The day after Maureen's 60th birthday, Della woke up feeling extremely tired. She decided to just stay in bed for the time being. Around noon, Maureen walked into her mother's room. "Mom, are you awake?"
Della slowly looked at her daughter, "what time is it?"
"Almost noon," she said a bit concerned. "You feeling alright?"
"I'm just really tired."
"Well, you need to eat lunch. Do you want me to bring it in here?"
"Sure," Della said.
"I'll go get your lunch ready." Maureen left the room.
Della decided to sit up. It took a great deal of effort, but she made it. The older woman was out of breath. She heard footsteps, "Maureen?" she breathed out.
The door opened and Paul walked in, "nope." He could tell something was wrong, "you okay?"
"I'm out of breath."
Paul walked over to the oxygen machine. He took the nasal cavity and placed it on Della before turning it on. "Better?"
"Yes," she said, "thank you."
Maureen heard the oxygen machine as she approached her mother's room. The younger woman brought in a tray with lunch for her mother. Maureen called her siblings and told them that they all needed to come to see Della. That it wouldn't be long now. She told them to call their children as well and she would call hers. Maureen went into her mother's room after making the calls. Della was propped up against a bunch of pillows. "Sit with me," she breathed out. Maureen sat on the edge of the bed and took her mother's hand. "You know, that I love...all of my children...equally. However, you are...my miracle baby. We...will always have...that special bond. You made...me a mother. Thank you," Della said.
"I haven't been the best daughter."
"No one is the best. We've...had our problems, but...you're a wonderful daughter."
"I treated you so horribly for so long. I even treated you badly as a baby."
"For some reason...you became attached to...your father. As a teenager...you just struggled to...find your own identity. You've...done a lot for me...since your father died. I don't...know that I've...ever thanked you."
"You don't have to thank me. I promised daddy that I'd always be here for you. We all did, but Paul and I really wanted you to stay with us. We're the only Mason/Drake couple. You'd have a bit of daddy and a bit of Uncle Paul."
"I've loved every minute...of living with the two of you."
On January 31st, everyone gathered at the Mason home. They'd all been to the house over the past few days, but they all wanted to go and say goodbye. The younger ones went first to just see Della and talk to her for a bit. It put a smile on the woman's face. Once the grandchildren had gone, it was the children's turn. The in-laws went first. They went in order of youngest to oldest, except Paul went last. Before him, it was Nancy's turn. "I don't think I ever apologized for flirting with Nicky while you waited in the car after your treatment."
Della smiled, "I gave him a hard time...but I'm glad."
"Everything I know about being a wife, mother, and grandmother, I learned from you. My mom was never as warm and gentle as you. I saw how much your family wanted to be with you and little my mom's wanted to be with her. I've tried the entire time I've been married to Nicky to be like you. No one can ever be you, but I hope I got close. I've always been grateful for everything you've done for me and my family. My kids have always adored you, and I'm glad they had someone to go to when they were in trouble and afraid to tell me or Nicky."
"You've been amazing," Della smiled.
Paul walked in and sat down on the edge of the bed in the same spot that Nancy had previously occupied. "I feel like I'm losing my mother all over again," he said as he began to lose control of his emotions. Della smiled at him sympathetically. "You welcomed me into your home, into your family, and into your heart. You could have asked us to move out at any time, but you didn't. I've loved being here with you. You helped me get through losing my mother. I don't want you to worry about Maureen. I'm going to be here for her just as she was there for me. You've always been so kind and loving. I love you," Paul said before hugging Della.
"I love you too," Della said, "thank you for taking care...of my little girl. You're a wonderful husband to her." Paul kissed Della's cheek before leaving.
Vince walked in and sat on the chair by his mother's bed, and took her hand. "I don't even know what to say. You have been the most incredible mother. You've always been there for us, no matter what. I love you, mom. I wish this didn't have to happen."
"I love you too," Della said.
"By the way, sorry about almost killing you when I was born. That's my bad."
Della smiled at her son, "it really was," she joked.
"Should have had a C-section."
"Should have been...born on time. Also, you shouldn't...have taken three days to arrive...after my water broke."
They smiled at one another. Then, Vince hugged her and kissed her cheek before leaving.
Max walked in and sat on the chair. He took his mother's hand and smiled. "You are one hell of a woman. I know I don't say a whole lot, but I know that you know that I have always loved you. That I'm proud to have you as my mother. You're incredible," he said.
"I love you too. I'm proud of you. All of you."
"By the way, I wanted to be born on time, but Vince would cooperate."
Della smiled, "is that how it was?"
"Yep, he's the one who made you miserable for three extra weeks and for three days after your water broke."
Max hugged his mother and kissed her cheek. He then left.
Violet walked in and sat on the edge of the bed while holding her mother's hand. "I'll never know why I didn't cry or wake up when I was born. After having children, I felt terribly guilty for having worried you like that. I've always looked up to you. I'm the woman I am today because of you. I love you, mommy."
Violet hugged her mother and cried. Della rubbed the girl's back, "I love you too. You'll be okay. It may take a while, but...you'll be okay." Violet kissed her cheek and left.
Maggie entered the room and took Violet's spot. She held her mother's hand, "you're my hero. I saw you get knocked down over and over again, but you always got back up. I guess a part of me had hoped that this was one of those times. I'm who I am today because of you. I love you."
Maggie hugged her mother, "I love you too," Della said.
Next was Vivian's turn. She too sat on the edge of the bed and held her mother's hand. "I still remember that day I had to testify. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was so scared, but you helped me feel brave. I had seen how brave you were, and I tried very hard to be like you. I wanted to be a big girl and go to the stand on my own, but I was relieved when you came running towards me after Burger upset me. I've always been grateful to you for how supportive and comforting you were during that time. The way you've been my entire life. I love you, mom."
Vivian hugged her mother, "I love you too. I was...so proud of you...that day. I'm proud...of you every day."
Peggy was the next one to go in and sit on the side of the bed. As she held her mother's hand, she thought back to that day all those years ago. "I remember walking into your office, nervous. After talking to you, I couldn't help but wish that you were my mommy. You sat with me in my room at Westcroft while daddy talked to the headmistress. That night, after you left, I saw a falling star. I made a wish that you and daddy would take me home. That you would be my family. You came to see me every day until the day you took me home. I've never been more grateful in my life. You've always treated me the same as your blood children. You're a great role model, and I love you, mom."
"I love you too, and...I'm so glad we were able to make...you a part of our family." Peggy hugged her mother and kissed her cheek before leaving.
Now, it was Nicky's turn. He sat on the chair and held her hand. "Before meeting you and dad, I had a father figure in pops. One thing I hadn't had was a mother. I didn't realize what I had been missing until I met you. I loved pops and he knew that. He also knew how much I wanted and needed you. I felt the same about dad, but I knew what it was like to have a dad. You've always treated me the same as Max and Vince. As your blood children. I've never felt less love because I am adopted. I love you so much, mom."
"I love you too." Nicky hugged his mother and kissed her cheek. He then left.
Maureen took a deep breath before walking into her mother's room. She sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand. "I know we already kind of did this, but I wanted to have another moment alone with you. I used to think that it would be a bad thing to be like you. I tried to avoid it the whole time I was growing up. When I had Faith, I realized something. I wanted to be like you. I wanted to be the amazing mother you've always been. I so badly wanted to call you, but I was afraid. I wasn't ready to talk about what had happened. I should have been. I mean, you got me through the first time. No one else has ever risked their life for me the way you did after I was thrown off of that cliff. You helped me to recover from that traumatic time. I deeply regret the way I've treated you in the past. I know you've forgiven me, but I just needed to say that. I've also really loved living with you for the past thirty-three years. You've taught me how to be a wife, a mother, and a grandmother. You've taught me how to be a strong, confident, independent, kind, smart, caring, loving, and courageous woman. You've taught me how to get back up when life knocks you down. I love you, mama. You're my hero."
Della had tears running down her face, "I love you too, little girl."
Maureen had her siblings, their spouses, and Paul join her. The younger generations stayed in the living room, telling fun stories about Della. "So," Della looked at Maureen, "what did you do...as a teenager...that I didn't know about?"
"You wanna speed this whole process up?" Maureen asked. "Alright, I'll tell you."
"I can't wait for this," Maggie said.
"I wish we had popcorn," Max added.
"Shut up," Maureen said. "Well, right before you got pneumonia back in '73, I started sneaking out at night to meet up with Paul. Before then, when I'd sneak out, I wouldn't really go anywhere."
"I already knew...you'd been sneaking out...with Paul."
"And you didn't yell at me?"
"I trusted him."
"Well, at least you trusted one of us."
"Where did you...go with Paul?" Della asked.
"We'd park somewhere secluded and make-out," Maureen smiled. "There's one thing you may not know. On the nights that I'd stay at my friend Hannah's, I'd smoke weed."
"What?"
"Yeah, we kept our stash buried in the wooded area behind her house. Her parents were hippies and didn't believe in being rats. We'd get high and I'd stay the night so you wouldn't know. The night you gave me the drug talk, I met up with Paul and Hannah to smoke."
"I can't believe it," Della said.
"Yeah, if there had ever been a wildfire there, the whole county would have been stoned."
Della looked at Paul, "did your parents know?"
"Yeah, but not that I smoked with Maureen. As long as I didn't get arrested, and was responsible, they were good."
"I wonder how much money you made stomping on Tragg and Burger's feet?" Vivian asked.
"Enough to put a down payment on a car," Maureen said with a laugh. "I never used it for ice cream. Dad told me if I saved it long enough, I'd probably be able to get a car or something nice with it."
"I knew I should have become a stomper," Vivian said.
"Yep, but instead you became a murder witness," Thomas said to his wife.
"And your father made me so upset that my mother threatened to kill him if he ever went near any of us again."
"He got you that doll that you still have out."
"Yep, and he's partly why I became a lawyer. Daddy was the other part."
"Hey, we," Violet said as she gestured to Maggie, "actually saved mom's life."
"Yeah, you can't top that," Maggie added.
"We kind of saved her too," Max said as he gestured to Vince.
"I drove you three to the hospital because you were walking the wrong way," Cassie said.
"Peggy and I helped take care of her when she had cancer the first time," Nicky said.
"You used her treatments as a way to pick up her nurse," Maggie said.
"Hey, dad set me up."
"Dad was just trying to get us all out of the house so he could have mom to himself," Peggy said. "He encouraged each one of us to live on campus. The ones who didn't go to college, he encouraged them to get their own apartments. He even offered to pay for us to either live on campus or pay first and last month's rent for an apartment."
"I made Della a grandmother," Nancy said, "and my daughter made her a great-grandmother. My granddaughter made her a great-great-grandmother."
"Yeah, Nancy wins," Maureen said as everyone agreed.
"Hey, remember when you told mom that you were dressing up as her for Halloween?" Vivian said.
"Yeah, you borrowed some of her clothes, but dad worked late and saw you walking home," Maggie added.
"Who were you again?" Violet asked with a smile.
Maureen sighed, "Della Street-walker."
Everyone busted up laughing, "you looked like a street-walker too," Violet said.
"Well, it wasn't the last time."
"I remember when mom was eight months pregnant with Violet," Nicky said, "she picked Peggy up to look at her birthday cake and hurt her back. Peggy thought she'd broken her," Nicky laughed.
"Didn't you used to make out with Nancy in mom's car?" Peggy asked.
"That was only when she and dad carpooled."
"Still..."
"Vivian's the one who went on birth control without telling mom or dad," Nicky said.
"Hey, I didn't out you," Vivian said.
"I couldn't think of another one for Peggy."
"I can think of another one for you," Vivian told her older brother. "Did you and Nancy both lose your virginity in the backseat of mom's car?"
"Eww," Max said, "I ate my goldfish crackers back there. Sometimes off of the seat."
"At least I didn't play Dr. Frankenstein meets Mr. Taxadermy as a kid."
"Too bad, cus you missed out," Vince said with a smile.
"Yeah, I missed out on mom and dad worrying I'd become a serial killer."
"Hey, we like to keep people on their toes," Max said.
They all laughed until they saw that their mother had her eyes closed and a smile on her face. "Mom?" Maureen said.
"I'm just...resting my...eyes."
Maureen looked at Paul who pulled out his phone. He turned up the volume as Maureen sat in the bed, holding her mother. Violet took her mother's hand. Maggie, Vivian, and Peggy sat on the bed with Della while their brothers sat in chairs beside the bed. Their spouses kissed them and left the room. Paul hit play on a recording they made before Perry died. Della's late husband could be heard singing, "I'll be loving you, always. With a love that's true, always. When the things you plan, need a helping hand, I will understand, always, always. Days may not be fair, always. That's when I'll be there, always. Not for just an hour. Not for just a day. Not for just a year, but always."
On February 1st, 2018 at twelve-thirty in the morning, Della Mason took her last breath after her husband's recording had finished. She was surrounded by her eight children. While they were devastated, the children all knew that their mother would finally be reunited with their father, her beloved husband. That night, they took out the book about their family. "The Case of the Great Love," was a book that Perry and Della had put together before he had died. The children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren sat reading the story together. Meanwhile, Della made her way through the pearly gates. She heard a familiar voice, "you're late, Mrs. Mason."
Della looked and nearly cried. She ran into Perry's arms and the man swung her around. The two kissed, "I've missed you terribly."
"Not as much as I've missed you."
"You have Paul, Gertie, Tragg, Irene, Burger, and Annette with you. Along with our parents and our siblings."
"You were the last hold out."
"I couldn't leave them. I wasn't ready to."
"I know," Perry kissed her again.
"I hated to leave them."
"They'll be fine. It will take time for them to move forward, but they will."
"Perry, why did you have them record you singing our song?"
"I wanted it to be the last thing you heard. I knew you'd probably sing it to me and it didn't seem fair for you to not have that as well."
"That was very sweet of you all."
"Now comes the best part."
"What's that?"
"Spending eternity with you and never having to worry about losing you again."
"As I recall, I lost you."
"Technicality," he smiled.
"I love you, darling."
"Not as much as I love you."
