And love
Chapter 92 Slavery? Home?
Erin Reagan's apartment
"You are doing what?" Erin's daughter Nicky Reagan-Boyle has just told her mother about the nanny 'job' with Jamie and Eddie. Including the $150/month stipend that she agreed to. Her mother has just exploded.
"I am helping Jamie and Eddie out. Aunt Eddie just had surgery, she dodged a bullet by the way, and she is contemplating going go law school."
"Well, that's altruistic, but you are working for slave wages, NICKY!"
"Slaves don't get wages, mom. Anyway, this is a stipend plus room and board. And I agreed to it. We are going to evaluate things mid-December."
"Let's reevaluate RIGHT NOW!"
"No, mom. I agreed; plus, I love uncle Jamie, aunt Eddie and all their kids. I want to do this while I'm reevaluating my career path."
"Career path? You've careened into the damn ditch. I want to discuss this with you and Jamie ASAP! You hear me?"
"I'm through listening, I am out of here!" Nicky picks up her shoulder bag, her suitcase, leaves and slams the door behind her.
The dishes in the china cupboard reverberate.
Erin swears and reaches for the scotch whiskey. She sits at the kitchen table and pours 2 fingers – downing 1 in a quick gulp.
Jack Boyle tiptoes out of the bedroom. He stops by her chair, placing his hands on her shoulders. He gently massages as he starts, "That went well, huh?"
"Yup . . . any advice, counselor?"
"She is 21 y/o you know."
"Tell me something I don't know!" Erin snorts.
"I love you!" He leans down and kisses the top of her head.
"I said something I don't know."
"I just wanted to be sure."
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RING – JAMIE'S CELL
"Hello, Nicky?"
"Uncle Jamie, I just left moms. I should be home in 45" or so. She is really angry."
"About what you are doing?" 'Did she say home?'
Yeah. She wants to talk it over. My dad may get involved too."
"Was he there?"
"Yes, but I didn't see him."
"You knew?"
"I smelled his cologne. The only man I know who wears it."
"Nice fragrance?"
"I guess."
"Oh, remind me not to get some, please."
"You wouldn't, it's not that great. You have way better taste than that. Aunt Eddie would kick your ass, believe me."
"Got it. Drive safe, Nick."
"Always." 'DAMN, uncle Jamie is so easy to talk to. Hm.'
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ON THE ISLAND
"I'm home babe!" Jamie announces.
"In the family room," Eddie calls out.
He enters and joins her on a love seat. He gives and accepts a kiss.
"Erin called for you, babe. She sounded upset."
"Oh, boy. Nicky talked with me. Her mom is on the warpath."
"The nanny thing?" Eddie tenses.
"Yes, what did Erin say?"
"Just that she wanted to talk with you. I asked what about; she clammed up."
"Nick should be here in 30 or so. She said she would be HOME in 45." He paused. "We need to talk with her."
Eddie groaned, "Yes, we do."
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50 MINUTES LATER
Nicky lets herself in, "I'm home," she loudly announces. AJ toddles up to her, reaching his arms up. She puts her shoulder bag and suitcase down and picks him up. He sits on her hip and snuggles into her side. "Nick-Nick, love you," the little guy mumbles. She melts as Cassie comes for a brief hug.
"I'll take your stuff upstairs," Cass offers. She picks up the suitcase and bag. "You want this with you?" Cass asks about the bag.
"Yes, please. And thanks."
Nick strolls to the FR, she finds Jamie and Eddie and sits. "Traffic was a beast," she observes with a sigh.
"It often is," Eddie agrees. "Your mom called," she went on.
"Ug! She was angry, yes?"
"Yup."
"She thinks I'm working for slave wages. I pointed out that slaves do not receive wages."
"I assume she didn't take that well?" Jamie surmised.
"Nope." AJ was restless on her lap, she let him down to the floor. He went over to his Tinker Toys and started to play.
"Jamie and Eddie, I've come to think of this place as home. I hope you don't mind?"
Her uncle responded, "I noticed you used that term, Nick. But-
"Uncle Jamie, you know I haven't lived with mom since I started at Columbia. I love her dearly, my dad too. But, ah, it is starting to feel less and less like home. Now with dad and mom coming back together, I just feel the need to find my own place." She looks at the floor.
"Nicky. We all, and I mean all, love you too. And you fit in with us very well," Eddie starts. "But we need to see how this fits, how it works."
"Yeah. But I don't really like being an employee, it's weird. So, what do we do?"
Jamie and Eddie look at each other. Jamie ponders, "Nick, you have been family for so long. I agree, nanny is weird; you are more like our oldest daughter. Is that weird?"
"Not really." She shakes her head.
"But, Nick, we don't want to stifle you. Moving from one nest to another. You need to make your own home, eventually." Eddie inputs.
"I know; this home feels like a good next step for me. I see how you two interact with each other and the kids. I experience how you treat me; like a real young adult. This is how I want my home to look and feel. May I be a part of this until I am ready for my next step? Please?"
Jamie and Eddie, again look at each other. They nod, "Of course you may," Jamie answers. "We can't and won't turn you down. I just don't want to alienate your mother, my sister."
"I don't either. My dad will help her through this, if she will listen."
"We will do all we can to smooth things over," Eddie promises.
"I know you will. How do we address this with her? And the family? Maybe Sunday dinner?" Nicky posits.
"Well, we haven't been in a while," Jamie admits.
"You and Nick," Eddie puts out there.
Jamie looks at her, surprised. "Really?"
"Yes, I am totally on board, you know that. But I think that you two should face the firing squad. I will be waiting to pick up the pieces." She smiles.
Jamie and Nicky look at each other. They nod, OK.
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BAY RIDGE – SUNDAY DINNER
The family is surprised as Jamie and Nicky Walk in hand-in-hand. Especially Erin and Jack. Pops had been warned, so the table was appropriately set and extra food prepared.
After the traditional blessing, the conversation starts. With A BANG!
"May I assume that you have something to announce, Nicky dear?" Erin pounces, steel in her voice.
The table tenses right off the bat.
"Yes, uncle Jamie and I do." Nicky softly answers. She turns to her uncle.
"Eddie and I-
"Why isn't she here?" Danny spouts.
"We decided that Nicky and I would carry the ball today." Jamie answers. "As I started to say, Eddie and I were considering a nanny. She is considering law school-
"Again? Didn't that cause much angst a while ago," Erin remembers.
"It did, but that was then and this is now. We happened to mention it to Nick, and we reached an agreement that she would do that for us."
"At slave wages," Jack stepped into the fray.
"Slaves don't get wages, dad." Nicky corrects the record.
"Well, as we thought further about it-
"You thought? Really?" Erin scoffed.
"Yes, mom. We thoughtfully felt it felt weird," Nicky put in.
"Duh!" Danny snorted.
"As I was in Jamie and Eddie's family environment, I realized that the way they interacted and treated each other, and the kids, was how I wanted my family to be. To feel."
Erin sat back with arms crossed over her chest. A sneer on her face. Jack laid a hand on her shoulder; she shrugged it off, violently.
"So, what is next?" Pops asks. He and the rest of the table have been listening intently. Especially Danny and Linda. The possible ramifications to their family are not lost on them.
"I asked to just live with them, to be part of the family. Ditching the nanny label. While I sort out my next steps, my career. They agreed!"
"With open arms!" Her uncle leaned over and gave her a hug.
The table was stunned. Forks dropped; wine glasses put down. Stares all around.
"What? You have a family, Nicky!" Erin cannot believe her ears. She throws her chair back and bolts from the table, rushing upstairs.
"Nick, can we talk this over, please?" Her dad implores.
"Dad, mom and I did talk, and disagreed. This is how I want to proceed. Mom and you are my mom and dad. You always will be. But this is my next step."
Frank looks to Jamie. "Son, have you and Eddie thought this through?"
"Yes, dad, we have. Thoroughly. Nicky is 21 y/o, an adult. We feel she is sincere and will gladly honor her request."
The family returns to eating, all except Jack. He slips upstairs to find Erin; his soon to be wife, again.
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BAY RIDGE, UPSTAIRS
Jack finds Erin in her old room. "Hon, we can deal with this, together."
"Jack, my daughter rejected me!" She chokes out through tears.
"No, Erin. Nicky's next step would include living somewhere other than with you and me. Right?"
"So?"
"Well, she is still living with family. You trust your brother, don't you?"
"Yes, but-
"But what? Might not this be better than her own apartment? Where she has nobody, maybe a roommate we don't know, to talk things over with? As she decides next steps?"
"Well, yeah." She looks deep into her ex's eyes. "You would make a good lawyer, you know?"
"I know." They kiss deeply. Then step downstairs, hand-in-hand.
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ON THE ISLAND
Jamie and Nicky walk in, they find Eddie and the boys in the family room. "Where are the girls?" Jamie asks.
"In the barn," Eddie answers. Spending some time with the livestock!" She chuckles.
"Daddy!" Patrick exclaims, running to be picked up.
"Nick-Nick," AJ joins in.
Jamie and Nicky each grab a boy and sit on the floor. Eddie comes and sits by Jamie. "Rough?"
"Yeah," Nicky answers. "But I think dad will help mom cope, I really do."
"Are we still all in?" Eddie asks.
"I am, please." Nick hugs AJ to her chest.
'Jamie and Eddie look at each other one last time. This decision will be final. Should be.
They are in agreement; they smile and nod.
"Nicky, welcome to our family," Eddie's smile is a mile wide. She opens her arms wide and they engage in an enthusiastic group hug.
It feels so good, ON THE ISLAND!
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TBC
I am not going to spend as much time on Erin's angst as with Danny's. Thank you. After all, Erin is a big girl.