Endings and Beginnings

Chapter 57

"Ben did all that fucking shit to our baby girl?" Don was livid after Meryl had told him MOST of what happened with their estranged son-in-law. "To you and Margaret? Are you all okay; really?"

Meryl couldn't help but smile at him as she ran her fingers through his hair. "When Ben came after me, and that time I was holding Mags, you were always right there to protect us. We filed charges so he wouldn't come after Mames back in February. You tried to get Mamie to file for divorce, we both did; but knew she ultimately needed to do what was best for her. You were continually asking Mamie if she was safe. Like those instances I shared with you."

"It's just a lot to take in." Don said as his head was spinning.

Meryl nodded as she squeezed his hand. "I'm sure it is; I feel like I am just piling one thing after another on you."

"I want to know these things; I need to know these things." Don assured her. "Sweetheart, I know so much has happened; but why are you just now telling me this? I'm not mad at all."

Meryl shrugged. "I don't know; I guess I just didn't want to upset you or anything."

"I don't want you to worry about that." Don tried to remain calm. "Of course I am going to be upset when Mamie, you and Margaret are hurt; besides, what that shit has done has affected the whole family. I feel like I've missed out on so much."

Meryl nodded as she handed him some peanut butter crackers; hoping to get him to eat something. "I'm sure it feels that way since you can't remember; but baby, you were there every single step of the way. Just like you always have been; and just like you always will be."

"Where are things now?" Don asked. "I mean; you told me about what happened right after we brought Brady and Mags home. Has anything else happened?"

Meryl sighed. "Yeah; about a week ago out in Mason's Island."

***

"There you are." Meryl smiled as Don walked in to the den with some firewood. "We were missing you."

"A huge cold front is coming in tonight." Don smiled as he looked at the babies asleep in the bassinet; and walked over to her once he set the firewood down. "So, you were missing me, huh?"

"We were." Meryl flirted. "That's a lot of firewood. I'm sorry I didn't watch you chop that up."

Don threw his head back with a deep laugh as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "What is it with you and my arms; even after all these years?"

"They're beautiful." Meryl smiled. "They're special."

Don arched his eyebrow at her. "Special? My arms are special?"

"When I see your arms I see more than these gorgeously toned arms." Meryl said running her hands up and down his amazing arms. "I think about how they hold and protect me. how they have held and protected all of our babies, how they give me comfort when I lean my head against them, how they have let our children hang from them like a jungle gym and how they have helped your hands create some of the most beautiful pieces of art this world has every seen."

Don smirked as he backed her against the closest wall and started to teasingly kiss her neck. "You think about all of that when you look at my arms?"

"I do." Meryl whispered as she inched her face closer to his and held onto his incredibly strong arms. "I need to feel them around me."

Just as Don was about to speed things along a bit; even though he knew it couldn't go far the door bell rang. Don sighed as he pressed his forehead against hers. "Really?"