- Text Size +
Author's Chapter Notes:
Yep, finally - again - another chapter up. Your thoughts/comments/questions are valued. It's nice to know that people are interested, so please comment :) your opinions are always needed and welcome.
When Jackie finally came back down, Ryan could see something was wrong, but instead of moping over her pain she went on about her business making dinner. Ryan had a tough time seeing how something like this could’ve just started up suddenly, but was it really his place to pry.

‘She is your mom’ he thought to himself ‘but Pam – Harold said he didn’t want to hear about them anymore – they stole you away from them’ he battled with his mind “Do you want some more help?” he asked “With dinner I mean.”

She smiled weakly nodding “That would be wonderful, thank you” she said softly, Baker walked inside the kitchen leaning his hands over the counter.

“Mom, I wanted to go to Pizza Hut with Zach and some people, I’m going to go ok.” He said. Jackie didn’t say a word, she only continued to piece the dinner together.

Ryan looked at Baker who was very serious about what he was saying “She just made dinner” He said in her defense.

“So, Zach is only here for a day and he’s going with some people to Pizza Hut, Mom” he said again.

“Can I go to Pizza Hut?” Kate asked wandering into the room.

“No, sweetheart.” Jackie answered “Baker you can eat here” She said in response to her son.

“Why Not?” he challenged her. Jackie looked up at him, greatly wishing her husband was still there, and she felt to ill to deal with her son.

“I said no Baker!” she said, putting the fork down frustrated, she wandered back up to her room “Brian will you help with Kate please.” She asked as she walked up the stairs.

Ryan glared at Baker “What is with you?” he asked.

“Oh, I don’t know” Baker barked back “You came in and ruined everything.”

“I didn’t have a choice, I was brought here”

“I just wish you would’ve stayed out there.” Baker growled, Jackie came back down stairs.

“Will you two stop it.” She said.


“It was him” Baker pointed towards Ryan, Ryan rolled his eyes, this kid was eighteen and Ryan was acting more mature than him. “I’m going outside to play basketball,” he growled walking towards the door.

“Baker come back here.” Jackie ordered, he didn’t listen instead he opened the door walked outside and slammed it shut. Jackie rubbed her forehead, the pain returning to her abdomen again.

Then covered her eyes with her face sighing for a moment “Brian I’m so sorry, you probably think we’re horrible.” She muttered.

Ryan shook his head, he felt bad for Jackie, she was just trying to do whatever she could to make people happy and it was all being thrown back in her face.



The next morning wasn’t much better, Ryan woke up later in the morning and slid out of bed lazily, he had the sudden idea, he wondered if he could at least have his friends over, to bring some more normalcy to his life. After he had finished dressing himself, he walked out into the hallway looking over at Kate’s room; she was playing quietly with her dolls. Baker’s room was also shut, and so was the master. Ryan felt his stomach growl.

A knock came to the door; No one came from their bedroom, leaving Ryan the only one to answer it. He walked down the stairs and towards the door, opening it slowly “Hello?” he said opening it a little ways,

“Hi, is Harold here?” asked the man with blond hair, who looked a little like Kevin Costner with a heavier set stomach.

“No” Ryan answered.

“Oh, who are you?” The man asked.

Ryan thought for a moment, he was going to have to get used to this sooner or later “Brian” he answered, feeling a little weird calling himself that.

The man smiled and let himself “Brian” he said smiling “Well I’ll be – I remember seeing you when you were about this high” The man said positioning his hand fairly low to the ground “A little baby duck” he said smiling.

Ryan felt like he was hit with a baseball bat those words seemed so familiar, but he couldn’t tell where from.

“So when will your dad be back?”

Ryan shrugged “He said Thursday.”

“No, He can’t” The man looked around disappointed “Does your mom have his number in Kentucky?”

“I don’t know, I’ll go check” he said he shut the door behind the man “Who are you?” he asked,

“Terry” Terry smiled “Terry Lansing.”

The name wasn’t the least familiar; Ryan nodded and walked up the stairs saying he would go fetch her. As he walked to the master bedroom, he knocked on the door, not a word came from inside.

“Jackie” he said trying to get her to answer “Mom” he said at first uncomfortably “Mom” he called again a little louder, it felt weird to him.

The phone rang, Ryan went to start down the stairs but Terry was already making his way into the back kitchen “I’ll grab it” he said “Littrell’s” he announced speaking into the phone in the same friendly tone “Harold” the man smiled into the phone “You never come say hello anymore” he said merrily.

Ryan knocked on the door again; Kate came up behind her watching him knock at the door.

“She’s sleeping” Kate said looking at him patting on the door.

“Does she sleep in this late?” he asked. Baker walked out of his room, from the sight of him he had been up for a few hours, he was just hanging in his room. Kate shook her head at his question

Without a glance at Brian or Kate Baker made his way down the stairs. “Baker” Ryan called but Baker didn’t pay attention he was already in the kitchen.

Ryan knocked on the door again. Suddenly the though popped into his head, his dad would know what to do, but he couldn’t call Pete. Even if he wanted to Harold was on the phone. Why not tell Harold. He walked down the stairs picking up the phone in Harold’s office.

“Harold” he talked into the phone.

“…I’ve seen better” Harold finished what he was saying “Brian, hey” he said.

Terry walked from the back room into the front foyer “I’ll take a look into that, although I can’t guarantee anything will happen.”

“Hey I’m here for collaboration. I just need you to get that paper through to the Special Committee’s Commission.” Harold replied.

“Will do” Terry replied, “I think Brian wants a word -I’ll talk with you when you get back.”

“I’ll have to call you later on Terry” Harold said into the phone “Thanks again.”

“No Problem” Terry said “Bye” he hung up the phone and waved a brief goodbye to Ryan before he walked out the door.

“Hey, how was last night?” Harold asked not waiting for his son to speak.

“Dinner was good” Ryan sighed “Jackie’s still in your guys’ room, does she stay in bed this late?” he asked.


Harold replied with a short ‘umm’ then added “Not unless she’s sick – you want to go and give the phone to her.”

Ryan nodded “Ok, I have to grab the cordless phone though.” He said remembering he was on Harold’s office phone. He put the phone down and wandered into the kitchen finding the cordless phone propped in it’s cradle. He turned it on hearing the echo as he walked back into Harold’s office to hang up the office phone. “I’ll get here” he said and walked up the stairs.

“Alright” Harold replied sniffing for a moment. Ryan could hear noise in the background someone laughing talking about something he couldn’t understand. He knocked but didn’t hear any sound, “You can go ahead and walk in, she might be sleeping” Harold said figuring Brian had to of made to the door by now.

Ryan nodded and opened the door slightly looking inside. The blinds were pulled down, and the fan was on, everything in the room spelled gloom. He saw his parent’s bed; the blankets were all gathered towards the center, the pillows as well.

To the left side of the wad of blankets Jackie lay, her eyes were closed, but she moved around a little giving the inclination she wasn’t asleep.

Ryan stood there for a moment and bit his lip forcing the words out, he wasn’t about to accept these people yet as his parents, but he was thinking even now, it would be insulting to not call them his mom and dad “Mom” he forced out, wondering why the taste was so weird in his mouth as he spoke, he said it again though “Mom.”

Jackie still didn’t respond, Ryan decided another approach.

“Mom, Dad wants to talk to you.” He said taking the phone over to her, as he took a look at her face, he could see how pale she was. Even with the dark light her face was pallor and sickly, her eyes opened slowly she smiled at him trying to mask how ill she felt.

“What?” she murmured faking a smile.

Ryan handed her the phone “I can take care of Kate” he said trying to think of
something he could do, he really hoped she hadn’t hit rock bottom because of what he had said.

Jackie placed the phone over her ear “Hello?” she whispered. Ryan left the room, so they could speak in private, he walked down the stairs to see what Kate was doing, she had found some paper and the crayons she had climbed up to the table and was now coloring.

“Color and egg” she said looking up at Ryan as he walked in.

“You are?” he asked walking up she had done a circle.

“You draw one” she said smiling.

“I can’t draw” he said looking at her.

“Draw one Brian.” She said again. Putting the crayon in front of him. He snorted a little embarrassed but sat down by her and attempted an oval shaped egg.

“See” he said looking at his crude drawing.

“blue” she said pointing to the center.

“You want me to fill it in?” he asked.

She nodded smiling “Yeah!”

So he at least had something to occupy him now, Kate kept him busy drawing different eggs, all shapes and sizes.




“Jackie” Harold asked “are you feeling sick?”

“Ummmhmm” she murmured softly across the line

“I’ll send Brigitte over there” he replied, “Can you sit up?”

“No, I am cramping.”

“Was it like that Saturday night?” he asked wishing she would’ve just told him, but he knew she was a female. They liked for men to guess, never just saying something it’s the keeping the men hanging game.

“A little, I just thought it was you know, just cramping, but I don’t know how that would’ve happened, since my period was at least twenty days ago.”

“So it’s not, well it can’t be –“

“Menopause” she said smiling, still after how long they had been married he was still gun-shy around that word, well considering he was guy it made sense the whole Prostrate cancer was never really discussed either, outside of their room, if even in there. A wrenching pain pulled through her lower abdomen again “It hurts” she said whispering.


“Maybe it’s just bad cramps and –“

“I don’t think so” she replied.


“Well can you hold out till Thursday?” he asked, thinking since he had made the trip to Kentucky he was going to actually spend some time with the guys, which was something he had been looking forward to, but if his wife was at home sick, he wasn’t going to be playing around when he should be back with her.

“I don’t know” she mumbled, “I’m sorry” she whispered, “I just, I don’t know what happened, I was so mean –“

“Hey, it’s alright, just whenever I’m an ass you’ll have to forgive me” he said, he heard her smile across the phone a little then start to breath. “I’ll send Brigitte over, ok?”

“Ok” she murmured “Harold,” she asked.


“Yes dear?” he asked back smiling, feeling a little better that at least it was that she was sick, and she hadn’t just suddenly decided that what she was now living with was not what she wanted.

“Stay on the line”

“Ok….”


Around two another knock came at the door, and Ryan looked at the sheets of paper spread out across the table he was the designated drawer, by Kate of course, and she became the colorer. He had successfully drawn a house, about a couple dozen eggs, some flowers, some grass, a car, some mountains, a dog, a cat, and even a wale – it looked horrible in his opinion – but Kate loved it.

“I’ll get it” Kate said dropping her crayon and sliding off the chair she ran to the door but couldn’t reach it. Ryan smiled chuckling a little to himself, he walked over to open it.

“Oh” the women smiled, she had a pair of keys in her hands “I was just going to let myself in” she smiled again.

Ryan blinked.

“I’m Brigitte, my husband just came over a little earlier today. Your dad called and I came to see your mom.” She said smiling.

“Oh” Ryan replied.
_________________