Becky Healy woke up in the morning regretful as she realized that Mark's familiar weight in the bed was gone and she remembered their fight. She sighed, then got out of bed took a shower got dressed and left to go to work, thinking about Mark and how was she going to apologize.
She saw that the needle on her gas gauge was on the 'E' and pulled into a gas station. As she put the nozzle in her gas tank, one of the Delaware street neighbors and Lunchbox customers called her name.
"Hey, Beck. Throw your old man out of the house?" The woman was just a bit older then Becky.
Becky looked at the woman curiously, then annoyed. "How'd you know?"
The girl smiled. "Saw him pull in at your dads. He spent the night. I only know because my old man is on me about smoking outside…" The woman was nosy, especially about the Conner's (The time that Dan was arrested, she even spoke to the newspapers about seeing him put into the cop car).
Becky suddenly became enraged. "What? Mark doesn't have the key to the house…"
"Don't need one if your dads home." The neighbor smiled, as she was the kind of person who got high off gossip and drama. Becky finished gassing up and then sped off towards 714 Delaware Street.
The door was unlocked when she flew into the living room. Mark, Dan, DJ and Jerry were all at the kitchen table eating Fruit Loops. "Dad why didn't you tell me you were home?"
Dan watched his daughter and could tell that she was noticeably furious. He stood up, and walked towards her then gently guided Becky to his room, as the other boys watched. When they got into the bedroom, Dan sat on his bed with his hands together in his lap.
"Becky, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. It's just I have a million things going on in my head right now and I'm scared to death of jumping into my life at home because I'm afraid that something will happen and I'll run to the booze again." Dan spoke and then realized that since Roseanne's death he's made it a habit of giving long explanations and fast speeches. Becky listened to him, and her anger drained out of her and she next to her father on the bed.
"When we're you going to tell me?" Becky looked at her father and was amazed at how much he resembled a bear. He really needs to shave…She thought.
Dan continued staring at his bare feet as the feeling of guilt settled in. "This weekend. I swear."
Becky wrapped her arms around her dad. "I'm glad you're back dad."
Dan placed his hands on top of hers on his chest. "I'm glad to be back. Every day I was in there I felt like a horrible father for being a way from my kids."
"Every day I was in Minneapolis, I felt like a horrible daughter because of what I said to you that day about being the reason my life sucked. At first I was mad at you then you called me that day and I started to feel like crap." Becky said while still hugging her dad. Dan just listened and this made him feel better.
"You did? I think that's probably when my drinking got worse, because I was mad at myself for driving you away." Becky continued listening but found her father, beginning to talk in a way that seemed as if his words were meant for himself to hear. "Then I went to jail and that made me drink even more. I know my drinking was the worse after I found out about your grandma…" Becky watched Dan stay still and focus on his feet. She decided to change the subject.
"Uhh dad? Why did you go to jail?" Dan finally looked up and away from his feet. He smiled weakly, and Becky saw her old dad creeping back into the very hair man sitting next to her.
"You mean you don't know?"
"No. I didn't even know you were in jail until Darlene told me when you were in the hospital."
Dan stopped smiling then repositioned himself on the bed. "I'll tell you, but I want you to promise you won't bring this up. It's not exactly something we want in the open." Dan spoke low and seriously. Becky ditched the notion that his reason was going to be a funny one, and nodded.
"You're Aunt Jackie was dating this man, Fisher, and after they moved in together he uh…beat her up." Dan stopped for a minute and Becky could definitely sense the seriousness. She suddenly felt a nasty feeling in the pit of her stomach, as she thought about her aunt's pain. "When I found out I went and uh beat him up. When I got home the cops came and took me to jail." Dan was looking down again.
Becky went quiet. "Did Darlene really bail you out of jail?"
Dan looked at the ceiling for this one. "Unfortunately. Will you also promise me you won't tell your sister or David I'm home?"
The father and daughter came out of the bedroom and found Mark feeding Jerry.
Dan looked at the clock, and then grabbed his thermos and lunchbox from on top of the fridge, as he filled the thermos with coffee he spoke to Becky.
"Hey Beck, can you take your brother to Jackie's for me? I'm running late for work."
Becky shook her head and Dan put the cap on his thermos, quickly packed his lunchbox with a soda, chips, and then quickly made a PBJ and left. "Bye." He said as he walked through the utility room.
Becky sat next to Mark, and DJ threw his bowl in the sink, grabbed his back pack and left for school. Mark continued feeding Jerry with his back to Becky.
"Mark I'm sorry I locked you out." Becky finally said.
Mark stopped then turned around. "And I'm sorry for yelling at you." The two hugged, and Becky took over feeding Jerry.
In Chicago, Darlene and David ate eggs that David made.
"David I want to go back home for the weekend. I really want to see my dad." Darlene said, referring to Lanford as her 'home'.
Okay, Darlene. We'll drive there tomorrow night."
