancy but if you think I'm going to give one of our babies to Donna and Forman you are off your rocker." Hyde got up, he needed something stronger than wine with his meal.
"Why are you so stubborn, Steven?" Jackie on the other hand was starving and ate everything on her plate.
She was torn between doing right by her husband and her friends. Then in between the second helpings she had an idea that just might work, even if did involve someone she couldn't stand.
Next day 8AM
Eric poured himself a cup of coffee as Donna was typing on her laptop.
"Morning, Donna."
"Hi, Eric." They kissed each other good morning.
Eric wanted to ask her if she got a phone call at four thirty in the morning, but then it would make him involved and today he wanted to wallow in ignorant bliss. If he was meant to know something he would be told about it. Did thinking of this make him 'involved' anyway?
"I have to leave early today. My inbox has more folders in it than my outbox. I'll see you later, Love you." He kissed her goodbye.
"Bye, Eric."
Donna had to admit Jackie's idea was a good one and even though they weren't directly involving her jerk of an ex-husband, Brad still held one very important key and Donna didn't know if Jackie could pull it off.
Jackie didn't bat an eyelash this morning when she told Steven she had to go out this morning. She took an extended leave of absence from her job the moment she found out she was expecting twins. She hated, hated, hated dealing with Brad. He shouldn't be too difficult because he wasn't going to know the real reason of her visit. She came in on a good day a lot of stuff was going on as his company was finally moving into one of the towers. She was let in because everyone knew she was Brad's ex-wife. She just hoped he wasn't fondling some secretary at this early morning hour. She took a deep breath before opening his door the key with Brad was not letting him know how much you really wanted something otherwise he'd use that to his advantage.
"What do you want, Jackie?"
"To apologize for how I ended the call last night, I was stressed out. If you want to take Tiffany to visit your Mother that's fine."
"You could've done that over the telephone. What do you really want?" He got up from his leather swivel chair.
"Steven and I want to go away for a few months. I need you to sublet the apartment," Jackie debated about the money if she told him to 'keep it all' he would know something was up for sure, "You can keep 60/40."
"Sixty/Forty? Was I born yesterday?"
"Okay, Brad, how about 70/30?"
"No. Try 80/20."
She sighed for effect, "Fine."
"When are you planning to leave?"
"I don't know yet, I haven't booked our trip yet."
She was there all this time and it really bothered her that he did not ask about Tiffany.
"When you do, get back in touch with me." Brad would never say 'no' to money and that's what Jackie was counting on.
"I will. Aren't you going to ask about our daughter?"
"No, because it drives you crazy. You're gaining a lot of weight with this pregnancy. Does Steven like you fat?"
Jackie couldn't break her cool and she knew Brad was just trying to push her buttons so he could decline her offer. She had to be better than him.
"It's only baby fat," God she can't believe she actually was married to this ass**** "It'll come off with exercise."
"Well you better have a lifetime membership at the gym to get all that fat off and you're not even due for awhile yet, but I know how much you love Godiva chocolate."
"I'll fax you when we leave for our trip. Goodbye, Brad."
"Bye, Jackie, thanks for stopping by."
She hated him so much but she had to stay focused and remind herself of why she was doing this in the first place.
It was simple she just wanted to help Donna and Eric out.
The Good Lie
February
It was Saturday and all Eric wanted to was hang out with Donna in their apartment and maybe if he didn't mess it up like he sometimes did in these situations they'd spend the better part of the day in bed. Donna was at her computer again when Eric put the postcard on her table.
"Another one?" she asked
"Yeah from Italy." Although Eric found it extremely strange that a woman who was due to give birth in just a few months all of a sudden wanted to go traipsing around the globe?
"Read it for me, I have to finish this paragraph."
"Okay," Eric picked it up, "Dear Donna and Eric, Steven and I are having an wonderful time in Venice. It's very beautiful here and the food is excellent. I'll send you another postcard soon. Love, The Hyde's-Jackie and Steven. Donna, I know I asked this before, but I can't believe Hyde went along with Jackie's idea to go on all these trips when the baby is due in May." Eric was also concerned on Tiffany having to spend all that time with Brad and the rest of his snobby well to do family on the trips she couldn't go on because of school.
"Well, it's what Jackie wanted and besides not all pregnancies end up where the Mother becomes bed ridden."
"I don't know, it still seems odd to me."
"Eric, you're breaking my concentration, and I had plans to seduce you when I was done with this article you know."
"What if I don't want you to seduce me?"
"Yeah, right." Donna laughed, finishing her article.
April
Eric looked at the clock. It was nine o'clock in the morning, but that was okay, it was a Sunday. Donna said she wanted to go to the market so she wouldn't have to do it on Monday morning. He didn't want to get out of bed. Sunday's were his lazy days. Red loved that. "In my day we didn't have time to be lazy". He did the circle world puzzle when the doorbell rang. It was probably Donna with a bunch of shopping bags. He had to leave his nice, warm bed to answer the door. He was surprised when he saw Tiffany standing there carrying her little white suitcase with the big '70s pink flower on it. It had to have belonged to Jackie.
"Hi, Eric!"
"Hi, Tiffany," He peered his head out the door, "Where's your Mommy and Hyde?"
"They're coming later."
He invited her in. "How'd you get here?"
"Dad's jet."
"No, sweetie, I meant how'd you get from the airport to my apartment?"
"Dad had a car for me at the airport."
Brad let Tiffany come here to his and Donna's apartment? Something was fishy about this whole thing. Tiffany was hungry so he opened up a box of Lucky Charms and poured a bowl for himself as well. Jackie was well in her eighth month you'd think she'd want to be home in New York City to give birth. Wait a minute. Wait a minute!
"How long are you guys staying for a visit?"
"I don't know, Eric. Can we play lightsabers later?"
"Sure."
It couldn't be. Eric pieced together what he knew from what Donna told him. Brad agreed to let Jackie and Hyde sublet the apartment while they were gone on their travel adventures, Tiffany was stuck staying with her dill hole of a biological Father, Grandparents in Connecticut, as well as her with the family of her friend in their apartment building in NYC. Jackie and Hyde are coming here to meet Tiffany in St. Louis rather than NYC. If they were back in America, why didn't they just go back to their apartment? It was the good lie. If Eric knew his hunches Jackie probably played both ends against the middle hoping Hyde and Brad's paths would never cross. Because Brad would not seek out Hyde on purpose, only if he wanted something and Hyde would not seek Brad out on purpose unless it was something that concerned Tiffany or Jackie. This was the last stop. Lying was not good in a marriage and he had worries that when Hyde found out about the reason for all this, he would blow his top. Would he leave Jackie over it? Probably not. All of a sudden Jackie's perfect plan was imperfect because she tried taking the honesty route and it didn't work. All of a sudden maybe raising one of their twins did not seem like a good idea. Donna didn't reschedule that appointment with the Golden Cross and Eric knew they weren't going to be adopting a child. Still Jackie was going to drag Hyde here under a large window of false pretense. Donna was in on Jackie's plan after all she reconsidered but was still part of the good lie nonetheless. She was probably at the grocery store getting enough food for four adults and one child. It was perfect to leave sleepy Eric in his bed while she went out getting anything labeled "family sized." It was executed brilliantly, but Eric was too guilty and was surprised he didn't piece this whole thing together earlier. How could he let Hyde sit next to him at the table and watch Jackie tell him whatever she had to tell him so that they'd stay here longer, unaware that she was going to give birth in St. Louis? Jackie had the best intentions of wanting to help him and Donna have a baby, but to sneak under Hyde's radar was wrong. Eric bet his life on the fact that Jackie probably didn't bring up the Eric-and- Donna-are-childless-let's-give-them-one-of-our-twins topic all the months they've been on vacation. He probably thought she gave up on the idea all together. It was wrong to pull the wool over Hyde's eyes like that, though. Eric couldn't figure out the last piece to the puzzle. When and where Jackie was going to reveal the good lie to Hyde? He supposed she was expecting Hyde to miraculously change his mind and right there in the hospital present Eric and his lovely wife Donna with one of the babies. All smile for the birdie. Jackie could not have possibly had an ending for her plan. She had the great beginning to get them out of New York City, she had the great middle of not mentioning the situation regarding the babies and just concentrated on having a great vacation, but she did not have the great ending. Eric was sure of all this as he was certain that Star Wars was the best movie ever. Hyde had to know though; to keep it from him would be dead wrong.
"Do you want more cereal, Tiffany?" Eric asked
"No, thanks. Can I play a video game?"
"Sure."
The doorbell rang again. This time it was Donna with the grocery bags.
"Wow, you got a very big order." Eric said, helping her
They were going to have to make a few trips to bring all the grocery bags in.
"I thought we needed to stock up on some groceries."
"How'd you get up here?"
"Mr. Allen helped me. Oh, look who is here, hi Tiffany."
"Hi, Donna! Eric made me Lucky Charms."
"I'll be right back, Donna. I have to set up a video game for Tiffany."
He couldn't believe that Donna actually thought he wouldn't notice the above normal amount of groceries that were purchased, especially when she left the house ten minutes before Tiffany's arrival. It was all part of the good lie. They didn't have an ending though. Not a proper planned one like the other two steps. Eric couldn't imagine Hyde just staying here in St. Louis waiting for Jackie's water to break.
"Eric, here's the candy you like," Donna threw the bag at him
"Just like Pavlov's dog right, Donna?" Eric opened up the bag and took out a piece of candy and popped it in his mouth. He gave one to Tiffany too.
Tiffany helped out with putting away the groceries as Eric set up the Nintendo machine.
"I set up it up, Tiffany."
"You can go play, Tiffany, tell Luke Skywalker to help me put away the groceries." Donna folded the brown paper bags as she was done with them and put them in their usual spot in the cabinet under the sink.
Eric looked at Donna as he put the cans away in the cupboard that she and Jackie had the best intentions it's not like they were evil beings trying to control the universe. It was just wrong. When all of the groceries were put away and Donna was talking to Tiffany about school he snuck out of the apartment with his cell phone and called Hyde's cell phone. All he got was his voice mail. He looked at his watch and figured they'd have to be arriving by now.
"Eric, what are you doing out here?" asked Donna watching Eric try to hide his phone in his pocket.
"I went to check on the mail."
"It's Sunday."
"I know, I just remembered, silly me."
"Is there something you want to tell me, Eric?" Donna asked
"No. Let's go inside, it's cold out here." He replied.
He wished he could talk to Hyde before he arrived here, but there was nothing to do but play a lightsaber battle with Tiffany.
"Finally, Hyde!" Eric exclaimed when he saw Hyde get off the elevator without Jackie in tow.
"Forman, why do you have a towel tucked into the back of your shirt?" Hyde was tired; he thought that vacation, even though they had the money, was much too long for his taste.
"Oh," He blushed and took it off, "That's my cape. Seriously, man, I need to talk to you. Where's Jackie?"
"In New York."
"You knew?"
"Did Donna tell you?"
"Yeah, right. I figured it out."
"Me too."
"It's wrong to raise one of your twins as my own."
"SEE! That's what I was trying to f***ing say all along, man."
"I hope you aren't mad at Jackie she meant well even if she did lie-just a little."
"I know, Forman. I'm too tired to travel today, so if it's all right to crash here for the night, Tiffany and I will leave tomorrow morning."
"Sure," Eric wanted to say more, but knew Hyde was not a Chatty-Cathy.
"Daddy!" Tiffany opened the door; she knew that was his voice.
"Hi, Tiffany." Eric watched them hug. He didn't know what him and Donna were going to do, maybe he had to go back to accepting the fact that they would never have children, but he knew how much they both wanted a baby. Still and even though bless Jackie's heart for thinking of them like that it was very wrong to take one of the twins as their own.
"When are we going home?"
"Tomorrow morning."
"Eric and I played lightsabers-and I won."
"Of course you won, sweetie, you're stronger than Forman!"
Eric smirked as they went back inside the apartment.
Donna had her back turned as she was on the phone in the small kitchen area with Jackie putting the good lie to rest once and for all.
