Chapter 3

It wasn't long before Gil and Matt arrived at the hospital to meet their grandson and nephew. Gil was thrilled that he finally had a grandchild and one who would carry on the Hardy name. Matt was happy for Jeff and Krista, but was still trying to locate his wife. Matt held his nephew for a few minutes before making up an excuse to leave the hospital.

"What is wrong with him?" Krista asked.

"Just let him be darlin' he needs to learn a lesson and if this is the way to do it, then so be it." Gil answered.

"I just hope that Amanda knows what she is doing and I hope that it works." Krista responded.

As the day went on, Gil headed towards home, but decided that he needed to have a serious talk with his oldest son. He pulled in front of Matt's house and headed up to the door. Matt opened the door half out of it.

"Matthew, we need to have a talk." Gil stated.

"Not now." Matt responded.

"Yes, now! Sit down and shut up." Gil stated. "I don't know what the hell is going on with you, but it needs to stop. You are going to loose your wife for good if you keep going down this path of self-destruction. Amanda loves you more than you give her credit for. I know where she is and I talk to her daily. She is so worried about you that she moved out to show you that if you keep doing this she will permanently leave you and file for a divorce. Now do you want that to happen?"

"No." Matt responded.

"Good. I have a bag of your clothes already packed. You are going to go get help and that's final." Gil stated.

Matt didn't say anything else. He followed his father out to the car and Gil drove him to the rehab center in town. Amanda signed all the paperwork that morning while they were at the hospital seeing Jeff and Krista and the baby. Once Matt was checked in, Gil headed home for the night.

Back at the hospital, Amanda was sitting in the chair holding her nephew and smiling. Krista was just happy that Amanda was doing well with the separation. Gil called Amanda's phone when he got home and let her know that Matt was at the Rehab center. Amanda just smiled at she looked up at Jeff and Krista.

"Matt is in rehab." Amanda stated.

"Good." Krista responded.

"I hope it works." Jeff stated.

"Me too." Amanda responded.

"Are you going to move back into the house now that he's in rehab?" Krista asked.

"Yeah. I miss my own bed." Amanda answered. "Plus this will give me time to make sure everything bad is out of the house."

"I agree. If you need some help let me know." Jeff responded.

"Thanks I will. By the way, does my nephew have a name yet?" Amanda asked.

"Of course he does. Jacob Nero Hardy." Krista answered.

"I love the name. I am so happy for you both. He is an angel." Amanda responded as she handed the baby back to Jeff. "I should probably head home and get started on the cleaning."

"Be careful." Krista stated.

"Always." Amanda responded as she hugged her sister-in-law.

Amanda spent the next two days cleaning out the house. She found Matt's stash and got rid of it. Once the house was perfectly clean and rid of the bad, Amanda sat down and thought about what she needed to tell Matt. Once she knew she called Gil and asked him to take her to see Matt at the rehab center.

Gil drove her to the center and told the staff that Amanda was Matt's wife and that she was a good person to be around him. The staff gave her a visitors badge and showed her where Matt was at that moment. Amanda walked over to Matt who was reading with his head down.

"Hello, Matt." Amanda stated.

"Amanda?" Matt asked as he looked up.

"Yes." Amanda answered.

"Wh..where have you been? I looked everywhere for you." Matt asked as he put the book down.

"I was staying with a friend of mine in town. I needed to. How are you?" Amanda answered.

"I feel better, but still having with-drawl symptoms." Matt responded. "Why are you here?"

"Krista and Jeff told me that you agreed to come here to get better so you wouldn't lose me. The reason I left in the first place was to show you that if you continue down that path, you would lose me. I love you Matt and I always have and always will, but we can't live with drugs in our lives. I just want to have my husband back." Amanda stated.

"I am so sorry I hurt you like this. I don't want to lose you and I don't want to be the way I was when I was on the drugs. Will you forgive me?" Matt asked.

"I forgive you, but you have to promise me no more drugs and that you will finish your treatment here and then come home to a clean and safe house." Amanda answered.

"I promise you that and more. I promise to be a better husband, a better son to my dad, a better brother to Jeff, a better brother-in-law to Krista and a better Uncle to my nephew." Matt responded.

"That's what I wanted to hear. And Matt, I have something else that can be an incentive for you to get better and stay that way." Amanda stated.

"Oh, what is it?" Matt asked.

"This." Amanda answered as she handed him a square envelope. "I really hope that we can get our lives back on track for this very reason."

Matt opened the envelope and pulled out the contents. He looked at it for a few moments before he realized what Amanda was trying to tell him. Tears formed in his eyes and soon slid down his face. He knew that he had to get and stay clean, not only for himself, but for Amanda and their life together. Matt stood up and pulled Amanda into a hug. Amanda smiled as tears rolled down her face.