Their Next Chapter

Chapter 40

Louisa shrugged. "I hope so; but think about it Grace. She's getting hotter and Dad is well, Dad. He doesn't have the greatest fashion sense. He's going bald. He's not in the Hollywood life. He doesn't seem to care. I mean she just goes off and does whatever and Dad is totally fine with it. It's like he's not even trying to keep her. Dad's got to step up his game."

"Maybe." Grace said. "Look at how they were in DC though. I just can't see anything happening to them."

Don walked away with all of this playing on his mind. Was he letting himself go and losing his wife in the process?

***

Meryl noticed Don had been quiet all throughout breakfast. She hadn't meant to snap at him earlier in the morning but she had. She just so badly wanted everything to go right for him for his birthday; she didn't want anything to dampen his surprise. He was everything to her; and after the way she acted on the way to DC, and him thinking she didn't want him there with her, she wanted to make sure he knew. She walked past the living and saw Grace and Louisa in there. "Hey, have you girls seen your father?"

"You mean mopey?" Louisa teased.

Grace nodded. "Did you guys have a fight or something?"

"No." Meryl shook her head. "I don't know what's going on."

Louisa shrugged. "He's definitely not himself."

"Yeah, I know." Meryl sighed. "I'm going to go see what's going on."

***

Meryl walked into their bedroom and saw Don in the bathroom sucking in his stomach, moving side to side, and running his fingers through his hair. He was definitely down. She just figured it had something to do with his birthday. She hoped they weren't going to be fighting especially because things had been so amazing. She stopped in the doorway. "There's my handsome husband."

"Oh." Don looked at her as he immediately stopped what she was doing. "Hi."

Meryl walked over to him and placed her hands on his chest. "I missed you. You disappeared as soon as breakfast was over. Are you okay? You just don't seem like yourself."

"I was just giving you space and privacy like you said you wanted." Don said sadly as he walked out of the bathroom and into the bedroom.

Meryl sighed. By trying to surprise him she had overreacted. "Don Man, you should know I don't want space from you. I'm sorry about earlier. I am just tired from the weekend; and it's Christmas and Birthday time so I have lots of balls in the air."

"And secrets?" Don asked.

Meryl shook her head. "Never secrets from you; just surprises."

"Okay." Don said with a peck to her lips. What she said made sense but he couldn't get her phone call and the conversation the girls had out of her mind. "I'm headed out."

Meryl looked at him in surprise. "What? I thought today was an us day. You know, me and my Don appendage. The kids are all busy which means we can do whatever we want."

"I have work to do, Meryl." Don said as he grabbed his coat. "I can't just follow you around everywhere."

Meryl knew he was still hurt. She just hoped what she was planning would help bring him out of his mood. "I know you do. Okay, see you for dinner?"

"Don't wait up." Don said as he walked out of the room.

Meryl's heart sunk even further. No kiss. No "I love you." No hug. No nothing. She told herself she just had to wait a few days and hopefully it would all be worth it.