Until the Very End

Chapter 51

Don really didn't want to let Meryl go, he was still feeling awful about how he reacted earlier, but he hoped that in a few hours they would be back home TOGETHER and he could make that up to her. Even though he had kept her close while they sat in the big chair in the makeshift bedroom, he could tell that she was withdrawn. He hated that. He hated Raymore for doing that to her, and he was incredibly angry at himself for adding to her stress and insecurities by exploding. He was already trying to figure out how he could make it up to her later on when they got back home. He knew they were both limited on what they could do, due to the order from Dr. Abbott, but he was bound a determined to do something. Don sighed as he looked at the clock on their bedside table, and knew they needed to get moving. He placed a kiss on her forehead. "Baby, we better get going."

"Yeah." Meryl nodded as she stood up. "Let me go freshen up for a minute. You'll be okay putting the babies in the stroller?"

"Of course." Don gave her a soft smile as he watched her body language. He saw how withdrawn she looked. He watched as she went to reach for him and give him a kiss but she stopped and walked into the bathroom. Don walked to the side and watched her movements in the bathroom as she freshened up, they were normal but slower. It was almost as if she was encouraging herself with each and every movement she made. To the normal eye, it would look like she was just tired, so she was moving a little more slowly. But not to her husband. He knew her. He knew her inside and out. He knew her better than anyone and anything. She was afraid to touch him because of what he had said earlier. There had been many times that she had almost called him her Don Man, but she stopped. He thought about it and decided to watch her for a little longer before he brought it up, but he knew that if this pattern kept on then he would say something to his wife. He couldn't let her go on hurting this badly knowing he was the cause. He grabbed his suit coat and peeked his head into the bathroom. "I'll be with the babies in the den, Darl. If you need me, just call out."

"Thanks, Do...thanks, sweetheart." Meryl smiled as she picked up her mascara. "I'll be out in a few."

Don nodded as he went out to the den and picked up a sleeping Brady first, kissing him on his bald head before he placed him in the stroller. "Okay, Brady boy, Daddy needs some help in cheering your Mama up." Don then picked up Mags and buckled her in the stroller. "You two are going to help me. I don't know how yet, but we will get your mama back to where she should be."

***

Meryl took a deep breath as she smoothed down her gray wrap dress with a black camisole under it that she paired with a black cardigan and her black boots. She hated that she upset Don so much, and she was trying to put on a brave face. "Sorry, I made you wait. I'm ready now."

"I would wait for you forever." Don said as he walked over to her. "You look absolutely beautiful."

"You're not so bad yourself." Meryl went to grab her hand and kiss his cheek, but she stopped herself, awkwardly. "Are they ready?"

Don knew he wasn't imagining anything, and he wasn't going to let them leave until he made things better. "Yeah, but talk to me, baby. Are we okay? Because if not, I will fix it."

"Of course!" Meryl was thinking that it wasn't his place to fix it, she had made the scene, and it was her time to fix it. "Well, we will be once this over."

Don carefully put his arm around her, waiting for her to lean into his embrace, but she didn't. Don wasn't going to let this continue. He gently pushed her towards the sofa and sat down next to her. "Sweetheart, we need to talk. We need to get this all out in the open. We need to do it now."

"Everything is fine." Meryl brushed him off. "I don't want you to be late, and the judge to hold that against you. I couldn't take that."

"It will be fine." Don said as he gently lifted her chin so he could look deep into her eyes. "Baby, I need you to be honest. Are you afraid of me? Did I cause you to feel unsafe around me?"