It had been decided that Nova and Evie would stay at the house. The two kept Della company, sensing she needed some support. A few hours after Perry and the kids left, Della opened the door to find Gertie on the other side, "this is not a good time." Gertie held up a bottle of scotch. Della stepped aside and let the woman in. The two went to the living room where Della started drinking and Gertie only poured a small bit into a glass. "So, who told you?"

"Perry called to ask me to find a temporary receptionist so that I could fill in as his secretary for the time being."

"I can't believe it got to this."

"No one can. Look, I know this is extremely personal, but if you need to talk, I'm here."

"Thanks," Della said. She sighed heavily before downing her drink, "I just don't understand what's gotten into him. All of a sudden he's treating me like an employee. He's never done that. He doesn't want me making decisions at the office or at home."

"I asked Paul and he has no idea either."

"I brought home a dog. It's not like I brought home another man. Oh, Gertie," Della started to cry, "what am I going to do?" Gertie pulled her friend in for a side hug and held the woman as she cried. The receptionist wished she'd had an answer for Della. Gertie stayed with Della until she felt the woman was okay on her own.

The next day, Maureen walked into the house at about ten in the morning, "mom?"

She heard something shatter and saw her mother slowly walk out of the living room. It was obvious that the woman was drunk. "What are you doing here?" Della slurred.

Maureen walked up to her mother and noticed that the woman had been crying. "I came to apologize."

"I told you I wasn't mad." Della lost her balance and nearly did a face plant.

Maureen caught her mother, "maybe we should get some coffee in you?"

"I don't feel like making coffee."

"I know how," Maureen said, "you taught me. Put your arm around me." Della clumsily placed an arm around her daughter. Maureen held onto her mother while they slowly made their way into the kitchen. Maureen helped the woman sit at the kitchen table while she went to make coffee.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this," Della said while staring out the window. Maureen turned to face her mother. She was surprised because Della had never opened up to her children about her feelings or the marriage. She and Perry never wanted the children to worry or to be burdened with their parent's problems. "Everyone said we were perfect for one another. That nothing could tear us apart. My world is crumbling around me and for the first time in my life, I feel completely helpless."

When the coffee was ready, Maureen took a cup to her mother and sat at the table. "I had no right to be angry with you."

"When you were six months old, I had to accept the fact that you were going to always side with your father. It's not a big deal."

"I'll go get my things and come back home."

"No," Della said, "you need time away. Besides, I don't envision you choosing to live with me."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't want this to be it, but if it is, you and your siblings will have a say in where you live. You won't want to live with me. I don't know that any of you would, seeing as how I'd be home more often. It's not like I could work for your father after."

"I thought you said that you weren't getting divorced?"

"Well, it's something you think about once they leave. Listen, I'm fine. I appreciate you coming by to apologize and make the coffee, but I'm fine. You can go back now."

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Push everyone away? Do you think that Vivian, Maggie, and Violet wanted to leave? No, they didn't. They wanted to stay here and try to keep your spirits up. Instead, you sent them away. You were finally opening up to me and now you're telling me I can go."

"It's not..."

"Our responsibility to help you with your problems or to be burdened with them," Maureen repeated what her mother had often told her. "I'm going to get them and that's final." Maureen stood and left the house. Della slowly stood and made her way to the living room. She grabbed the trash can and got on the floor to pick up the broken glass. Della became distracted when she saw the wedding photo of her and Perry. She stood and walked toward the picture. Della picked it up and felt anger rising within her. She threw the photograph as hard as she could across the room before collapsing on the ground, crying. She had no idea that her daughters were watching. Maureen had brought them with her when she left Perry's hotel room. They startled her when she looked up. Della quickly wiped her face and went back to picking up the glass.

"Did you all eat?"

"Not yet," Vivian said.

"I can take care of it," Maureen said.

"No, it's fine. I can just order something," Della said.

"Mom, we can clean that up," Vivian told her mother.

"I've got it. Ow," Della hissed in pain. She had cut herself on a piece of glass.

"Mom, here," Maureen went to get the first aid kit. She returned and sat on the floor with her mother. The sixteen-year-old cleaned and bandaged the wound. "We can finish."

Della had a look of guilt on her face. She couldn't respond because Maureen had started to pull her off of the floor. The teen led her mother to the couch and helped her to sit down. Maureen started lunch while Vivian cleaned up the glass. Maggie picked up the broken frame and glass. Violet went to help Maureen. Maggie took the frame into the kitchen. "What should we do with this?"

Maureen looked at it, "put it in a shoebox. I'll take it to get fixed."

"What if they don't get back together?"

"Then one of us can have it," Maureen said.

Vivian walked into the kitchen with the living room trash and the broken glass. "Mom opened another bottle."

Everyone looked at Maureen. "No one panic," she said, "dad left and she's afraid of losing everyone and everything. I doubt it's going to be a problem. A girl I go to school with, her parents split up, even divorced, and her mother didn't end up with a drinking problem. She drank a lot for a little while and then stopped."

"What if mom doesn't stop?" Violet asked.

"Then we'll get her the help she needs."