Until the Very End

Chapter 60

Meryl sat there for the longest time and just held Don. It broke her at how he was hanging onto her so tightly. She then started to think about the last 24 hours: he had to go to trial for a bogus charge when all he was doing was trying to protect her and their children from a man who had threatened to kill him over and over, he had been there for her over and over while she broke down from everything that happened and then they woke up to find his mother in their bedroom trying to kidnap their babies. Don was the strongest person in the world, the things he took on and battled always amazed her and it looked effortless to her. To her, Don just exuded strength and consistency. But even bridges and walls crumbled. It was his turn. Well, as Meryl thought about it, he was past due. He had been a rock for her and their family through everything with Raymore, while also trying to heal from his own surgeries from when he almost died, and now he was breaking. She wished she had seen it first. She wished that she hadn't been so concerned about losing him, and thought about how he felt. How scared he must have been. She started thinking that maybe she shouldn't have fought him on having Jane arrested, thinking maybe that was what he needed. Meryl shook her head as she brought herself from those thoughts and instead focused on her husband. She pulled away slightly, causing him to speak for the first time. "Don't go, M."

"Sweetheart, I am not going anywhere...ever." Meryl said strongly as she wiped away his tears. "I was just thinking we should get you up and to the sofa, that way we can also check on the babies. Can we do that?"

Don nodded as they helped each other up, and he went to sit on the couch as she checked on the babies. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I failed you; I'm so sorry I failed Margaret and Bradley. I'm sorry."

"What?" Meryl asked as she got the babies out of the swings, and carried them over to him. She knew she wasn't supposed to carry both of them at once, and was relieved that Don didn't make an issue of it. The babies were pretty chill in their swings, but Meryl could sense her husband needed them; and after the night before, she knew that neither of them wanted the babies out of their sight. Which she was currently feeling about her husband, and she could tell he was feeling the same way about her as well. She put both babies in Don's lap as she sat down next to him. "Why on earth are you apologizing and why in the HELL are you saying you failed us? You have NEVER failed us, Donald Gummer."

The tears had stopped, but Don was still so incredibly upset with himself. He took a deep breath as he kissed the babies' heads. He knew he needed to talk to her. He had tried to be so strong and protect her and the family, but then this happened. He knew he was going to break, he was trying not to break, but that phone call with his mother pissed him off. Then he started thinking about how his mother had hurt his wife over the years, even when he said he was done and would protect her and their family from his mother, he didn't. Then his mother reed to kidnap their babies and said those awful things when she thought it was Meryl who answered. "I promised you over 35 years ago I would always love you and protect you. I love you more than you know, but I didn't protect you. I've let THEM get to you. I have said over and over how we are done with my mother, but then I allow you to be hurt by her time after time. Then she tries to take these precious loves from us."

"Baby, NONE of that is your fault." Meryl made him look at her. "You have protected us over and over again. You do protect us time and time again. You do everything in your power to make sure we are safe. You have taken multiple restraining orders out against her and it hasn't done anything. She disregards them because she has NO boundaries. That isn't your fault, sweetheart. You changed the elevator code. You told them downstairs she isn't allowed up here. Don Man, she is your mother. We can't completely cut her out."

"We can." Don said seriously. "And I did."

Meryl sat there with tears in her eyes as her husband continued to hold their babies while he told her about his conversation with his mother, her tears came faster whenever she saw the tears in his eyes. "I walked in at the end of your conversation with her. As much as I hated seeing you in so much pain, and so upset, I wanted to take that phone from you and shield you from her hate. But I realized how much you needed to say those things to her. Not for me. Not for the kids. But for you. So, as much as I HATED you going through that, I fell in love with you all over again and am so damn proud of you. I need you to know that."