Perry and Della were suing a tabloid publisher for defamation. They were to attend a charity event at a home that the man bought. Perry didn't want to go, but Della talked him into it. They didn't stay long. That night, the man was killed. Michelle Benti was arrested for the murder of Harlan Wade. He had fired her that day. She and Paul began working on proving her innocence. Della began receiving gifts from a secret admirer. "I can't believe you aren't jealous," Della said to her husband.

"I don't see you jumping at the chance to find someone else."

That night, someone sent Della champagne during dinner. The next day, Paul and Michelle were on the cover of a tabloid. The photo was edited to make it look like they were kissing and her neckline was lowered. It was done to undermind Paul's investigation. That night, Della received a bottle of her favorite perfume. A rather large bottle. Della sat back and sighed. "Perry, I need your help."

"Paul's the investigator. Have him track down your admirer."

"No, not that. I need help getting to bed."

Perry looked up at her, "okay," he said softly. It was the first time that Della had admitted she needed help. The man stood and helped his wife to her feet. "Just hold onto me." Della wrapped both arms around her husband and he placed an arm around her. Perry got her changed and in bed. She was out before he could say good-night.

The next day was the preliminary hearing. Michelle was acquitted and Paul took her to lunch. "I figured out who sent me all of those gifts," Della told her husband outside of the courtroom.

"Who?"

"You," she answered. "Tuesday was my birthday and you felt bad that we're so far away from home. That Joy's not here. Now, as you know, I stopped counting my birthdays after I was thirty-nine."

"Does that mean you'll return everything when you're ninety-seven?"

"Absolutely not," Della laughed.

"That's my girl."

"Don't you forget it."

The couple left the courthouse and returned to the hotel. The next day, they flew home. Within a week, Della was too weak to walk and needed a wheelchair. Two weeks after returning home, Perry out back, working on the garden for Della. He left his wife on the couch because he felt it would be easier for her to rest there. Plus, he was worried about the heat. The door opened fifteen minutes later, "I know you can't be done already," Della yelled. Perry could have been out front so it didn't worry her when the front door opened. She looked over and was in shock, "Joy," she said softly.

"Hi, mom," she said.

Della wanted to run to her daughter but knew she wouldn't even be able to stand. "Come here," Della opened her arms and Joy went to hug her.

"Where's daddy?"

"He's in the backyard, working on my garden."

"Why?"

Della thought for a moment, "I've been sick lately and I'm still getting my energy back."

"Mom, can I come home?"

"Of course, you can."

When Perry walked in ten minutes later, he was stunned to see his daughter. Thrilled, but stunned. Perry took his daughter to the kitchen to talk. "Daddy, why don't you go out tonight? I can help mom. I know she's been sick and you've probably been taking care of her. Call Paul and see if he wants to do something tonight."

Perry reluctantly agreed. He explained to his daughter that her mother couldn't really walk at the moment and needed the wheelchair. Joy didn't ask any questions before Perry left. That night, at ten o'clock, the doorbell rang, "who could that be?" Della asked.

"I'll go see," Joy stood and went to the door. She looked through the peephole and opened the door. Joy returned to the living room with a young man who was a few years older than her. "Mom, this is my boyfriend, Dave."

"Boyfriend?"

"We met when I ran away. He got his sister to let me stay with her."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Dave."

"I'm sure that opinion will change soon."

"Excuse me?"

Joy looked at her mother, "Dave is going to help me get you to understand what's been going on with me."

"You know that's not the plan," Dave said. He took out a gun and pointed it at Della, "now, you're gonna tell Joy where any money or valuables are. She's gonna get them, I'm gonna get you, and we'll be on our way."

"You actually brought that?"

"You really thought I was kidding?"

"This isn't what I want."

"So? It's what I want."

"Joy," Della said, "everything is still in the same spots. Just do as he says."

Joy ran upstairs to get what she could. She also called the police in the meantime. When she ran downstairs, she looked at Dave, "please, let's just leave. If you kill her, we'll be in even more trouble. She won't call the police if we just take the stuff, but my dad will if he comes home and finds her dead."

Dave put the gun away, "fine."

"I'm going to hug my mother goodbye."

"I'll be in the car. Don't take too long." Dave left the house.

Joy rushed to her mother, "I called the police. They're on their way." She quickly wrote down Dave's license plate number. "Give this to them." Joy went to leave, but Della called out for her daughter.

"No, don't go," Della said. "Just lock the doors."

"Mom, I'll be back."

"Please don't go," Della's eyes began to water. Before Joy could leave, they heard sirens. Then, they heard Dave peel it out of the driveway. One car stopped at the house while the others followed Dave.

Two officers came to the door and Joy let them in. "Was that the man you said was holding a gun to your mother?" one asked.

"Yes, he thinks he has a bag of valuables, but it's just junk." The two officers stayed with the women just in case.

Perry returned that night and was stunned by what he was told. Officers were posted at the house, even though Dave had been caught. "Della, I think it's time you tell our daughter why you're sick."

"Perry, it's not important."

"She stopped taking care of herself after you ran away. She's too weak and frail to walk. Now, why did you run away?"

The girl looked terrified, "if I tell you, you'll hate me."

"We could never hate you," Della said.

"I got expelled from that school on purpose."

"We know," Della said.

"But you don't know why. You see, one of my teachers, well, I became his favorite. One night, he invited me to dinner with him and his family. I went, but it was just him."

"Did he...?" Perry couldn't finish the question.

"Yes, he raped me."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Della asked.

"I was so ashamed and scared. That's why the school never called you. I told them I'd tell you what he did to me and they knew you would succeed in ruining not just him, but them as well."

"So you ran away?"

"No," Joy said, "I got expelled from school, but that's not why I ran away."

"Why then?" Perry asked.

Joy looked down and took a deep breath, "I was pregnant."

Della gasped and Perry was silent. "You had a baby?" Perry asked.

Joy started to cry and shook her head, "no," she said. "I met Dave and he took me to Canada for an abortion. I didn't come back because I couldn't face you. Dave was supposed to help me explain all of that to you, but he had other plans."

"You, you had an abortion?" Della asked quietly.

"You see before I ran away, I found out I was pregnant. As time went by, and after hurting you, mom, I realized that if I didn't have the abortion, I'd kill myself or possibly someone else. Spending nine months reliving what he did to me was not an option anymore. Anyway, I couldn't do it. I was going to give the baby up, but I became very depressed over time. I overdosed on some pills Dave had and the baby died."

Della waved her daughter over. She had Joy sit next to her and took her into her arms. "It's alright," Della said. "I wish you would have told us because we would have helped you and been there for you."

"That's true," Perry said, "but we understand why you didn't want us to know."

Perry sat next to his daughter and held her hand as Della comforted her.