Chapter Six
"Talk to me, Danny," Eddie encouraged over French fries. "You have been a wonderful friend to me since Jamie, more than a friend, a rock really so anything I can do for you."
Danny sighed, "Just problems at home. Since Jamie died, well…What was left of the marriage after her shooting, the little bit we were able to recover, it's gone to hell."
Eddie frowned, "I'm sorry. Danny, it's an honor that you want to be so involved but…"
"You see, that's why I didn't tell you," Danny smirked and took a sip of his soda. "This is not about you and it's not even about Jamie. It's about Linda and her disdain for the job after so many years. It started when she got shot, got a little better over time, then went to Hell in a handbasket after Jamie died."
Danny dropped his head, tears were choking him. Maggie kicked her leg and cooed as Eddie reached out to touch Danny's hand. "So you have been holding all this in at home. You can't do that Danny, you have to grieve for your brother. You have to let all of that go if you are going to move on."
Danny swallowed, "I don't want to move on. I miss him, Eddie. If this was going on while Jamie was alive, by this point we'd have had a beer on it and he'd have had some kind of insight. You know he would have."
Eddie smiled, "Jamie loved you, Danny, and the last thing he would want is to see you so upset, to see your marriage struggling."
"She hasn't kissed me in months," Danny confessed. "I can't even mention Jamie or Joe in the house without her going ballistic. I feel like I should walk on eggshells around you, you are his widow…but I have to do it at home. I promised Jamie you and the baby would have a soft place to fall, but I'm falling on cement day in and day out!"
"No you're not," Eddie said quickly rising from the chair and going to sit beside Danny. "You're not, you are here for me and my baby and I'm so glad of that, but you know what else, we're there for you too. You can always talk to me, cry to me, whatever you need."
Danny turned and met Eddie's eyes. They were bright and blue and full of empathy and perhaps a modicum of respect. "I miss him and I miss Linda too. It's like I lost her the same day I lost Jamie. If it doesn't have to do with the kids, it doesn't matter at all you know?"
Eddie nodded, "Finish your heart attack burger and let's go back to my place, you can give Maggie a feeding, get yourself centered again before you go home."
Danny agreed and finished of his burger matching Eddie's gusto for the food bite for bite. Danny chose to carry Maggie out, the baby girl held on with all of her might to her Uncle Danny offering open mouth kisses and giggles when Danny tickled her belly.
Danny kicked back on the couch with a beer and the baby. Eddie cleaned up the kitchen a little and watched Danny with Maggie. Eddie always like Linda, she respected her as a working mother and the wife of a cop. It was hard for Eddie to believe Danny's words, but there was no denying the look of pain on his face.
Maggie fell asleep nuzzled against her uncle's chest. Slowly, Danny stood up, "I'm going to put her down then go home. You good here?"
Eddie nodded, "Yeah, we're good."
Danny walked Maggie to her nursey and laid her down. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you or your Mommy," Danny promised the tiny girl. "I promised your Daddy and I promise you. Sweet dreams, angel." Danny kissed Maggie's baby hair.
Eddie was standing pouring herself a glass of lemonade when Danny came out. The sun was glinting off her golden hair softening the hardness that she usually showed at work and even with the family.
"You off?" Eddie asked sipping the drink, planning to settle down on the sofa to relax while Maggie slept.
"Yeah, I have to get home," Danny replied. Somehow his feet were moving and his arms were opening up to take Eddie and pull her close. "You take care?"
"Yes," Eddie replied placing her head on Danny's chest for a minute. "We'll be just fine. Go home, Danny. Show this to Linda, she'll understand."
Eddie pulled back and looked up at Danny, "It would break Jamie's heart to see you upset like this. Let's put this to bed, get it handled okay?"
Danny nodded and headed home. Linda was finished putting out dinner when he came in. "How'd it go at the cemetery today?"
"It was okay, Eddie handled herself really well," Danny replied. "We had lunch, I put the baby down for her nap."
Linda nodded and looked at a blush smudge on Danny's shirt, "You put Eddie down for a nap too?"
"I gave her a hug," Danny replied. "And she had been crying a little. It's hard to lose your husband or your wife, I can't believe you don't understand that."
"I do understand it's hard, but she is your sister-in-law! I think you are forgetting that fact, my only question is whether it's voluntary or not," Linda replied.
"Oh God, Linda, the woman is mourning!" Danny yelled. "I am mourning, the family is still mourning Jamie's loss. It was a huge loss for everyone, but especially Eddie and Maggie. You know the hardest thing though Linda is I'm getting more understanding for my loss from the last person that should offer me any sympathy. Why is that? Why is Eddie more understanding than my own wife huh?"
Danny didn't wait for a reply, he turned on his heel and headed for the door.
"Where are you going?" Linda demanded to know. "To your brother's widow!"
Danny bit his lip, "That's none of your business! You obviously don't care that I'm in pain over my brother's death or anything else so you don't get to care where I go either!"
With that, Danny headed out of the house, slamming the door behind him.
A/N: So things are heating up all over and my readers are nearly evenly divided by whether or not Eddie and Danny find each other or chalk it up to mutual grief…so we'll have to see what my evil little muse has to say, ha ha ha…