Chapter 3:
A/N—This chapter is sad, but I wanted to fill in some gaps. And episode excerpt is from Season One's "Every Boy Does It Once."
Continued from previous chapter:
Carolyn: Mom was so gracious when Jason and I divorced.
Christine: What exactly happened with you and Jason?
Carolyn: He began cheating on me with his co-worker
Christine: Wrinkles her nose. Oooh, that's low.
Carolyn: I'll say!
Tracy: What was her name again?
Carolyn: Rolls her eyes. Kathryn.
Tracy: Why did she do that?
Carolyn: Shrugs her shoulders. Who knows? It started out with a little favour here and a little favour there...
Christine: So, what happened?
Carolyn: I caught him cheating on me with her right after Diamond was born. They'd been seeing each other on the sly since I was pregnant with Sapphire.
Tracy: Ouch.
Carolyn: Yes. Jason also complained that the girls and my schooling took too much time.
Tracy: What did he expect?
Carolyn: Rolls her eyes. I dunno. He just wasn't ready to be a husband, I suppose.
Jan looks pained.
Christine: I wouldn't let him off that easy.
Carolyn: Sighs. I know, but we were young. Pauses. They got married and had a couple boys, but divorced a couple years ago. Sighs. At least he's been a good father to the girls. Ruby has always been a Daddy's girl. She had him wrapped around her little finger. Diamond too, to a lesser extent.
Jan: Phillip's still a good father and grandfather. It broke Marcia's heart when I told her Philip and I were divorcing.
Wally: Sad. The doctor had just stopped her chemo. It wasn't working, and he'd given her six months.
Jan: Solemn. I wasn't going to tell her then, but she forced my hand.
Spring, 2009.
A hesitant Jan knocks on the Logan's door.
Wally: Jan. Glad you came over.
Jan: Sad. How is she doing?
Wally: Sighs. Not good.
Jan: Oh?
Wally: The doctor has stopped her chemo. It wasn't working and it's spread to her brain and spinal cord.
Jan: Feels a couple tears roll down her cheeks. No.
Wally: 'Fraid so. The doctor thinks she has six months at best.
Jan: Anyone else know?
Wally: No. She wanted to tell you and Phillip first. Curious. Where is he?
Jan: Phillip left over the weekend.
Wally: He out of town on business?
Jan: No. We've filed for divorce.
Wally: Shocked. What?
Jan: Yeah. It was mutual. We're tired of the fighting. It wasn't good for any of us, so he moved into an apartment across town on Saturday.
Wally: What about the kids?
Jan: We told the girls before he moved out, but we didn't tell the boys until Friday night. PJ was really angry. He blames me for driving his dad away. He wants to go live with him. Sighs. I may let him. He's thirteen.
Wally: Hesitant. I don't know if I would. My sister let her kids live with their father and she lost custody.
Jan: I'm not letting him move until we get a custody agreement.
Wally: Smart thinking.
Jan: I... I don't want to tell Marcia yet. I don't want to upset her.
Wally: I understand. She's in our bedroom. You can go see her.
Jan: Thanks.
She makes her way into the bedroom and is shocked to see her older sister pale and gaunt. Marcia is sitting up in bed, wearing a blue T-shirt, and a matching scarf.
Marcia: Smiles. Jan! How are you?
Jan: Tries not to stammer. I'm fine. How are you feeling?
Marcia: Tries to be cheerful. Oh, I've had better days. You know how that is. Changes the subject. Did Phillip come with you?
Jan: Hesitant. No.
Marcia: Oh, he had to work?
Jan: Uh, no.
Marcia: Looks her sister in the eye. I know you're hiding something. Pats the side of her bed. Here, sit. What's going on?
Jan: Phillip and I filed for divorce and he moved out Saturday.
Marcia: Shocked. Oh Jan, I'm so sorry!
Jan explains what has transpired.
Jan: We've just grown apart.
Marcia: Jan.
Jan: We really have. He's been caught up in his research and teaching at the university, and I've got the architecture firm. And, with raising the kids, we've just not made time for each other. We got tired of fighting each other, so we decided this was the best option for us.
Marcia: Sad. I'm sorry.
Jan: Me too. Begins crying. It's hard. I thought when we reconciled that Christmas dad got trapped in that building, that we would make it, but...
Marcia: I hope the two of you eventually reconcile.
Jan: Noncommittal. I dunno. We want to come up with a custody agreement, so the kids won't have to be without one of us for a long time... Besides, I don't want either of us to be a part-time parent, or the kids to feel like they're "visiting."
The stare at each other in silence. Marcia breaks the silence.
Marcia: Sighs. I'm not going to live much longer.
Jan: Protests. Don't talk like that.
Marcia: I'm serious. Please. I need to talk to you.
Jan: Dabs a few tears away. Okay.
Marcia: Jessica's pregnant again, and I don't know if I'll get to see this baby or not. Laura is so little. I don't know if she'll remember me either. And Mickey and Jennifer just had Haley...
Jan silently cries.
Marcia: Go look in the middle draw of the dresser. I've got some baby blankets and dresses started.
Jan does as instructed.
Marcia: I don't think I'll be able to finish them. Will you finish them? Thinks. Oh! You've got Patty's wedding! Sorrowful. I do have her veil finished.
Jan: I'll finish them.
Marcia: Relieved. Thanks. Pauses. Her veil's in the dresser too.
Jan: Retrieves the veil and is in awe. Marcia, this is beautiful!
Marcia: I want to see her in it.
Jan: I'll make sure of it.
Marcia: Thanks.
Jan: When are you telling mom?
Marcia: Dreading. She's coming over in about an hour. I hate doing this to her... after losing Dad and Ryan.
Jan: It's not your fault. You tried your best.
Marcia: I know...
Wally: Calls from the door. Your mother's here. Do you want me to send her in?
Jan: Stands up. I can go.
Marcia: Clasps Jan's wrist. Stay, please?
Jan: Okay.
Carol: Hugs her daughters. How are you feeling, Marcia?
Marcia: Fine, right now. Inhales. Mom, I need to tell you something.
Carol: Afraid of what her daughter's going to tell her. Okay.
Marcia: The chemo's not working.
Carol: Maybe the doctor can try another kind.
Marcia: Shakes her head. No. It's spread to my brain and spinal cord.
Carol: Shocked. What?
Marcia: The doctor says I have about six months.
Carol: Cries and embraces her eldest daughter. Oh, my baby girl!
Back to the present:
The kids are crying.
Jan: It broke mom's heart. Sighs. It broke Marcia's heart having to tell her.
Wally: It did, but your mom was there, helping out all the way was so relieved to be able to see Jessa after she was born.
Jan: That was her goal... to see Jessa at least once.
Wally: Choked up. And she did.
Early 2000
Jessica, with Jessa in tow, goes to her parents' house, so she can introduce Jessa to her grandmother. Wally answers the door.
Jessica: Where's mom?
Wally: She and your grandmother are in the bedroom.
Jessica: How's she doing today?
Wally: Somber. Not good. She's awake, but she doesn't stay awake very long.
Jessica: Thanks. I left Laura with Lance. I didn't think she needed to see her grandmother like this.
Wally accompanies Jessica and the baby into the bedroom. Marcia is in bed, snuggled up to her mother. Wally, fighting back tears, silently grabs the camera and takes pictures.
Carol: Smiles. Hi, Jessica!
Jessica: Hugs her grandmother and mother. Hi, Grandma. Hi, mom. Meet Jessa Marcia Anson.
Marcia opens her eyes and closes them again.
Carol: She's beautiful.
Jessica: Passes the baby to Carol. Would you like to hold her?
Carol: Receives the baby. Hi, Jessa! I'm your great-grandma! It's so nice to meet you. You look just like your mommy! Strokes her daughter's shoulder. Marcia, meet your new granddaughter.
Marcia opens her eyes, and touches the child on the foot.
Carol: Would you like to hold her? She places the baby between her and Marcia.
Marcia: Whispers and smiles. Jess. She strokes the baby's cheek.
After a few minutes, Jessica breaks the silence.
Jessica: Can we get a four generation picture, like we did with Laura?
Marcia smiles.
Carol: Gets up. Jessica, take my place here and I'll get on the other side.
They position themselves around Marcia and the baby, and Wally takes pictures.
Wally: Got 'em. He shows Jessica some of the pictures.
Jessica: Thanks, dad.
Marcia has fallen back asleep. Jessica lifts the baby into her arms.
Back to the present:
Tears roll down everyone's cheeks.
Wally: I printed out a couple of the pictures for Marcia, Jessica and Carol. Marcia loved that picture. She held that picture a lot.
Carolyn: Mom kept it on her dresser beside the picture of Ryan, Aiden, and herself.
Jan: She loved being a mother, grandma and great-grandma.
Bobby: I remember when I threatened to run away.
Cindy: Smiles. That's when you thought mom didn't love you and the other boys as much as she loved us.
Jan: Wasn't that before the adoption was finalized?
Bobby: Yeah. The story of Cinderella really freaked me out.
Cindy: But you realized that Mom loved you as much as she loved us.
Bobby: I really did.
Back to 1970:
Mike accompanies Bobby down the stairs, who is surprised to see Carol, suitcase in hand, at the bottom.
Bobby: Mom?
Carol: I heard you were leaving.
Bobby: Yeah.
Carol: Exchanges suitcases. Well, why don't you let me take the big suitcase and you can carry mine?
Bobby: Where are you going?
Carol: Well, I'm not going to let you go away alone. That's a big world out there. I'm going with you.
Bobby: What about the other kids? You're going to leave them?
Carol: Your father can take care of them for awhile... Unless... you don't want me to go with you.
Bobby: Oh mom, would you really go with me?
Carol: Sits on the bigger suitcase and embraces her son. Really, Bobby.
Bobby: Nobody said good-bye to me or anything and I didn't think anybody cared.
Carol: Oh, sweetheart, everybody cares. And I'll bet you your baseball cards you can't guess who cares the most.
Bobby: You? Even though I'm only a step?
Carol: Listen, the only steps in this house are those- the ones that lead up to your bedroom. So how about marching right back up there?
Bobby: Hey, dad! Mom and me are back home again.
Mike: Walks down the stairs and embraces the pair. Good, because that's where you both belong.
Back to the present:
Peter: Choked up. Mom was something special.
Bobby: She really was.
-End of Chapter 3-
A/N2—A reviewer asked me to write about the careers the Brady kids and in-laws hold since my story of "The Bradys":
Greg—Still works at County General as an OB/GYN.
Nora—Still works at "The Party Girls" part-time and part-time as Greg's nurse.
Marcia—Worked at "The Party Girls" until her death in 2010.
Wally—Is still in PR.
Peter—Took over Mike's Councilman position; ran on his own and was elected to the same seat. He also served one term as Mayor and ran for state Senate. He served one term there and was defeated. He now works as a state lobbyist for people with disabilities.
Christine—Still works at "The Party Girls."
Jan—Is head of the architecture firm where she began working during "The Bradys." She and Phillip divorced in 2009 due to "irreconcilable differences." Her son, Phillip, goes by PJ for "Phillip Junior."
Bobby—Went back to Grad School and got his MBA.
Tracy—Still works at "The Party Girls."
Cindy—Still works at KBLA radio station alongside her husband.
Gary—Still works at KBLA radio station alongside his wife.
Ryan—Worked at Jan's architecture firm until his death in 2000.
Shari—Was a stay-at-home wife and mother until her death in 2000. She received a Bachelor's Degree in Nursing, but decided to stay at home when she got pregnant with Aiden.
Carolyn—Finished her college degree in special education, which was a bone of contention with her and Jason, and helped prompt the divorce. She works as a special instructor for deaf students. Jason began cheating on her when she was pregnant with Sapphire. They divorced shortly after Diamond's birth. She moved back in with Carol, who retired a couple years after Mike's death in 1996. Carol watched her girls when Carolyn was at work. She and Jason shared custody of the children, although Carolyn retained primary residence for the girls. Jason learned sign language while they were dating and was fluent in it by the time Diamond was born. Like her mother, Diamond relies on total communication: speaking, lip reading, ASL, and pantomime. Her sisters are also fluent in ASL.
Alice and Sam—Retired in the mid-1990s and moved to Seattle. They frequently visited the Bradys until his death in 2008 and her death in 2014.