Chapter Eleven

Jillian stood at the mailbox, holding a letter in her hands, her blue eyes scanning its contents. Sighing, she shoved the letter back into its envelope and marched back in the house. Whizzing through the living room, she didn't look at her husband, as she went over to the bottom of the stairs and called up, "Joseph Martin Deline, get down here!"

"What's going on?" Ed asked as he stood up.

"This," Jillian said as she thrust the letter in his way.

Confusion in his eyes, Ed took the letter from his wife and took it out of the envelope and read it. Sighing deeply, he turned his attention back at his sixteen-year-old son who was coming down the stairs, "You are skipping school?"

"No," Joey said defensively.

Ed held the letter up, "Your principal says different."

Rolling his eyes, Joey said, "That principal is a dickhead."

"Hey!" Jillian walked over to her son, "I will not have that language in my house, Joey. What's going on with you?" she asked as she sat down on the arm of the couch, "Don't you want to make something of yourself?"

Joey sighed as he leaned against the wall, "School isn't fun for me. I get a better education outside of school than I do in it."

"Oh, like learning how to light a cigarette and how to twist a bottle cap off something you shouldn't be drinking?" Ed shot back.

"That happened one time!"

"Once is more than enough!" Ed yelled back.

Sighing, Jillian put her hand on her husband's arm to calm him, "Eddie," she said quietly.

Through all the shouting, nobody heard the phone ring. Delinda walked into the room, her face red and tear-streaked, "Daddy," she whispered softly.

Ed turned around and looked at his daughter, his face a mask of concern. Walking over to her, he put his hands on her shoulders, "What it is, honey?"

Delinda looked away from her father, "That was grandma... Grandpa died. He had a heart attack."

Ed's face blanched as he took a hand off his daughter's shoulder and put it on the wall for support.

"Oh, Ed," Jillian rushed over to her husband's side and helped him sit down.

Delinda watched her parents as more tears fell. Walking over, she sat down across from them in a chair, "Grandma said it happened fast, that it happened while he was sleeping."

Ed nodded numbly, "When," he whispered.

"This morning," she responded. "Daddy, I'm so sorry."

Nodding again, Ed stood up, his body trembling, "I-I need to go make arrangements," he said, "Mom shouldn't have to do all this herself. I need to hunt Bobby down, make sure he knows."

"Ed," Jillian said, standing up, "Go upstairs and lie down, honey, please. I'll call and make the flight arrangements, we can leave tonight and I still have Christine's phone number so I'll call her, maybe she's heard from him."

"Bobby and Christine divorced years ago, Jill," Ed said, a little more harshly than he intended, "they haven't spoken."

"Okay," she said softly, leading him towards the stairs, "I'll find him. Come on," she took his hand and led him upstairs.

Once her parents were out of ear shot, Delinda turned around and looked at her brother, "Whatever it is you are doing, stop."

Joey gave his sister a steely gaze, "I don't know what you are talking about."

Walking over to her brother, Delinda said softly, "You think I don't know about that crap you have under your mattress? You think I haven't walked by the bathroom late at night to find you sticking a needle up your arm? If you love mom and dad, you'll knock this crap off. They don't need this, they've got enough to worry about, especially now that grandpa's dead. Daddy is sick with grief and it's only going to get worse."

Her brother sighed as he crossed his arms over his chest, "You are full of shit, Delinda," he said, "you've always been a Daddy's girl and you'll be one till the day you die, so why don't you just leave me alone and do what you do best... kissing ass."

That said, he turned around and walked out of the house, his anger echoed by the slamming of the door.

Jillian laid in bed next to her husband facing his back. Her hands running up and down his back slowly, she scooted closer to him and kissed his cheek, "I'm so sorry, Eddie," she whispered softly.

Ed slowly rolled over onto his back and then on his side, facing her. "How did you do it?" he asked her softly, "How did you deal with losing your parents?"

"I was thirteen, Ed," she said gently, "Mom and dad died from a car accident. At thirteen, you don't know which way is up and which is down. I rebelled," she sighed quietly, "I cut school, started smoking, dabbled in stuff I shouldn't have."

"What got you through it?"

Reaching out and taking his hand, she smiled softly, "I met a man and he told me that he wasn't ever going to let anything happen to me and that he loved me more than life." Moving closer to him, she wrapped her arms around her husband and held him, whispering softly, "I won't let anything happen to you, Eddie," she vowed softly, "and I love you more than life itself."

Ed closed his eyes as his body began to tremble again, tears falling from his eyes.

Several hours later, Ed walked downstairs holding his suitcases. Setting them down in the foyer, he looked back to the staircase and found his wife and daughter following him down, bags in their hands. "What time does our flight leave?"

"Ten," Jillian answered.

Ed winced, "That means we will be getting in around midnight."

"I know," she said, sighing softly, "but I wanted you to be there as soon as I could, but we also needed time to pack and get to the airport."

Ed nodded as he took a bag from his daughter and set it down next to the rest, "Where's your brother?"

"Upstairs still," Delinda said. "I'll go get him."

Ed nodded as Nessa walked in the front door. Looking at Ed, she went over and hugged him tightly, "I'm so sorry, Pops."

Ed hugged her back in surprise and then looked at her, "You are supposed to be at school."

"My family is more important than school, Ed," she said. "I'll go back, but I wanted to be with you."

Ed nodded and kissed her temple, sighing softly, "I love you,"

She nodded and gave him a soft smile, "I know." Reaching for some bags, she picked them up, "I'll take these out to the car."

"Here," Ed said, tossing her his car keys, "The Cherokee, okay?"

Nodding, Nessa caught the keys and walked outside with two suitcases. Minutes later, Delinda came back downstairs followed by Joey.

"Dad," Joey said, walking over to Ed. "I'm sorry. Not just about grandpa, but for everything."

Ed nodded and hugged his son, sighing quietly, "I love you, Joey, so does your mother. We just want you not to throw your life away."

"I know," he said, hugging his father back, "I'll do better, I promise. I'll start going back to school."

"Good," he said, breaking the hug. "Go help your sisters load up the car, okay?"

"Yeah," he said as he went over and grabbed some bags and walked outside.

Grateful to see the truce between her husband and son, Jillian walked up behind Ed and wrapped her arms around his waist. Pressing her face into his back, she sighed quietly, "I love you."

Ed reached up and put his hands over his wife's and nodded, "I know," he said quietly, turning to look at her. Kissing her softly, he said, "Thanks for helping me get down to Miami, Jill."

"What was I going to do, Ed?" She asked, "Sit on my hands and watch Oprah?"

Giving her a quiet smile, he picked up the last suitcase and led her out of the house, making sure to lock it. Packing the last bag in the back, he closed the hatch and got into the car and stuck his key in the ignition, "Everybody ready?"

"As ready as we'll get," Delinda responded, putting her seatbelt on.

Sighing heavily, Ed turned the car on and slowly backed out of the driveway.