The next day, Faith and Grace spent time exploring their grandparents' house. Perry was in the office with Paul Jr. and Maureen. Della was in the living room. "Grandma," Faith said when she saw the woman, "whatcha doin'?"
"Nothing really," Della answered, "what are you up to?"
"Splorin'," she said.
Della smiled at her granddaughters. "Are you hungry?"
"I don't know, but mommy said I can't go in the kitchen by myself."
"Do you want to watch television?"
"Are we gonna lose mommy?"
"What?"
"I heard grandpa talking about mommy going away."
"Sweetheart, your grandpa won't let your mommy go away. If anyone can keep her from going away, it's him."
"I don't know my daddy. I heard mommy tell Aunt Ellie that he was a bad guy."
"Aunt Ellie?"
"She lives with us. Grandma, what's rape?"
Della's eyes grew wide, "what? Where did you hear that?"
"Mommy said that's what daddy did."
Della felt a mix of emotions at that moment. If she knew who the man was, she'd probably kill him. "Sweetheart, go get your mommy for me, please."
"Okay," Faith went to get her mother. Grace stayed behind with Della.
Maureen walked out with a concerned look on her face, "mom, is something wrong?"
Della noticed Paul leaving, "Faith, Grace, go sit with grandpa."
The little girls went back to the office, "what's going on?"
"How was Faith conceived?"
"What?"
"Were you...did you consent?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Faith heard you telling your roommate, Ellie, that you were...that Faith's father...forced you."
Maureen had not known that her daughter had heard that conversation. "I really don't want to talk about this right now."
Maureen stood to leave, but Della didn't let her. The woman stood more quickly than she had in eight weeks. "Is that why you thought we'd be ashamed?"
"I said I don't want to talk about it."
Perry and Faith were walking toward the living room. "Too bad," Della said, "I've spent five years wondering what I did wrong. Wondering what I did to drive you away."
"You didn't drive me away. He drove me away."
Perry, Grace, and Faith reached the two women, "what's going on?" he asked.
"Nothing," Maureen walked over and picked up Grace while taking Faith's hand. She began moving towards the door.
"Where are you going?" Della asked in a panic.
"I'm taking my daughters out," Maureen said, "oh, and if he hadn't driven me away, eventually, you would have." The young woman took her daughter and left the house.
Della felt like she had been stabbed in the heart. She became wobbly so Perry rushed to help her to the couch. "What the hell happened?"
Della began sobbing, unable to speak. Perry just held his wife and did his best to comfort her. Three hours later, the girls still weren't home. Della hadn't said a word since Maureen and the girls walked out. Perry couldn't get her to talk. When the phone rang, Perry took the call. He didn't say anything, but Della knew who was on the other end. Perry left the living room and returned with Maureen and the girls' things. He placed them on the front porch. Della began to silently cry. Perry returned to his seat next to her, "Della, I want to help, but I can't if I don't know what happened."
"I just can't right now." Perry didn't push any further. He just held his wife and comforted her.
The next day, Perry and Della were supposed to meet Maureen and Faith at the office. "Della, we need to get going. We're already behind," Perry yelled.
Della finally emerged from their bedroom, "Perry, I don't think I'm going to go with you today?"
Perry put his things down and walked over to his wife, "are you feeling alright? Is your hip bothering you?"
"I'm fine, but I don't think Maureen will want to see me."
"Not only are you going to the office with me, but you're telling me what happened. Now, let's go." Perry grabbed his wife's coat.
"She was raped," Della blurted out.
"What?"
"That's how Faith was conceived. She said that's why she ran. She was scared. I don't understand. We'd helped her through it before." Della groaned in disgust, "it makes me sick to know it happened to her again."
"Me too," Perry said as he helped his wife with her coat and handed her purse to her. "I should probably take my things to the car first so I can help you."
"I'll be fine."
"I know there are only a couple of steps, but it just takes one. Or, in your case, four steps...twice."
Della glared at her husband who was smiling. She chuckled, "alright, smart mouth, go ahead. I'll wait for you."
Perry took his things to the car and returned to help his wife. When they arrived at the office, Maureen and the girls were already there. "Sorry, we're so late," Perry said, "neither one of us moves that quickly anymore."
"It's fine, dad," Maureen said.
"Della, why don't you sit in my chair? It'll be more comfortable for you and easier to get out of." Della limped to the chair and sat down. She put her cane to the side to keep it out of the way. Perry took a seat in Della's usual chair. "I need you to tell me where you were that night."
Della picked up a pencil and paper. Maureen looked at her father, "I can't."
"Why not?"
"I just can't."
"Maureen, how am I supposed to help you if I can't prove you couldn't have possibly been there?"
"Can't you find another way?"
"Were you with someone who could prove you weren't at that house?"
"Yes," she answered.
"Who?" She remained quiet, "let me guess, you can't tell me." Perry sighed and stood, "then I don't know what else to do." He walked out of the office.
"Stay here," Della said. She grabbed her cane and followed her husband. "Perry!"
"Go away, Della!" he yelled without turning around.
"Perry Mason, don't you dare walk away from our daughter!"
"How can I help if she won't tell me anything?"
"Perry, if you walk away from her, I'll leave you!"
Perry stopped and turned around. He looked at his wife and saw that she was serious. She had never threatened to actually leave him before. She'd thought about it when she had postnatal depression. She'd told him they had to decide between their careers and relationship, but she never said she'd leave him. Perry walked back to her, "okay, I'll help her." They turned to go back to the office and Della hissed in pain, "what's wrong?"
"I think I walked too quickly."
"Here," Perry took her arm, "just go slowly."
Perry could tell she was in a great deal of pain. Before re-entering the office, they stopped so that Della could collect herself. They walked back in and reclaimed their seats. "Thank you," Maureen said to Perry.
"Thank your mother," he said, "she said if I didn't help you that she'd leave me." Maureen looked at her mother in shock, "I could tell she was serious."
"Thank you, mom. I'm sorry about our fight. I was caught off guard."
"It's alright," Della said, "we can talk things out later. Right now, we have to focus on your trial. Now, where were you on the night of the murder?"
"I was at home with Ellie."
"Why couldn't you tell me that?" Perry asked.
"Because I would have had to tell you something else I wasn't ready to tell you."
Della picked up on what her daughter was talking about, "how long have the two of you been together?"
"Four years," Maureen answered, "I really don't want this to be brought up in court."
Perry sighed, "well, I guess we'll just have to take the long way to prove your innocence."
"Thank you, daddy."
Perry looked at his wife and noticed something was off, "Della," he leaned in, "how bad's the pain?" She couldn't answer. Her face was ashen, her eyes watering, and she had been taking steady breaths. Perry grabbed her purse and began to search for her pain pills. "Did you put your pills in here?" he asked when he couldn't find them.
"No," she breathed out, "I didn't think I would go out today. Remember?"
"I can go get them," Maureen offered.
"I can go," Perry said, "besides, I know where they are. Just stay with your mother. If you have to call for help, let me know." Perry walked up to his wife and gently grabbed her arms, "hey," he said softly, "do you want me to help you lie down?" The woman shook her head no. "Okay," he said, "I'll be right back."
Perry left and Maureen went around the desk to try and comfort her mother. Faith and Grace remained in their chairs, unsure of what to do. Maureen held her mother's hand in one of hers and gently rubbed the woman's arm with her other hand. Forty-five minutes later, Perry returned. He was out of breath so Maureen gave her mother the pills while he sat on the couch. "Perry," Della groaned, "are you alright?"
"I'm fine, darling. Just out of shape."
"You didn't have to rush like that."
"My goal was to get your pills to you so your pain would go away."
"Well, I took the pills and you're still here." She smiled when Perry glared at her, "that's payback for the stair joke."
Perry looked at his daughter, "Maureen, you can take the girls back to your apartment. I think I have enough for now."
"Actually, I was hoping we could go back to your house and stay with the two of you, for now."
Della looked at her daughter, "really? Maureen, don't joke about this."
Maureen smiled, "I'm not. I want to be with my parents and I want my daughters to get to know their grandparents. Besides, you and dad are falling apart," she said as her parents chuckled, "someone has to get you both back on track."
"Maureen, why don't you take your mother with you?" Perry suggested. He looked at his wife, "before you begin to argue, you can just as easily do your job from bed."
"Who's gonna keep you out of trouble?" Della asked.
Perry rolled his eyes, "Della, go home and rest."
"Yes, chief," Della said. Maureen held onto her mother as she stood. The young woman handed the cane to her mother but held onto her free arm. The four said goodbye to Perry before leaving. Maureen hadn't realized how bad of shape her mother was in. Walking with her from the office to the car was difficult for Della. It was also difficult for Della to get up the two steps in front of the house. Maureen got her mother to bed and situated. She brought the phone, notepads, pencils, and everything else Della would need. Maureen checked on her mother several times after getting home. Two hours after arriving home, Maureen walked into her parents' bedroom and found her mother asleep. She organized the papers and supplies before placing them on her mother's nightstand. Then, she covered her mother up with the blanket and left her to rest.
