Chapter Three

Felicia slowly got up and walked towards the living room, Tony following behind her. Maxie and Georgie were taking their coats off. Maxie saw her mother come into the room. "Hi mom, sorry we're a little late. Hi Uncle Tony. What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Hi Maxie." Tony said, not answering her question. Maxie looked at her mother again.

"Mom, what's wrong?" she asked.

"Honey, would you and Maxie sit down please." Felicia asked her. Maxie and Georgie looked at each other. They sat down on the sofa. Felicia sat down next to them, and Tony sat on the coffee table.

Maxie looked again at her mother, and her uncle. "Mom, what's going on?" Felicia sighed, not wanting to tell them.

"Both of you know about the war going on in Iraq, right?" She asked them. Maxie and Georgie nodded.

"We've talked about it in school. They're trying to get the bad guys that hurt and killed so many people on 9/11. Just like dad does." Georgie said. Felicia looked at Tony. He gave her a nod.

"That's right Georgie.. It turns out that your father was there, helping them catch the bad people."

"Of course he was. Why wouldn't he be, he has to save the world, remember?" Maxie snapped.

"Maxie." Tony said. Maxie heard the warning in his voice and sat back.

Felicia could see where this was going to go, and didn't want to deal with it, but she knew she had to. "Girls, there was an explosion today. A warehouse that some soldiers were in blew up."

"And let me geuss, good ole dad saved the day."

"Shut up Maxie. Let mom talk." Georgie said.

"Your father was there also."

"Mom, what are you trying to tell us?" Maxie asked.

"Honey, your father didn't make it out. He's dead."

Felicia watched the shock of what she had just said wash over both of her daughters. Even though she was now 12 years old, Georgie climbed onto her mother's lap. "No mom. No." She cried. Felicia held her daughter as she wept. Maxie just sat there.

"Maxie, it's okay to cry." Felicia told her. Maxie shook her head.

"I'm not going to cry over him. He wasn't my father." Felicia closed her eyes. She started to say something, but Georgie beat her to it.

"How can you say that? Yes he was!" she screamed. He may not have been here that much, but he still loved us. He sent us presents, and he told us that in every letter he's ever written us! He did love us!"

"His letter's and presents meant nothing! He should have been here. If he had been here, this wouldn't of happened.! He didn't care about us!"

"SHUT UP MAXIE!" Georgie screamed. She lunged for her sister, but Felicia pulled her back.

"Maxie, stop." Felicia said.

"You stop mom. Stop protecting him. You don't have to anymore. He's dead."

Maxie jumped off the couch and ran upstairs. Felicia heard her slam her bedroom door. "I'm sorry mom. I didn't mean to yell...just..."

"It's okay Georgie. You just cry all you want. I'm here." Her youngest daughter fell back into her arms and sobbed.

Felicia kissed Georgie's forehead, and pulled her covers over her. Georgie had cried for almost two hours. She finally fell asleep in Felicia's arms. Tony had carried her upstairs for Felicia. Felicia closed the bedroom door, and walked over to Maxie's. Maxie had her stereo blaring. Felicia started to knock, but stopped. It wasn't going to do any good to talk to her right now. Felicia was exhausted, and she didn't think she could take any more yelling.

She went downstairs, and found Tony lying on the couch. He heard her and sat up. "She all settled?" Tony asked. Felicia nodded and sat down next to him. Tony took her hand into his. "Maxie will be okay. She's just still in shock. She didn't mean what she said."

"I don't know Tony. I think she did."

"Try not to worry about it right now. I have to go to the hospital to take care a few things. I want you to take one of these , and get some sleep." He said, handing her a bottle of pills..

"Tony, I don't need this."

"I think you know you do." He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "I'll be back tomorrow morning. Now you get some sleep. That's an order."

"I will as long as you will too." She told him. He nodded and gave her a hug.

"I love you." He said.

"I love you too Tony."

She watched him leave. She stared at the ceiling. She wondered when the tears would come. She had just realized that she hadn't shed one tear since Sean told her the news. She felt like she wanted to cry, but she just couldn't. "I have to be strong. For the girls. For Tony." She said to herself. She fiddled with the pill bottle Tony had given her. She didn't want to take it, but she knew Tony was right. She wouldn't sleep without it. She got up and went to the kitchen. She had just taken a glass from the cabinet, when she heard the doorbell ring. She looked at the clock. It was almost 11:00, who would be coming over at this time of night. She set down the glass and went to the door. She looked out the peep hole and let out a sigh. She opened the door. "Hi Mac."