Chapter Fifteen
"Mom, come on out!" Lila encouraged as she, Erin, Linda, and Eddie shopped for Eddie's gown to the Policeman's Ball. They had already purchased several new outfits for Eddie to wear everyday and now it was gown time. So far, Linda had just made purchase of a stunning one shoulder sequin gown with a bow ornament, now it was Eddie's turn. Erin planned to wear a dress she wore to lecture in San Francisco.
"Yes, Eddie, let us see," Linda encouraged.
Since changing her medications Eddie's 5'2" frame had gone from being 127lbs to 151 lbs. She hated how she looked in sweats let alone a gown. Erin and Linda helped her select age appropriate gowns with A-lines or empire waists.
Finally Eddie opened the door and stepped out in an emerald green empire waist gown with a gold chain belt under the bust line. Lila gasped and smiled, "Oh Mom…You look so pretty."
"I look pregnant," Eddie griped. "Erin you should go with Jamie to the ball this year."
"Mom, Aunt Erin is already taking grandpa's chair, you know that," Lila sighed. "I am staying with Grandpa…"
Erin and Linda looked over Eddie, "Actually, I agree with you Eddie. I think that you look heavier than you are in that. Let's try an A-line dress. This one is really pretty, the teal."
Erin offered Eddie the dress, "Try this on I think it will be more flattering."
Eddie went back in the fitting room. "She's so self-conscious now," Lila sighed. "I never remember Mom being like that, she was always the one to say be proud of who you are, it's a gift."
"I know it's not coming from Jamie," Erin replied. "He loves her so much it hurts to watch him. They have something very special, he sees right past all of that."
Lila smiled, "I know that. I love their marriage, I love watching them. It's my goal for me and Steven and so far…He's really been pretty incredible."
"How's his family doing?" Linda asked. "I know there were fireworks but nothing since then. You two never mention them."
"They haven't come around," Lila replied. "After that night Steven talked to his father and they had a pretty big battle. Steven said we don't need the stress but Dad is having lunch with Joshua today trying to broker peace."
Eddie stepped out of dressing room for the third time, this time in the teal A-line gown. The V-neck flattered her bust line and the textured bodice hid the areas Eddie was sensitive about. Erin smiled, "That is perfect. You look elegant. Jamie will have to be on his toes to keep the other men off your tail."
"You exaggerate," Eddie replied. "But it's comfortable on my arm and I don't look like I belong in the circus. It's a keeper."
Lila smiled, "I'll get the alterations person and she can hem it up. You'll be the belle of the ball."
After Eddie's dress was pinned and she got her copy of the claim form the women headed for the food court to satisfy Lila's Indian Thai fusion craving and Eddie's self-imposed rabbit food diet. "I am going to lose at least twenty pounds before the babies come."
Linda nodded, "It's a good goal if you want it, Eddie but you have to be careful. You need a rounded diet to make sure you get all your nutrients. It's not you, it's the pills and believe me we would rather you be a little overweight than dead or dying."
"Amen to that," Erin declared. "My brother won't make a year if something happened to you. He would literally die of a broken heart."
Eddie smiled, she would too, she and Jamie loved each other so much. She never doubted their love, just her ability to continue being a good asset to him.
Across town, Jamie and Joshua Tenney were sitting face to face at Spark's steakhouse. Jamie ordered a salad with shrimp, Joshua ordered a steak and au gratin potatoes. "Thank you for meeting me, Joshua. I know that we aren't your favorite people by any means and I'm sorry for that but our children are married and expecting twins so I'd like for us to bury the hatchet between our two families once and for all."
Joshua sighed, "It's nothing against Lila, she's a lovely girl and Steven is happy with her. That's all any parent really wants, their children to be happy."
"At least we agree on that," Jamie replied. "But your son isn't happy. He's very sad. He's about to embark on a magnificent event, becoming a father and his own mother and father aren't there to share that with him."
"Steven knows our position, his mother and I both feel that neither he nor Lila are ready to become parents to one baby, let alone two babies."
"Well as my wife put it, ready or not, here they come," Jamie took a bit of his lunch. "Let's face it, Josh, are you really ever ready for kids? Eddie and I tried three years to have our Joey and I was still scared to death. The bigger she got, the more frightened I became."
"I was nervous about our kids too, but we were a little older than they are now and we had a little more money…You are going to help then, that's admirable, but it's not the same as doing it on your own."
Jamie agreed, "No it's not, but I think it goes deeper. You aren't in a financial position to help your son and you hold my father responsible for that. Your beef, as my brother Danny would put it, is with him not with Steven and Lila but they are bearing the brunt of it. There's nothing I can do to correct that except to help Steven and Lila and I will do that, but that grudge is only hurting you and Steven, believe me."
"It's more than that, we honestly feel that they are making very poor choices, they should have been more responsible."
"Well, they either felt they were ready for a family or they did make a mistake, but there are two innocent lives inside of my daughter and I do not and will not have her stressed or upset by this rift in the family so here's how it's going to go…You and Maura are either going to accept this and make up with Steven at least on the surface for the time being, or prepare to cut ties with him and end this ridiculous limbo. Your boy is scared, he needs a father's guidance. I am fully prepared to give that to him but I know he'd rather it be you, I know that's your preference too. I know what it's like to fight with your children, I know how much it hurts. It's time to fix this."
Joshua's face turned dark, "What would you know about it? You have only ever had a picture perfect family."
Jamie straightened, "I know a lot, and that comment proves you don't know much about the family your son married into. My wife had a double radical mastectomy when Lila was four years old, our Joey was only seven and that kid hasn't been the same since. My wife cried that night, the night of the argument and I was surprised that you and Maura were still in one piece considering the way Joey is with his Mom. In fact, I only remember Joe ever speaking out to his mother once, the night he and I had a feud very much like the one you're having with Steven now."
"How could you!"
Jamie looked up from his chair, surprised to see Joe walking towards him with his hands balled up in fists.
"What's wrong, Joe?" Jamie asked, folding the paper so he could give Joey his full attention.
"You know what! You cut the budget knowing I was due for a raise. You don't think I deserve a raise then tell me."
Jamie sighed, hoping it wouldn't back to bite him in the ass but the mayor gave him no choice. It was either cut his training or freeze wages and benefits. "Joe, I had to freeze wages! Of course you deserve a raise. What I did had nothing to do with you, Son."
Joe continued glaring at his father, feeling his Reagan temper rising. "You never got a break on anything because grandpa so you don't think I should! First my promotion gets nailed when you become the high and mighty police commissioner, now my raise! I suppose if I get a rip I'm hung out to dry too!" Joey knocked over a kitchen chair making Jamie jump and Eddie step into the fray.
"Joe, I know you're upset but don't talk to your father like that," admonished Eddie walking in hearing the fight. "You might not agree with what he had to do, but you owe him respect."
Joey turned and glared at his mother, feeling a strong sense of betrayal. She had always taken up for him, now she was defending Jamie. Joey's eyes stung, "I might be your son, I might be stuck being a Reagan, but I don't have to like it and I don't have to come around where I'm not respected. I've been the speck of dirt on your shoe for years, why would I think it would be different now!"
Joey left out the side door letting it slam in his wake. Eddie looked at Jamie, disheartened but not surprised to see tears running down his cheeks.
"Not long after that I had my stroke," Jamie explained. "Joey and I were able to talk things out and now we have a very good, strong relationship. He's grown up, he's a good son, and I have no fear that if I weren't around, Eddie would be taken care of."
Joshua granted that Jamie had a point. "I'll call Steven, we'll start out and see where it leads. I can't promise anything, except I won't involve Lila or your family in our difficulties, at least not directly."
Jamie nodded, "If your feud affects my family like it did before our next conversation won't be over a beer and a steak, I can promise you that."
Joshua nodded again before finishing his meal and taking his leave. Jamie hoped that his words resonated with the other father. He did not want to see any parent child relationship strained, he'd done all he could now to try to reason with Steven's father. Now all he could do was be there for the kids and hope that was enough.
A/N: Jamie finally spoke up to Joshua, if only one stubborn Irishman could get through to another. Jamie's getting there but he is still no Frank and he's certainly no Henry. Poor Eddie, many anticancer medications cause significant swelling and weight gain. Often for cancer patients, it's the lesser of two evils, allow yourself to gain weight, sometimes to the point of being obese and all the health problems that can cause or roll the dice on the likelihood of recurrence. The word remission is to be celebrated, but it does not mean you are "done" with the disease.
Next updated – May 12th – Lila and Steve are let loose it the baby store…will Grandpa's wallet survive.
