Chapter 27—
A/N: Thank you to all for your kind words… but I would greatly appreciate some ideas… as I have a couple but I am having a difficult time trying to segway them together.
Frank, Jeremy and Denise got home from their adventures with the Sanders about the same time. Jeremy headed to his room upon arriving at the house, as he just wanted some much needed time alone. Denise and Frank walked into the family room and collapsed; Frank collapsed into the recliner and Denise collapsed into the couch.
"So how was shopping with Stephanie and her mother?" Frank started.
"Delightful." Denise said rubbing her head and trying to massage away the headache that the mire thought of Beth caused instantly. Frank took one look at her and realized that if that is what delightful looked like then he hated to know what terrible looked like.
"Judging by the way that you are rubbing your head… shopping was not a delightful experience. What happened?" Frank asked.
"Beth has a way with words. She pretty much told me that I should quit my job because I was going to have to care for Jeremy for the rest of my life, as he would not be able to take care of himself. Furthermore, I tried to not fight back because of Stephanie, but her mother was extremely rude and unkind. I feel so bad for Stephanie. So how did your round of golf go?" Denise wanted to change the subject because she did not want to remember the look of distress and pain on Stephanie's face when her mother insulted her.
"Actually from the sounds of it, the round of golf was a lot more interesting than shopping." Frank replied.
"It is just I hated to see Stephanie so upset. I realize that there is a certain respect that children give their parents, but Beth crossed a line. Frankly, I do not understand as to why Beth is so hurtful to Stephanie. I wish I knew how and why this started… as I want to help Stephanie." Denise said as the exhaustion became more evident on her face.
"Well, Bill did fill Jeremy and me in on why Beth is so negative about Stephanie." Frank continued to explain how Beth loathed the idea of Stephanie joining the Army to pay for college, and basically how Beth blamed Stephanie for her disability and poor choices.
"You have got to be kidding… Beth is still angry that Stephanie joined the Army? That was more than six years ago… the woman needs to get a grip on reality. I have never seen Stephanie almost in tears before." Denise was more than annoyed she would have thought that after six years that Beth would have accepted the decision of her daughter and then moved on.
"I agree with that… but you have to remember what the end result in Beth's mind of her daughter joining the Army…" Frank started.
"She is now paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair." Jeremy said as he was walking into the family room.
"Yep… the boy is right." Frank said.
"Sorry I did not mean to interrupt… but that is what I have been thinking since we left the golf course. I mean I am in a similar situation to Stephanie; the result is the same, sort of… we both have to live with the rest of our lives with the choices we made… to go to the Army and a result is a disability. Unfortunately in Mrs. Sander's case she is unable to come to the grips with the initial decision because of the outcome." Jeremy was extremely articulate, and his words seemed to flow very calmly.
"WOW, I would have not looked at it like that." Denise said making room on the couch for Jeremy to sit down.
"Actually the only reason that I came up with that one is that I just got off the phone with Stephanie. She and her mother had a very large blow up, so large in fact that Mrs. Sanders is flying back to Arkansas tonight, actually she has already left." Jeremy said very concerned about his friend's well being.
"What about her Dad, did he stay?" Frank asked hoping that Stephanie was not alone at the moment.
"He left too… but Stephanie told me that he was planning to come back as he was only taking Mrs. Sanders to the airport." Jeremy relayed.
"So what you are saying is that Stephanie is alone at her apartment?" Frank asked looking at Denise.
"Yeah… which brings me to the question… who would like to drive me to Stephanie's?" Jeremy asked. He actually saw some humor in the fact that he had to ask his parents to drive him over to a girl's house… he felt so 15 again.
"I think that we should all go." Denise said getting up from the couch.
Within about five minutes Denise, Frank and Jeremy were in the family's SUV heading to Stephanie's apartment, as they knew that Stephanie was very strong but was going to be a definite blow to Stephanie's emotions. They arrived at the apartment and knocked on the door, and Stephanie buzzed them in. She was surprised to see the entire Sherwood clan walking through her door.
"I thought you were my Dad… I never thought that all of you would show up." Stephanie was very happy to see the Sherwoods.
"Unfortunately, I could not drive myself over here; and you sounded like you would like to have someone to talk to… so you got me and my chauffeurs." Jeremy was trying to lighten the mood, and did make Stephanie smile. Jeremy wished he could see Stephanie smile.
"Stephanie… are you ok?" Denise asked in her motherly tone.
"I think so… my mother pretty much told me that I was the biggest disappointment in her life, and that did not want me in her life." At this point, the words stung deep into her soul and tears streamed down her face.
"Stephanie, I am so sorry…"