Death and Life
Chapter 2
"Lucy, honey, wake up." Kevin pressed the cold, wet washcloth against his wife's forehead. Recovering from the shock of seeing that Mary was indeed alive had to take a back seat to taking care of his wife. He had carried her the rest of the way down the stairs to the couch in the living room.
Her eyelids fluttered opened and then stayed open. She sat up slowly and hugged Kevin. "Is it true? Is Mary really alive?"
"Yes, Sweetheart, Mary is okay. She's in the kitchen with your parents and your brothers and sister. Honey, I didn't get the full story cause I was taking care of you but it wasn't Mary who had the accident."
"Then who?"
Kevin took a deep breath and kissed the top of her head. "It was your mom's father."
Lucy paled again and for a moment Kevin was afraid she was going to pass out again. Instead she began to cry again, burying her head in Kevin's chest. "But Dad said it was a lone driver. Grandpa had to stop driving a couple of months ago because of the Alzheimer's."
"He wasn't supposed to be driving." Eric joined them on the couch and took her hand in his own. "Luce, from what Detective Michaels told me, your grandfather took the car keys when Ginger wasn't looking and slipped out of the house. She thought he was upstairs taking a nap when a Highway Patrolman came to the door to tell her about the accident. Lucy, I'm so sorry you thought it was Mary. I didn't even think about you thinking it was her. I didn't handle this well at all. I'm so sorry."
Leaning over Kevin, Lucy hugged her father. "How is Mom?"
Eric suddenly looked ten years older. "Not too good. We knew that the Alzheimer's was taking a toll on him from when he was here for your wedding. We figured it was just a matter of time before we and Ginger would have to discuss putting him in a home or getting her help watching him. We just never expected this."
"I should go to her." Lucy started to get up but Kevin stopped her, worry in his eyes.
"Are you sure you are okay? I know seeing Mary was a shock considering what you thought but you did pass out."
Unconsciously, Lucy caressed her stomach. How could she tell Kevin about the life growing inside her while they were dealing with the loss of another? She nodded slowly. "I didn't eat much today; that probably had something to do with it. I'm okay, really."
Kevin studied her carefully and then helped her up. Before letting her go to the kitchen, Kevin hugged her tightly and kissed her lips. Lucy let herself melt against him for just a moment. "I love you." He whispered in her ear.
"I love you too." She thought about how she'd treated him all day as she worried about whether or not she was pregnant. She felt bad about it. "I'm sorry I was so awful to you today."
Kevin kissed her again. He didn't know what had been bothering his bride all day but he knew she'd tell him when she was ready. "It's not important."
The three entered the kitchen. Matt was holding Annie as she cried. Mary was sitting at the table between Simon and Ruthie, one handing resting comfortingly on each of their backs. Only Sam and David, too young to understand exactly what was going on, were not crying.
"Mom."
At Lucy's tearful call, Annie pulled away from her oldest son and opened her arms, beckoning her middle daughter. The two women hugged. After several minutes, Annie pulled away and looked at Lucy. "Are you okay?"
Lucy nodded. "Mom, I'm so sorry."
Annie nodded. "I know." She looked around at everyone in the kitchen. It was evident that she was struggling to pull herself together for their benefit. "I should go upstairs and call Ginger. She'll need my help making the arrangements for bringing my dad here for."
Unable to bring herself to say the word burial, Annie fled up the stairs. Eric hung his head for a moment before looking at the kids. "I know you all know as hard as this is for you, how much more so it is for your mom. She'll be okay though. She's strong. Mary, can you stay here tonight? I think she needs everyone close."
Mary nodded. "Of course. I'll take the twins upstairs and get them ready for bed."
Eric nodded. "Thanks. Ruthie, I'm sorry this interrupted your special night."
Ruthie teared up with fresh tears. "If this is what being a woman feels like, I think I want to go back to being a kid." She took off up the stairs as well.
Simon wiped his eyes. "I'll take care of Ruthie." "I'll come up with you; I need to check on your mom." Eric hugged Lucy, Kevin and Matt before going up the stairs with Simon.
"You okay Luce?" Matt's brotherly eyes studied her carefully. Lucy nodded and leaned heavily against her husband.
"I'm fine. I think I just want to go on to bed though."
Kevin nodded. "That's probably a good idea. I'll come up with you."
The newlyweds headed out the back door on their way up to the garage apartment. Alone in the kitchen, Matt looked around his childhood home for just a moment and then picked up the phone. Checking to make sure no one was using it, Matt punched in a familiar number. After a couple of rings a sleepy voice answered. The simple word of greeting soothed him before he spoke.
"Hey baby, I've been trying to reach you all day. I love you."
He could almost see Sarah smiling into the phone. "I got your message but only after getting waylaid by my dad. It's okay and I love you too."
He gently gave her the news about his grandfather. Then he added. "I wish you were in my arms right now."
"Me too." She agreed quietly. "I'll check with the airport and get the first flight out there."
"You don't have to." Matt assured her.
"Yes I do. Give your family my love. I'll call you back when I find out about my flight. I love you." Sarah's quiet voice was like a balm to his hurting soul. He drank in her voice.
"Love you too. Be careful."
***********
Kevin watched Lucy sleep. As soon as they came back up to the apartment, Lucy had crawled into bed without saying much and almost instantly fell into a troubled sleep. Kevin had lain down next to her and held her close until he sensed she was at last sleeping peacefully. He didn't want to leave her side but really needed to go to the bathroom. Kissing her cheek, he eased out of bed.
He flushed the toilet hoping the sound wouldn't wake Lucy. Just as he was about to leave, he noticed the cabinet under the sink wasn't closed completely; something had caught. He frowned. That was odd; Lucy was usually a meticulous housekeeper. Opening the door, he was stunned to see it was a home pregnancy test box. He sat down heavily on the edge of the bathtub, staring at the box. Could Lucy be pregnant? He shifted through the contents of the garbage can until he found the tell-tale stick. His heart skipped a beat. A plus sign. He and Lucy were going to have a baby. He looked back toward the bed where his wife was still asleep. Under any other circumstance, he would wake her up so they could discuss this new development in their lives. Instead, he carefully returned everything to the garbage can. He would wait until Lucy was ready to tell him about the baby.
He returned to bed and wrapped his arms around his wife. He rested one hand on her stomach and grinned. That was his baby growing there.
******
Annie scrubbed the kitchen counter. She had cried the last of her tears somewhere around two in the morning when sleep fitfully overtook her. Now she wished she still had tears left to cry, anything to replace the deep pit of despair she felt all the way down to her very bones. Her mood had grown darker and darker as the day wore on until she finally pleaded with Matt and Mary to take the younger kids out of the house for a few hours.
Eric had hovered over her so much she finally yelled at him to leave her alone. Reluctantly he had done as she requested but she knew that he was still nearby, hovering in another room instead. On a rational level, she loved him for his concern; she just wasn't able to handle it right then.
She heard the doorbell ring and groaned. By now, Lou had probably let the whole congregation know about her dad. Well meaning parishioners had been dropping by all afternoon but Eric or the kids had been graciously turning the away, saying Annie wasn't up for visitors. Of course she wasn't up for visitors; her father was dead. She may never be up for visitors again.
"Hello Annie." Ginger stood in the kitchen doorway, looking very old and solemn. She opened her arms to embrace the younger woman. Suddenly the dark pit of despair in Annie turned pitch black in anger.
Throwing aside the sponge she'd been using to clean with, Annie crossed the room and slapped Ginger hard across the cheek. "How could you? It's your fault Daddy is dead. You killed him."
Author's Note: I read recently that Graham Jarvis who played Charles Jackson died not long after the filming of the episode of Lucy's wedding. I figure if this is not where the show goes with it's ending, it will eventually next season have to write in his death.
"Lucy, honey, wake up." Kevin pressed the cold, wet washcloth against his wife's forehead. Recovering from the shock of seeing that Mary was indeed alive had to take a back seat to taking care of his wife. He had carried her the rest of the way down the stairs to the couch in the living room.
Her eyelids fluttered opened and then stayed open. She sat up slowly and hugged Kevin. "Is it true? Is Mary really alive?"
"Yes, Sweetheart, Mary is okay. She's in the kitchen with your parents and your brothers and sister. Honey, I didn't get the full story cause I was taking care of you but it wasn't Mary who had the accident."
"Then who?"
Kevin took a deep breath and kissed the top of her head. "It was your mom's father."
Lucy paled again and for a moment Kevin was afraid she was going to pass out again. Instead she began to cry again, burying her head in Kevin's chest. "But Dad said it was a lone driver. Grandpa had to stop driving a couple of months ago because of the Alzheimer's."
"He wasn't supposed to be driving." Eric joined them on the couch and took her hand in his own. "Luce, from what Detective Michaels told me, your grandfather took the car keys when Ginger wasn't looking and slipped out of the house. She thought he was upstairs taking a nap when a Highway Patrolman came to the door to tell her about the accident. Lucy, I'm so sorry you thought it was Mary. I didn't even think about you thinking it was her. I didn't handle this well at all. I'm so sorry."
Leaning over Kevin, Lucy hugged her father. "How is Mom?"
Eric suddenly looked ten years older. "Not too good. We knew that the Alzheimer's was taking a toll on him from when he was here for your wedding. We figured it was just a matter of time before we and Ginger would have to discuss putting him in a home or getting her help watching him. We just never expected this."
"I should go to her." Lucy started to get up but Kevin stopped her, worry in his eyes.
"Are you sure you are okay? I know seeing Mary was a shock considering what you thought but you did pass out."
Unconsciously, Lucy caressed her stomach. How could she tell Kevin about the life growing inside her while they were dealing with the loss of another? She nodded slowly. "I didn't eat much today; that probably had something to do with it. I'm okay, really."
Kevin studied her carefully and then helped her up. Before letting her go to the kitchen, Kevin hugged her tightly and kissed her lips. Lucy let herself melt against him for just a moment. "I love you." He whispered in her ear.
"I love you too." She thought about how she'd treated him all day as she worried about whether or not she was pregnant. She felt bad about it. "I'm sorry I was so awful to you today."
Kevin kissed her again. He didn't know what had been bothering his bride all day but he knew she'd tell him when she was ready. "It's not important."
The three entered the kitchen. Matt was holding Annie as she cried. Mary was sitting at the table between Simon and Ruthie, one handing resting comfortingly on each of their backs. Only Sam and David, too young to understand exactly what was going on, were not crying.
"Mom."
At Lucy's tearful call, Annie pulled away from her oldest son and opened her arms, beckoning her middle daughter. The two women hugged. After several minutes, Annie pulled away and looked at Lucy. "Are you okay?"
Lucy nodded. "Mom, I'm so sorry."
Annie nodded. "I know." She looked around at everyone in the kitchen. It was evident that she was struggling to pull herself together for their benefit. "I should go upstairs and call Ginger. She'll need my help making the arrangements for bringing my dad here for."
Unable to bring herself to say the word burial, Annie fled up the stairs. Eric hung his head for a moment before looking at the kids. "I know you all know as hard as this is for you, how much more so it is for your mom. She'll be okay though. She's strong. Mary, can you stay here tonight? I think she needs everyone close."
Mary nodded. "Of course. I'll take the twins upstairs and get them ready for bed."
Eric nodded. "Thanks. Ruthie, I'm sorry this interrupted your special night."
Ruthie teared up with fresh tears. "If this is what being a woman feels like, I think I want to go back to being a kid." She took off up the stairs as well.
Simon wiped his eyes. "I'll take care of Ruthie." "I'll come up with you; I need to check on your mom." Eric hugged Lucy, Kevin and Matt before going up the stairs with Simon.
"You okay Luce?" Matt's brotherly eyes studied her carefully. Lucy nodded and leaned heavily against her husband.
"I'm fine. I think I just want to go on to bed though."
Kevin nodded. "That's probably a good idea. I'll come up with you."
The newlyweds headed out the back door on their way up to the garage apartment. Alone in the kitchen, Matt looked around his childhood home for just a moment and then picked up the phone. Checking to make sure no one was using it, Matt punched in a familiar number. After a couple of rings a sleepy voice answered. The simple word of greeting soothed him before he spoke.
"Hey baby, I've been trying to reach you all day. I love you."
He could almost see Sarah smiling into the phone. "I got your message but only after getting waylaid by my dad. It's okay and I love you too."
He gently gave her the news about his grandfather. Then he added. "I wish you were in my arms right now."
"Me too." She agreed quietly. "I'll check with the airport and get the first flight out there."
"You don't have to." Matt assured her.
"Yes I do. Give your family my love. I'll call you back when I find out about my flight. I love you." Sarah's quiet voice was like a balm to his hurting soul. He drank in her voice.
"Love you too. Be careful."
***********
Kevin watched Lucy sleep. As soon as they came back up to the apartment, Lucy had crawled into bed without saying much and almost instantly fell into a troubled sleep. Kevin had lain down next to her and held her close until he sensed she was at last sleeping peacefully. He didn't want to leave her side but really needed to go to the bathroom. Kissing her cheek, he eased out of bed.
He flushed the toilet hoping the sound wouldn't wake Lucy. Just as he was about to leave, he noticed the cabinet under the sink wasn't closed completely; something had caught. He frowned. That was odd; Lucy was usually a meticulous housekeeper. Opening the door, he was stunned to see it was a home pregnancy test box. He sat down heavily on the edge of the bathtub, staring at the box. Could Lucy be pregnant? He shifted through the contents of the garbage can until he found the tell-tale stick. His heart skipped a beat. A plus sign. He and Lucy were going to have a baby. He looked back toward the bed where his wife was still asleep. Under any other circumstance, he would wake her up so they could discuss this new development in their lives. Instead, he carefully returned everything to the garbage can. He would wait until Lucy was ready to tell him about the baby.
He returned to bed and wrapped his arms around his wife. He rested one hand on her stomach and grinned. That was his baby growing there.
******
Annie scrubbed the kitchen counter. She had cried the last of her tears somewhere around two in the morning when sleep fitfully overtook her. Now she wished she still had tears left to cry, anything to replace the deep pit of despair she felt all the way down to her very bones. Her mood had grown darker and darker as the day wore on until she finally pleaded with Matt and Mary to take the younger kids out of the house for a few hours.
Eric had hovered over her so much she finally yelled at him to leave her alone. Reluctantly he had done as she requested but she knew that he was still nearby, hovering in another room instead. On a rational level, she loved him for his concern; she just wasn't able to handle it right then.
She heard the doorbell ring and groaned. By now, Lou had probably let the whole congregation know about her dad. Well meaning parishioners had been dropping by all afternoon but Eric or the kids had been graciously turning the away, saying Annie wasn't up for visitors. Of course she wasn't up for visitors; her father was dead. She may never be up for visitors again.
"Hello Annie." Ginger stood in the kitchen doorway, looking very old and solemn. She opened her arms to embrace the younger woman. Suddenly the dark pit of despair in Annie turned pitch black in anger.
Throwing aside the sponge she'd been using to clean with, Annie crossed the room and slapped Ginger hard across the cheek. "How could you? It's your fault Daddy is dead. You killed him."
Author's Note: I read recently that Graham Jarvis who played Charles Jackson died not long after the filming of the episode of Lucy's wedding. I figure if this is not where the show goes with it's ending, it will eventually next season have to write in his death.
