Love for a Lifetime

Chapter 104

         "Jack," Jackie called upstairs as they got ready for church, "Are you almost ready?"

        "Yes," he came bounding down the stairs, "Are you seriously asking me if I'm ready?" Jack chuckled.

        "I can be ready first once in a while," Jackie smiled cheekily.

      They went to Mass and then they went to visit Bobby. He had gotten himself an apartment a bit of a hike away from the rest of the Kennedys. He claimed that he needed to work on himself before he could be around the rest of the family again. It was a matter of not wanting to hurt anyone else.

     "Bob," Jackie knocked on the door, "Hey, Bob! It's Jack and I! We brought lunch!"

     He opened the door and Jackie knew Bobby was having a rough day. "We're in for it now," she thought to herself. 

    Bobby was suffering from depression and so he had his up and down days. Today was unfortunately a down day. Jackie was terrified to leave him sometimes and so her plan was to get him to move in with them.

    She hugged him and caught a whiff of alcohol on his breath, "How are you?" she asked cheerily. It was a mistake.

    "How do I look?" he asked sarcastically.

   "You look like a mess," Jack snapped back. Jack was concerned for his brother, but he also hated when Bobby took his sadness and anger out on Jackie. She was his wife after all, and he had to look out for her tender heart. 

    "Jack," Jackie shot him a look, "Bobby, I think you don't look so well. Are you doing alright?"

    "Do you think I'm doing alright?" he snapped.

    "Jackie, get out of here for a minute."

   "Jack-"

"No, listen to me this time."

   Jackie stepped out.

   "Listen, Bob," Jack grabbed him by his shirt collar, "I know you're struggling and I know you are stuck in a rough situation, but you are not allowed to take it out on my wife!"

   "She should've been my wife you son of a bitch!" Bobby yelled and punched Jack.

   Jack held his face for a moment, "You're drunk... It's okay... This isn't you, but we can't keep doing this Bob."

   "Jackie should've been mine!" he screamed. He was sweating and drunk. 

   Jack didn't know what to say. Jackie technically should've been Bobby's, but Jack swooped in and kind of took her. 

    "I would be happy if you were never born, Jack! I would have been Jackie's husband and President and Vietnam would've never happened!"

    "That was low, Bob..." Jack turned, "Sober up and we'll talk."

    He left and grabbed Jackie by the hand, "Let's go..." 

  "Jack, what happened in there?"

   "I don't want to talk about it."

   "Jack-"

  "Jackie, drop it!" 

  "We don't do this, Jack! This isn't us!"

  "Jackie, we need to get away. You and I just need to escape for a little bit.'

  "But, there's-"

  "No. We need to get away. For the sake of our marriage, you and I need a break."

"But where?"

"I'll figure it out. Just pack our bags."

    One week later, Jack and Jackie packed up the car and went to Ocean City, Maryland for a week. They left the kids with Joe Jr. and entrusted him to check on Bobby too. "This is beautiful, Jack!" 

    "Just as beautiful as my wife..." he kissed Jackie's neck and wrapped his arms around her, "Jackie, do you ever regret..."

    "Regret what, darling?"

   "Marrying me and not Bobby..."

   "Jack, you couldn't possibly..."

   "Jackie, I could possibly wonder. God, aside from the alcoholism, Bobby looks young and here I am. I'm 56 years old! I look like I could be 60 and you're 44. You still look like the young girl I married."

    "Jack... Bunny," Jackie put her hands around his face, "I love you. I love you more than anyone in this world. Would I have gone through any of these things with you if I didn't? Now, let me show you how much I love you," she grabbed him by the hand and found the bedroom of the condo.

  Jackie had said that, but Jack instead suggested they just cuddle. The next morning they woke up and just snuggled. It was something Jackie hadn't remembered doing since before Josephine was born. Josephine had changed Jack a little bit. At times, Jackie remembered what the old Jack had been like and felt sad. He had never been so troubled about his relationship with Jackie or about himself. The Vietnam War had ruined him. If she couldn't fix him, it was actually going to kill him. 

   "Bunny," Jackie whispered tracing her finger along his bare chest, "How are you?"

  "I'm good, Kid."

   "Jack, I mean it."

   "Jackie, I have to tell you something," he said quietly.

   "What is it?"

   "Jackie, we've gotten though everything together before and I have no doubt that we can get though this now. I love you, Jackie. I really love you so very much and-"

   "What's going on? You're scaring me, Jack," she cuddled up closer to him.

   "Jackie, I have testicular cancer."