Annie was just about to get in the elevator when she saw Matt and Lucy. She told them that Eric was okay but they could visit him tomorrow since visiting hours were over. She was grateful of Mary and Matt's quick thinking when her dad called the kids.
They stopped by the vet to see how Happy was, it was getting late and Sion and Ruthie were sleeping in the waiting room. Mary stood up as they came in, "Happy will be okay, they want to keep her over night and we can pick her up tomorrow morning."
"We need to get these two home to bed." Annie said looking at Ruthie and Simon asleep.
They went to see Happy where Simon and Ruthie were asleep with her so they came back the next day and Happy was discharged.
Days later the kids and Annie went back to their home then a day later Eric is allowed to go home; Charles visits the Camdens. The day the Camdens finally went home, Ruthie had requested Simon sleep with her since she still felt scared, she and he slept in Simon's room so Charles had Lucy and Mary's old room. A few days after Eric comes home, Ruthie didn't feel scared but didn't mind sleeping with Simon till Grandpa had left.
"Hey. I'm so glad he didn't kill you." Annie cries on her father when they sat on the couch with the kids at school, twins napping and Eric at work.
"I know. Did you talk to Eric?"
"No. I've tried but I think he's still angry and I don't blame him."
"Well, I'm sure everything will work out." Charles says.
"I hope so daddy, I hate having him so angry at me."
"I know sweetie, I know." Charles said as Annie put her head on his shoulder with his arm around her shoulder.
Dinner time at the Camden home—
"Well, your father will miss dinner again."
"I'm sure he's busy at the church." Charles says as he looked towards Ruthie with his eyes.
"Yeah, you're right Grandpa." Lucy said as they ate while Eric was at the pool hall drinking non alcoholic beer with dinner at the bar.
"Hey, I'll have a Budweiser please." A man said to the bartender who sat next to Eric eating.
"Okay, what's your story? This is the first time you have had non alcoholic beer with burger and fries. I know that this is not like you." Steve, the bartender said as he looked at Eric with his hand resting on the ledge of the bar and his forearm on the ledge as well.
"My wife kept a secret from me, told me that she was okay but I was worried about her because she was worried. The secret was that an old college mate had assaulted her back when she was in college, had escaped. The guy hurt her father and came down here almost killed me and luckily he didn't hurt the kids."
"Ha!! Oh come on!! You crazy wimp!! That's nothing!! That's nothing!!" The man next to him scoffs then he continues as Eric looks at him as did Steve, "well, let me tell you something buster, that's nothing compared to my problem. My soon to be ex-wife was having an affair with another man and he got her pregnant! I told her I wanted a divorce!! And you say you can't trust your wife? You crazy wimp." The man said with annoyance.
"I never thought of that." Eric said quietly, as he finished his bite of the burger as the man paid for the beer and left a tip as he walked to his car.
"He's right you know." Steve says as Eric pays him for the food and beer then Steve goes to help a customer.
Eric then pays the tip then goes to his car and drives home.
After putting the twins down for bed, Annie sees her husband walking in as she walks downstairs through the foyer.
"Hi. We missed you at dinner, what have you been up to the last few nights that you have missed dinner?" Annie tells says then asks him as she approaches him and they both go into their room to talk. Eric closes the door.
"I um already had something to eat. And ate something the last few days I didn't eat here."
"Oh? Where have you gone to?" Annie asked as she and Eric sat on her side of the bed.
"The pool hall just eating and drinking." Annie looks at him with a confused face then asks suspiciously, "Drinking? Beer?"
"Non-alcoholic."
"Well, that's good." Annie says with relief but confused as to what he was doing drinking.
"Look." Eric sighs then begins, "I just wish you had told me what was going on, and trusted me. I feel like you didn't trust me or want my help when you hid this from me. What if he killed your father, huh? What if he came and killed all of us?"
"I know.. I thought about it a lot and you are right I should have trusted you but how can I get you to forgive me. I never thought he would come this far."
"Annie, I forgive you. But you need to trust me, we have 7 kids and been married for 23 years, haven't we?"
"Yes we have. I'm so sorry. What made you forgive me?" Annie smiles as he puts her hands on his face.
"I was talking to a guy who well, felt like I was a wimp. But... I was wondering if we can you know, mess around in the bed, you know, lock the door and....." Eric states.
Few hours later everyone went to bed, Eric and Annie showed their love for each other that night.
The End
They stopped by the vet to see how Happy was, it was getting late and Sion and Ruthie were sleeping in the waiting room. Mary stood up as they came in, "Happy will be okay, they want to keep her over night and we can pick her up tomorrow morning."
"We need to get these two home to bed." Annie said looking at Ruthie and Simon asleep.
They went to see Happy where Simon and Ruthie were asleep with her so they came back the next day and Happy was discharged.
Days later the kids and Annie went back to their home then a day later Eric is allowed to go home; Charles visits the Camdens. The day the Camdens finally went home, Ruthie had requested Simon sleep with her since she still felt scared, she and he slept in Simon's room so Charles had Lucy and Mary's old room. A few days after Eric comes home, Ruthie didn't feel scared but didn't mind sleeping with Simon till Grandpa had left.
"Hey. I'm so glad he didn't kill you." Annie cries on her father when they sat on the couch with the kids at school, twins napping and Eric at work.
"I know. Did you talk to Eric?"
"No. I've tried but I think he's still angry and I don't blame him."
"Well, I'm sure everything will work out." Charles says.
"I hope so daddy, I hate having him so angry at me."
"I know sweetie, I know." Charles said as Annie put her head on his shoulder with his arm around her shoulder.
Dinner time at the Camden home—
"Well, your father will miss dinner again."
"I'm sure he's busy at the church." Charles says as he looked towards Ruthie with his eyes.
"Yeah, you're right Grandpa." Lucy said as they ate while Eric was at the pool hall drinking non alcoholic beer with dinner at the bar.
"Hey, I'll have a Budweiser please." A man said to the bartender who sat next to Eric eating.
"Okay, what's your story? This is the first time you have had non alcoholic beer with burger and fries. I know that this is not like you." Steve, the bartender said as he looked at Eric with his hand resting on the ledge of the bar and his forearm on the ledge as well.
"My wife kept a secret from me, told me that she was okay but I was worried about her because she was worried. The secret was that an old college mate had assaulted her back when she was in college, had escaped. The guy hurt her father and came down here almost killed me and luckily he didn't hurt the kids."
"Ha!! Oh come on!! You crazy wimp!! That's nothing!! That's nothing!!" The man next to him scoffs then he continues as Eric looks at him as did Steve, "well, let me tell you something buster, that's nothing compared to my problem. My soon to be ex-wife was having an affair with another man and he got her pregnant! I told her I wanted a divorce!! And you say you can't trust your wife? You crazy wimp." The man said with annoyance.
"I never thought of that." Eric said quietly, as he finished his bite of the burger as the man paid for the beer and left a tip as he walked to his car.
"He's right you know." Steve says as Eric pays him for the food and beer then Steve goes to help a customer.
Eric then pays the tip then goes to his car and drives home.
After putting the twins down for bed, Annie sees her husband walking in as she walks downstairs through the foyer.
"Hi. We missed you at dinner, what have you been up to the last few nights that you have missed dinner?" Annie tells says then asks him as she approaches him and they both go into their room to talk. Eric closes the door.
"I um already had something to eat. And ate something the last few days I didn't eat here."
"Oh? Where have you gone to?" Annie asked as she and Eric sat on her side of the bed.
"The pool hall just eating and drinking." Annie looks at him with a confused face then asks suspiciously, "Drinking? Beer?"
"Non-alcoholic."
"Well, that's good." Annie says with relief but confused as to what he was doing drinking.
"Look." Eric sighs then begins, "I just wish you had told me what was going on, and trusted me. I feel like you didn't trust me or want my help when you hid this from me. What if he killed your father, huh? What if he came and killed all of us?"
"I know.. I thought about it a lot and you are right I should have trusted you but how can I get you to forgive me. I never thought he would come this far."
"Annie, I forgive you. But you need to trust me, we have 7 kids and been married for 23 years, haven't we?"
"Yes we have. I'm so sorry. What made you forgive me?" Annie smiles as he puts her hands on his face.
"I was talking to a guy who well, felt like I was a wimp. But... I was wondering if we can you know, mess around in the bed, you know, lock the door and....." Eric states.
Few hours later everyone went to bed, Eric and Annie showed their love for each other that night.
The End