Chapter Thirty-Three

Jamie slept in Joey's room, letting Eddie have her space. She was up the next morning cooking breakfast, Jamie approached slowly.

"Morning Eddie that smells really good," Jamie smiled.

"Thanks," she replied. "Yours is on your plate. This is Mary's. She needs to see us at least pretending to be happy."

Jamie nodded "Thanks Eddie."

"Go on and get her, her eggs are going to get cold," Eddie directed. "We have to take her for her school records today and her therapy records."

Giving another nod Jamie went to get Mary helping her out of bed. "Mommy has breakfast for you."

"Daddy, when can I try to walk without my case?" she asked, referring to the brace she would probably use for life.

"I'm not sure honey we have to ask the doctor," Jamie replied.

Mary accepted that and they went to the table where Jamie and Eddie put on a good show for their daughter. "Are you coming with me today?"

"I sure am honey," Jamie replied.

"Thank you, Mommy," Mary settled at the table smiling. "Hmm eggs."

"Eggs are good for you," Eddie replied. "Chow down there, we are going by school and therapy today."

"Okay Mommy," Mary turned to start eating, she loved her mom's eggs.

"Eddie, can I speak to you a moment please?" Jamie asked in a light tone.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to bring her to school? It might be too hard for her."

"She'll be fine Jamie and she isn't staying we just have to get her records. I'm sure her principal would love to see her. "She doesn't have to go to class if she doesn't want."

Jamie nodded, "Oh Monday night Renzulli and some of the guys want to take us out and send us off so I said all right."

"That'll be nice," Eddie nodded, slowly looking back at Mary.

"Dad or Hailey can sit these two," Jamie replied. "Let's get ready to go we do have a busy day." Eddie agreed getting what they needed together while Mary finished breakfast.

The visit to the school went well, Mary saw her teacher and her principal. "We will all miss you," they told her. Mary looked up at her parents.

"You can always come back and visit honey," Eddie assured softly.

Mary nodded then, "No, I think I'm ready to go now. Bye, Mr. Hawkins"

"Bye sweetheart." Eddie helped Mary out wrapping an arm around her.

Jamie had to work the next couple days, so the next time the whole family was together was Sunday. It would be their last Sunday dinner and Jamie wanted all of them to go.

Jack and Sean ran over to hug their uncle once they arrived. "We're going to miss you."

"You guys come and see us," Jamie told them. "We will miss you too. We will all miss you too."

"We sure will and come back to visit us," Linda added walking over.

"Can I help?" Eddie asked, keeping both Mary and Bella close to her.

"No, we have it you relax," Erin said hearing her as she walked in.

Mary wanted to go off to play but Eddie held her close. "No, stay with Mommy," Eddie said firmly. "Mommy or Grandpa that's all."

Jamie sighed going in the kitchen to see his father.

"She won't let go of the girls," Jamie sighed. "As if nothing changed"

"But something did change and it'll take time for her to get used to that."

"I mean she is still like she was right after he..." Jamie replied. "She is holding both girls for dear life. It was stupid what Danny did but it was an accident, he didn't mean it and this won't change it."

"I know that Jamie but being a mother is different. Just give her time and she'll let go," Frank assured.

"When?" Jamie asked. This is our last dinner here for a long time, when is she going to let go?"

"That's not for me to say son," Frank shook his head.

The meal was quiet, Linda talked to Mary about her therapy. "Are you taking any steps?" she asked her niece.

"No, not yet we have to ask the doctor if it's okay," Mary looked at her mom for confirmation

"She takes steps in therapy but not alone and not without a lot of help," Eddie replied. "We have to keep her safe."

"By not taking steps how is that keeping her safe," Nikki replied.

"If she falls on the healing leg, she can undo the progress she's made," Jamie explained. "She can put weight on that leg now."

Nikki nodded quietly going back to her dinner. "When is she going to be better again?" Jack asked.

Danny jumped in there, "Soon," he told his son. He knew that Jamie and Eddie did not tell Mary her full prognosis she was too young to handle it.

Jack went back to his plate and Frank turned the talk to the move. "I'll be out there early next week to help you finish settling," Frank told them. "Taking over leadership like you'll be doing Jamie is no easy job."

"No it's not," Eddie replied. "And he'll have to focus on that and keep his eye on things at first, there's been tension between some of the younger people and their Amish neighbors, teasing, bullying and such, that the current Sheriff thinks Jamie can get in hand."

"If anyone can wrangle a bunch of unruly kids, it's Jamie," Erin agreed. "Kids love him."

Eddie had to agree to that, Jamie had a special way with all their children…all three of them.

While Erin and Linda readied dessert and Jamie spoke to Frank about the logistics of a move this size, Danny found Eddie in the den. She'd taken Bella and Mary in there to nap after Mary took her medicine.

"Eddie can we talk?" Danny asked. "Just for a minute."

Eddie turned around, standing instinctively in front of her sleeping children. "What is there to say?"

"For once and for all," Danny said. "I am sorry about what happened…that day when Joe…I loved that little boy too and I didn't…I am sorry, you need to move on. You and Jamie are about to move hours from here, before you move just accept my apology and things will be better."

She goes off, "Better for who Danny, you? I know they won't be better for us, not for my family, not for Joey! You just come in here and ask me that, you have no concept of the pain you caused my family, that includes Jamie! He misses Joey just like I do…"

Eddie's voice got Jamie's attention. He looked at Frank then hurried to the den to break up what he knew could go ugly and fast.

"Eddie," Jamie moved closer to his wife. She was angry, almost foaming at the mouth angry.

"Jamie, get the girls things, we are going!" Eddie told him. "We are going now!"

"Eddie," Jamie rubbed her arms. "Calm down, honey. What's going on?"

"I thought it would be a good time to talk to Eddie, to try to get some resolution but…"

"But nothing!" Eddie hissed. "This is your fault, my family is in shambles because of you and you have the nerve to come in here and tell me to move on and accept your apology! You can't apologize this away, you can't apologize my son out of his grave…"

"Eddie," Jamie said softly as he held onto her. "Eddie, he's right about holding onto this anger isn't going to bring Joey back. This is our family, all of these people together, including Danny. You need to let it go, you need to let the anger go!"

Eddie pushed Jamie off of her, "No! No, I don't have to let it go and I won't let it go. How dare you even suggest it?"

"Okay," Frank stepped in to cool things. Bella had woken with the raised voices and was crying in Frank's arm. "Let's just calm down. Danny, I know you wanted to say your piece, and that's admirable of you to stand up and take your blame, but remember this, I know the pain of losing a child and that is not something you can let go of easily. It's going to take time, you can't force it."

Eddie picked Mary up, she was still sound asleep from the medication. "I want to go home, are you taking us or are we calling an Uber?"

Jamie sighed, "I'm taking you. Put Mary in the car, I'll be right there."

Eddie was already halfway out the door.

"I'm sorry, Danny," Jamie told his brother. "She's not ready, and I don't know when she will be. I hate to be leaving things like this."

Danny nodded, "Well…I tried, I can't make her do anything she's not ready for. Take them home kid, I'll see you at the bon voyage tomorrow night."

Jamie headed out with Bella and put her carseat in. Eddie had her head pressed against the window, tears running out of her eyes.

"Eddie, look…"

"Don't…" Eddie said putting her hand up. "Don't even go there with me right now. You defended him to me…he got our boy killed and you defended him. I knew your priorities were screwed up but I didn't think you could betray Joe…I didn't think you could…I want to go home, take me home."

Jamie turned the car on and started for their apartment.