Until the Very End

Chapter 35

"Don?" Meryl choked as she turned in his arms. "It's really you?"

Don finally let the tears well in his eyes, as he had been holding them back during this whole episode and he cupped her cheek in the palm of his hand. "Yeah baby, it's me. It's just me."

"I, I...thought..." The tears appeared in Meryl's eyes again as she realized what happened. "Oh my God, Don, I kicked you in the chest. I thought...oh God, baby, I'm so..."

Don shook his head as he wiped away her tears while kissing her lips and then the babies' heads. "It's okay, I'm alright. It's really fine, Darl."

"No, it's not fine." Meryl sobbed as Don helped her navigate the broken door and pushed her to sit down on the bed, taking Brady from her so they could love on both babies. "How in the hell did I think it was HIM?! I just heard noises and I must have..."

Don nodded, he wasn't mad, he was more worried about her. She wasn't able to complete a sentence. "You have been severely traumatized. Be easy on yourself."

"How can you be so understanding?" Meryl sobbed. "I thought my best friend, my husband, my partner, was the man that tried to kill us. You would NEVER hurt us."

Don sighed, he hated she was so hard on herself. "I love you. You would NEVER hurt me either, I know that, sweetheart. Believe me."

"But I did." Meryl said as she tenderly put her hand on his chest. "We need to get you checked out. I could have really hurt you. I mean your poor chest was cracked open..."

Don pressed his lips to hers. "I am fine, my love. How's my girl. Better?"

"I don't know." Meryl choked. "I don't even know anymore."

"I get that, believe me." Don sighed with a kiss to her head. He needed to get her to calm down a bit, but he didn't want to leave her. "How about we go into that big kitchen. You can sit and cuddle the babes while I make some tea. I can make us a snack. You and the babies can watch it snow. Then I can come to join you on the sofa and cuddle 3 of my babies."

Meryl cried harder when she thought about what an amazing man he was. "I have no idea what I did in this life to deserve you. Actually, I know I don't deserve you."

"I'm the one that married up, baby, I don't deserve you." Don ran his fingers through her hair until the tears subsided a bit. "I do want us to talk. But it can wait. I think we both could use some time just holding each other and the babies."

Meryl nodded as she looked back at the bathroom door. "The door. I don't exactly know how all of this happened, but I am pretty sure it's my fault you thought you needed to break it down."

"I'll clean it up later." Don shrugged. "And it is NOT your fault. Besides, we don't really need a bathroom door anyway, do we? I mean I have seen all of your body and I'm pretty fond of it."

Meryl knew what he was trying to do, he was trying to make her laugh; and just as always, he made her laugh through her tears. "I'm glad. And I am very fond of your body. No, we don't need a door."

"Now that we settled that." Don said standing up while helping her stand up as well. "Let's go get some tea and a snack."

Meryl leaned her head against him as he led them out of the bedroom. "I'll go with you always."

"Good." Don said with a kiss to her head, breathing a sigh of relief that she was calmer. "That's what I like to hear. Come on, my girl."

***

While Don was fixing both of them some tea and a snack, Meryl sat on the couch in the corner of the kitchen with the babies on the couch in front of her. She just needed to look at them. Don helped her calm the babies down completely before he went to get their snack ready. He talked to her the whole time he was preparing the tea and snack. He was mainly the one keeping up the conversation, but he didn't expect her to be really talkative, he just wanted her to hear his voice. He could hear her sniffling just as the tea was done. He took that and the plate of snacks over to her. Sighing when he realized she was crying again. He sat on the couch behind her as she was turned to the babies. "Baby, talk to me."