TWENTY SEVEN — Where No One Stands Alone
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
𝐓𝐖𝐎 𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐇𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐀'𝐒 𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐇, Priscilla began feeling sad and moody. When she wasn't sleeping, she was crying, and that wasn't like her at all. It also seemed like her daughter loved Bobby more than her, and the only thing she wanted Priscilla for, was feeding time, and to put her to bed, and that's something that really stung.
Lately, Priscilla had been missing her parents, and she had been missing them bad. Her post partum depression has taken over in the worst way possible. Nettie, Freya, Rebecca, and the girls advised her to get help, but she refused to accept the help. But the incident that would occur, would change everything.
"What do you think about having Nettie as well as my aunts and even the guys and Jenna over for dinner tomorrow night?" Priscilla asked as she set a sleeping Erica in her cradle
"Beautiful, you honestly think that's a good idea?" Bobby asked in concern. He honestly meant no harm, he knew she hadn't been herself, and he was at a complete loss on what to do.
Snapping her head over to her husband, Priscilla angrily spat, "What the hell is that supposed to mean? I actually enjoy spending time with our friends and family you know."
"I meant nothing by that, I just meant..." Bobby calmly defended
Priscilla sarcastically rolled her eyes. "Yeah, of course you didn't mean it. Why don't you take care of our daughter. She loves you more than me anyway."
The next day, while Bobby was working at the church with Pastor Buchanan, who was his mentor, Priscilla, Freya, Rebecca, and Jenna went to the local grocery store to pick up a few things
As Priscilla and Jenna walked down the produce aisle, while Freya and Rebecca were in the bakery picking up a special made lemon blueberry cake for dessert, Priscilla saw there was only one bag of yellow onions left. As they were walking, Erica started to fuss.
Priscilla turned turned her back to tend to tend to her daughter and in that time, another customer turned around and grabbed the onions instead.
"Oh, I'm sorry, those were my onions." Priscilla said
The customer rudely scoffed. "I beg your pardon?"
Pointing to the onions, and trying to keep herself calm, Priscilla replied, "You heard me, those were my onions. You just took them from me, give them back."
Jenna interjected, "Priscilla."
"No, I got them from the display right here." The woman said
"Yeah, I under..." Priscilla started. The woman was about to leave, but Priscilla grabbed her shopping cart to stop her. Raising her voice, Priscilla exclaimed, "Excuse me, where the hell are you going, lady?! Those were my onions and you took them from me. I want them back, so give them back to me!"
"Is there a problem here?" the grocer asked, walking up to Priscilla and Jenna
"Yeah, I... Yes. Okay, there is a problem. I went to grab that bag of onions, I turn my back for two seconds to tend to my baby, and that woman took them from me." Priscilla said
"Ma'am, just calm down." The grocer said
"I-I'm calm, okay? I'm not gonna calm down though, because what I want is for you to tell her to give me my onions back, okay? I have a recipe that calls for four ounces of yellow onion, and I have been planning this dish for a whole week, as I'm hosting a dinner for my family and friends. I'm not gonna leave here without my yellow onion." Priscilla said on the verge of tears.
"Miss, would you like to sit down?" The grocer asked
"No! I don't, I don't..." Priscilla said, as she raised her voice, then she calmed down. "I don't want to sit down. I want you to tell her to give me my onion back. I just, I want...I want what I came for, okay? I want my yellow onion. I want what's fair. Will you tell her to give me my onion back?"
The grocer didn't know what to do. It was just a bag of onions, why was a customer getting so upset over a bag of onions? There was no rhyme or reason. Jenna herself stood there in complete and utter shock.
"Because it's not fair that I have to sit here and go without my yellow onion. It's not fair. It's not fair! It's not fair! It's not fair!" Priscilla wept.
After hearing the commotion, Freya and Rebecca walked over to the produce aisle from the bakery with a look of concern on their faces. Placing the lemon blueberry cake in the shopping cart, Rebecca pulled Jenna away, and Jenna held Erica close to her, as Freya knelt down beside her niece and wrapped her arms around her.
"It's alright, gorgeous." Freya said, as she held Priscilla close to her. "It's alright. Aunt Freya's here."
Back home, Priscilla, her aunts, and Jenna walked in the door. Freya and Rebecca carried in the groceries, while Priscilla carried a sleeping Erica upstairs to the nursery.
Once Erica was in her cradle, Priscilla walked to the kitchen to prepare the pot roast when Nettie arrived. As Priscilla seasoned the roast, Nettie and Jenna cut up the veggies.
"Since I don't have onions, you think I could use onion powder?" Priscilla nonchalantly asked
"Yes, that or minced onion will work just fine honey." Nettie said
In the living room, Bobby opened the front door as Elijah and Marcel as well as the guys followed suit. Jenna, Freya, and Rebecca, greeted Elijah, Marcel, Bobby, and Jimmy with an embrace, then Freya looked at her nephew in-law, her brother, and best friend and said, "Rebecca, Jenna, and I need to speak with you three privately." Jenna pulled Jimmy along as well.
Bobby led them into the den, which was his office and closing the door behind them, he asked, "What's going on?"
Jenna took a seat beside Jimmy on the couch before speaking. "Priscilla had a meltdown in the grocery store."
Bobby felt his heart drop to his stomach. "What?" he questioned, concern in his voice, his eyes welling with tears
"A melt down? What do you mean?" Elijah asked in concern
"She means, we were shopping for things for the dinner tonight, and this lady who was rude, came up and took the last bag of yellow onions, and Priscilla flipped out." Rebecca clarified
"It's not like her at all, we didn't even suggest going to another grocery store, because, we know she's not herself." Freya said
"Let me talk to her." Elijah suggested
In the kitchen, Priscilla set the pot roast on the oven rack, while Nettie made herself a glass of iced tea and went into the living room, when Elijah walked in and embraced his niece
After pouring himself a glass of iced tea, Elijah turned to his niece and asked, "Are you okay, honey?"
"I'm alright, uncle Elijah." Priscilla said
"Priscilla, I'm not going to make you talk about it but when you are ready to talk, you know where I'll be." Elijah said
Priscilla just nodded and hummed in response. In the living room, Elijah sat down beside his sister, voiced his concern. "I'm so worried about her, this is killing my soul."
Bobby sat down in his recliner with his head in his hands, and said, "I'm just as worried about her. I'm at a complete loss on what to do. I love her so much, and it kills me to see her this way." he said, as his friends sat down on the couch, while Jenna sat in Jimmy's lap.
In the kitchen, Priscilla was in her own little world, she didn't hear her husband, aunts and uncles, best friends, and grandmother in-law about the events of today. She didn't notice she set the temperature on the oven for the pot roast too high. She burnt the pot roast.
Not expecting her daughter to wake up so soon, she dropped a plate on the floor, when Erica wailed. It was Klaus and Diana's wedding plate. Her baby is crying, she feels ugly and fat, she misses her beloved parents more than words can describe, she broke a plate, and now she's angry. Life is great.
Her family and friends came into the kitchen to find Priscilla staring at the plate a blank expression on her face. "What happened?" Nettie questioned
"The plate broke." Priscilla said on the verge of tears. "My baby's crying. I need to tend to her. I'll clean it when I get back."
"Let me help—" Bobby said
"Robert please!" Priscilla snapped. "Let me handle it. For God's sake, I'm not an invalid."
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After getting Erica fed and settled down, Priscilla came in the kitchen, to find Nettie sweeping up the bits of the shattered plate, and the pot roast burnt.
"Priscilla, the pot roast is burnt." Tommy said, only to notice Priscilla snap her head at him, and notice the tears in her eyes. Dutch smacked his head. "But that's okay, I like the burnt bits."
Not caring about the pot roast, she looked at the broken plate on the ground. It was shattered. "It's broken." Priscilla said through tears as she looked at the plate. "That was my mom and dad's wedding china."
"Priscilla..." Freya said
Priscilla held her hand up, and cried, "Stop it! Everyone stop it! I heard you talking about me, if you're gonna talk about me, at least talk about me to my face."
Feeling horrified with herself and how she spoke to the people she loved the most, she backed away in fear, turned on her heels, and ran out of the kitchen, ignoring the calls of her husband, their family and friends
"What's going on with my beautiful Priscilla?" Bobby questioned as he ran a hand thorough his hair. "I just don't understand. One minute she's weepy, the next she's angry and wants to rip my head off."
Nettie, who had seen this coming a mile away, as she did with her late daughter in-law Catherine, set her grandson down at the table, while Jenna and Jimmy cleaned the remaining bits of the broken bits of the broken plate, and Tommy, Johnny, and Dutch helped clean up the kitchen.
"Bobby, Priscilla has postpartum depression. A few weeks ago, the girls and I spoke with her about it, and advised her to tell her doctor. Apparently she didn't, and it's only gotten worse." Nettie said as she held her grandson's hands in her own
"But, why wouldn't she accept the help?" Bobby asked as he ran a hand over his face.
Freya interjected as she sat down at the table and sat across from the two. "The same reason I didn't after I lost my Lucy. I thought I would be fine, but I wasn't. Priscilla thought the same thing. She needs to go see Dr. Montgomery and get treated for it."
Nettie took Freya's hand in her own, and continued to hold her grandson's hand, as she gently spoke. "Freya's right honey. You have to understand Robert, she's not in her right mind. All these things are not about you. It's the postpartum talking. Be patient and compassionate with her. It's not an easy thing to go through."
"So everything she had said, was the postpartum talking?" Dutch asked
"Weren't you listening?" Johnny asked. "Both Nettie and Freya said that once she accepts the help, she'll be okay."
"I have to find her." Bobby said
"Put yourself in her shoes." Jenna said as she wrapped her arm around Jimmy's waist. "Where would she go, when she's sad?"
"A place that reminds her of her parents. Her childhood home." Bobby said
"But she's from England." Dutch said as he opened a beer
"Don't say anything for the rest of the night." Jimmy said. "You might think you're helping, but you're not."
"Go on sweetheart, we'll stay here with Erica." Freya smiled as she gave Bobby the keys to the Duncan home. "Bring her back."
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Bobby pulled into the driveway of the Duncan home, and used the spare key to get inside. Upon walking into the home, he walked down the hall, where he heard the faint sound of his beautiful Priscilla sobbing, which reminded him of Klaus and Diana's funeral.
In the bedroom, he found a heartbreaking sight, his wife, laying down, facing the window, clutching the dolls of Klaus and Diana, which she always carried with her, in her arms. Not being able to stand it, he laid down beside his beautiful Priscilla, snuggled into her and kissed her shoulder.
"How did you find me?" Priscilla asked, clutching the dolls of her parents close to her heart.
"When you love someone, you always find them." Bobby said as he wrapped his arms around her. "Don't you know? I will always find you. Priscilla, I want to know what's going on. Please talk to me. You don't even have to look at me, just staring into space is fine, but at least talk to me."
After setting the dolls on the nightstand, Priscilla laid on her back, and stared up at the ceiling. "Bobby, I know I have postpartum depression. I'm unhappy with myself. When I'm not sleeping, I'm crying. Our daughter loves you more than she loves me, which, I'm not complaining, but it does sting." she said as she wiped her tears
"She doesn't love me more than you. You don't see it, but Erica absolutely adores you, Priscilla." Bobby said as he took her hand in his own.
"No, you don't get it. Erica loves you more than me. All she wants me for is feeding time and to put her to bed. The rest of the time, she wants you, which again, I'm not complaining, but it does sting." Priscilla said
"Tell me why you're unhappy. I want to know so I can help you." Bobby said.
Priscilla shook her head. "You don't get it, because you're not a woman. You call me beautiful, but I'm not. I'm as fat and ugly as they come." she said
Bobby shook his head in disagreement. It broke his heart to hear her talk about herself that way. She was neither fat, nor was she ugly. She's still as beautiful as the day he helped her when she fell off her bike when they were children. Yes, her body has changed over the years and it has since high school, and from the pregnancy, but not as much as she imagined. He doesn't lie when he says he likes her curves.
"Bobby, I used to have perky boobs, but now, they're somewhat perky, and they leak. It's awful. I have stretch marks, I have this fat here." she pointed to her middle and her hips. "Stretch marks there." she pointed to the place where the baby bump used to be. "I've been going to the gym with Jenna every day, and I thought I'd see results by now."
"Priscilla—"
"What's worse, mom's dresses are tight, when they used to fit me like a glove, remember?" Priscilla cried. She was once a size 6 now she's a size 8.
"Priscilla, I know you don't believe me, but you're beautiful and you're drop dead gorgeous. You always have been. Is that why you haven't wanted to, well, you know." Bobby said.
"Have sex? Yeah. I didn't want you to see me this way. You would be repulsed. It's bad enough I have to see it, and I'm repulsed by the sight." Priscilla said as she rolled over on her side.
Bobby turned her over, where she was looking at him. "You listen to me, and you listen well. You are everything to me Priscilla Beaulieu, with your beautiful violet eyes, and your bright heartwarming smile. You have been my everything since the summer of '75. I have always loved you and wanted you since eighth grade year, when you defended me to those worthless assholes, who bullied me about my parents, and I will forever be haunted by the stupid mistake I made joining Cobra Kai, because it turned me into something I wasn't. When you gave me a second chance and dated me, I felt like I was the champion of the valley. Then you agreed to marry me. I really felt like a champ then. My beautiful Priscilla, how I loved you then, doesn't even compare to how much I love you now. My love for you has only gotten stronger. You gave me Erica. I know your mom's dresses mean everything to you, but please understand, you are more than a size. You're my wife, my true love, and the best friend I've ever had. I promise you baby, we'll get through this together, our love is stronger than PPD."
Priscilla wrapped her arms around her husband and sobbed into his neck. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I snapped at you baby. I love you so much. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Please forgive me."
Bobby held his wife close to him and ran his fingers through her voluminous brunette hair. "You never hurt me Priscilla. I love you more than you'll ever know. Tomorrow, we're going to see your doctor. We're doing it together."
Helping her up, they left to go home. Bobby didn't want her to drive, so they left the impala and rode in his car. Upon returning home, they found Freya and Rebecca reading books, while Johnny, Tommy, and Dutch sat on the couch drinking beers, Elijah and Marcel drank cocktails, and Jenna and Jimmy stood upstairs putting Erica to sleep.
"Hi gorgeous." Freya smiled as she embraced her niece.
Priscilla smiled as she embraced her aunt. "Hey auntie Freya. I'm really sorry you guys about snapping like that." Priscilla said, as she began to cry. "Please forgive me. I didn't mean to hurt—"
Nettie pulled the brunette in for an embrace. "You listen here, this woman is old and she's a tough old gal. She's also been around the block a few times, so she knows when something's wrong. I'm so happy you're alright, my darling." she said as she kissed the brunette's temple
"Don't you even apologize, Priscilla." Elijah said as he embraced his niece. "It's alright hon. We love you unconditionally." Marcel said
In the kitchen, Priscilla and Jenna were grabbing cokes, when Jenna embraced her best friend and tearfully said, "I'm so worried about you, Priscilla. Please go see someone and get help for your PPD. If not for us or yourself, then do it for Erica."
"I'm going to honey." Priscilla said through tears. "I promise I will."
The next day, Priscilla and Bobby met with Dr. Montgomery. After explaining she was sad, moody, and had frequent outbursts, Dr. Montgomery definitely agreed that she had PPD. After running a few tests, reviewing the results, she for sure has PPD.
Dr. Montgomery wrote her a prescription for lexapro, starting her out on a low dose, since she had never taken the medication before, and if needed, he would increase the dosage. After running a few errands, she picked up her prescription at the pharmacy, and headed home.
About two weeks later, the full effects of the medicine started to kick in. Priscilla noticed her sleep cycles returned, she was happier, her libido returned, and she and her baby girl were bonding more.