Chapter Thirteen – What's More Important?
Later that same day, Brady was in his home office typing away at his computer responding to e-mails. After Belle had heard him on the phone with Philip she wouldn't listen to anything he had to say. She had ran up the stairs gathered her children and left. He had no doubt in his mind that she was very angry with him. That much was obvious. But, the bigger problem was what she was going to do once she calmed down. Or for that matter what she did after she left. Belle was unpredictable when angered. Being her brother all theses years had taught him to be wary when she was mad. Because whatever she did was bound to come back at him in full force.
"Brady Black, I want to talk to you right now." Mimi said as she charged into his office without knocking.
"Okay, you're using two names which means I'm in trouble. Therefore, I'm also going to assume that Belle told you about the call." He stopped typing and moved so that he faced his angry wife.
"Of course she did." She threw her arms up in disbelief. " I just want to know one thing before I get completely pissed. Did you keep this ridiculous thing a secret from me because you thought I would tell?" Her eyes reflected the hurt in her tone. It was one thing for Brady to keep secrets from Belle and Chloe. It was quite another to keep secrets from her.
"Mimi, I didn't tell you because I didn't want to put you in a position to know this and not be able to say anything to Chloe or Belle. And because Philip asked me not to say anything. I didn't intend to hurt you. I would never do that." Brady got up from his seat and walked around the table to pull Mimi to him in a hug. "No one was supposed to know I knew where Philip and Shawn really are."
That did it for Mimi as she pushed him away from her and walked over to the door of his office. She opened the door to see Racquel there with her hand raised to knock on the door. "Did you want something?"
"Yeah, Conrad wanted to know if it was alright if Jarod stayed over?" She asked looking into the room pass her mother at her father leaning against the door.
"Yes, if Chloe says it's okay. Tell your brother that he had better do something other than play games and your Dad will be fixing dinner in a little while. In case you're hungry." Mimi informed her daughter before closing the door behind her.
"How did you know she was there?"
"I would say a mother's intuition but I saw her feet under the door. Anyway, stop trying to change the subject I'm angry with you right now and I want to stay that way. So tell me why on earth you would agree to keep this a secret especially considering that you've seen the state both your sister and Chloe are in. The two women who you claim to love so much. They are falling apart piece by piece. And I, Brady, me" She stressed as she poked him in the chest. "Have been pulling double duty to be there for both of them. Trying to keep them calm. So please, explain to me how this job or whatever it is that Philip and Shawn are trying to accomplish became more important than their wives and children." Poking him in the chest one last time she moved to sit down in front of him in a chair waiting for his answer.
Brady sat on top of his desk silently seething. He had told Philip about the situation going on in Salem and practically begged him to come back. But, of course his young uncle had told him that he'd come home when and only when he was finished checking out this last person. He didn't want the trip he'd made all the way out there to be for nothing. Brady knew he couldn't keep this from Mimi any longer. "I am going to tell you where they are but I can't say anything more than that. Okay?" She nodded. Brady took a deep breath and brought his hands up on the edge of the desk. "Philip and Shawn are in Italy. They were only supposed to be gone for two weeks but something came up and they have been forced to remain there longer. They are searching for something and Philip doesn't want Chloe to know where they are. He asked me to watch over her while he was gone. That's the reason I've been so concerned for her lately. Shawn wasn't even supposed to go originally, it was just going to be Philip. But, after he found out about JT … well he needed to get away."
"So whatever he is looking for he doesn't want Chloe to know about. Umm, well I already knew about Shawn and the reason he went. But why doesn't he want Chloe know?"
Brady didn't know how much he should tell her. He knew that telling her about Jarod would automatically tip her off that Philip thinks he's his father. So it was best not to tell her it had anything to do with Jarod at all. "Mimi I can't tell you why he doesn't want Chloe to know. I only know that this is something he needs to do; I really have already said too much. You just have to trust me on this."
Mimi sat quietly thinking over everything that he had just revealed to her. If he knew the reason Philip was going through all this trouble to keep his whereabouts a secrets than it had to be important. Otherwise he would tell her. "Alright, since you can't tell me anything without losing your confidence with Philip I won't push anymore." Brady released a breath of relief. "But, I want you to do me a favor."
"What favor?"
"I want you to look into the eyes of your sister and Chloe and not feel guilty when you see the pain in them. I want you to look at their eyes and know that they are scared of loosing their husbands. I want you to look at them and lie to them about where Philip and Shawn are. If you can do all that without feeling any guilt then I won't say a word." With that said, Mimi rose from her seat and started for the door.
Brady now frustrated, shoved his hand thru his hair and followed her to the door. Putting his arm on the hard wood, he closed it and closed the door and turned Mimi around, bracing her in between his arms. "Mimi what do you want me to do? I made a promise to Philip and I'm have to keep it. I can't break it. I'm doing everything I can to be there for both Belle and Chloe."
"Have you Brady? Have you really? Sure you see them and offer to do things for them, help them with any and everything they need. But, then you leave and I'm left to take care of them. I'm the one who has been there when they fall apart because they don't know what is going on in their own marriages. Where their husbands are or if they are filing for divorces. It's me whose been left to deal with that not you. Me." Mimi said to him.
"Then what do you want me to do? Do you want me to talk to them, reassure them? What? Tell me what you want me to do?"
"No that's not what I want you to do Brady. Besides, it won't help them. My point was that we aren't enough. Anything we do or say isn't enough because they don't need us. They need Philip and Shawn, they need their husbands back here in Salem." Mimi paused for a moment before continuing. "I want you to call Philip and Shawn and tell them they need to get their asses back here if they care anything about their children and wives. You tell them to come home."
"Mimi," Brady started to interrupt.
"Brady, I'm not trying to say that you did anything wrong. Because you didn't, I didn't. We did everything we could. But, it's not helping, like I said before it's not enough." She cupped his jaw in her palms and held his gaze. "You understand that right?"
Brady said nothing for a moment. He knew she was right though Chloe and Belle didn't need him. They needed Shawn and Philip and that was that. "You're right it's time for them to come back. But, I can't call Philip, I'll have to go get him myself otherwise they won't come back until they've found what they were looking for. I'll leave as soon as I can get a flight out." Grasping her hands he pulled them away from his jaw and put them around his waist as he moved his arms around her waist and pulled her in for a hug.
"Thank you." Mimi whispered.
~*~*~*~*~*~@~*~*~*~*~*~
It was several hours later that Brady had actually got his flight out of Salem to Italy. Mimi was going to drive him to the airport and John was going to watch the children for her while she was gone. She would say her goodbyes at the airport while; the children said theirs at home. Brady had told them he was leaving and they all seemed to think nothing of it. But, they still wished him a safe trip and it wasn't until he was getting ready to leave that they seemed at all concerned.
Racquel was the first child down the stairs to see John standing beside her parents. "Oh you're leaving now?" She asked walking into the room.
"Yes, your Dad and I will be leaving in a couple of minutes." Mimi answered as she pulled on her jacket and pulled her hair out from under the collar.
"Yeah so don't I get a hug and a kiss before I go?" Brady asked from his seat on the arm of the couch.
"Of course, Dad." Racquel walked over to her father gave him a hug and placed a kiss on his scruffy cheek. "Ugh, Daddy you need to shave." She said giggling as her father lifted her into his lap and rubbed his cheek on her neck.
"So you still think I need to shave?" Brady asked as he placed his giggling daughter back on her feet.
"Yeah," Racquel said running away from her Dad to go to into her grandfather's arms as he lifted her up.
Just then Conrad, Jarod, and Spencer tumbled down the stairs. "Hey Dad, leaving now?"
"Yeah I'm glad to see you could pull yourselves from the computer to say goodbye. Just remember no hacking into things while I'm gone okay?" Brady said to his eldest son, his mini-me.
"Dad, I'm wounded you would think we would hack into anything." Conrad said looking toward Jarod and Spencer. "All we do is play games."
"Yea––h, right. Spencer you make sure your brother doesn't get into any trouble while I'm gone." Brady said as he walked in front of his youngest son. Then, he glanced up at Jarod smiling conspiratorially at Conrad. "And watch for Jarod too." He stood up and ruffled Spence's hair.
"Alright Dad I'll watch them for you. Have good trip." Spencer said as he and his brother and Jarod ran back upstairs.
"Okay then we are going to leave." Mimi said as Brady grasped his bag and headed to the door. "I'll be back after I drop off Brady, John."
"Hey, it's no rush I'll be here with the kids. Take your time," he looked toward Brady. "And you have a good trip son." John said as he walked Mimi to the door. Brady nodded and left the house.