A Million Memories

Chapter 6

After feeding Brady a breakfast of instant peaches and cream oatmeal, because honestly, that was about all she could manage in the kitchen, Marlena called her parents house in Colorado, hoping to speak with Sami and Eric. "What do you mean they're out? Mom, where?"

    "Oh, yeah...um, they're with a friend," Martha replied.

    "A friend? ...Ok. I'd like to speak with them, could you have them call when they get home please?" Marlena asked before hanging up.

    Martha hung up the phone, turned to the man beside her, and said, "Okay, John. What now, smart guy?"

    In that moment front door flew open, and Sami and Eric raced in with all of the pent up energy of two eight year olds, closely followed by their grandfather Frank. They saw John, whom they hadn't seen in almost five months, and stopped immediately. Eric, always the sensitive one started crying softly while standing close to Frank...and Sami - was Sami. "Daddy!" she screamed, running right into his arms, knocking him to the floor on his ass. Sami was closely followed by Eric, who sat on his lap, and snuggled into John's neck, saying, "Hi, Daddy."

    John's heart healed a little bit more, and he said to the kids, "Let's fly home, and surprise your mommy okay?"

    Eric seemed apprehensive, "Mommy, right? But not Mr. Patrick...right? Not him...okay? Right?"

    John looked to Martha with concern. She looked at the kids, and said reassuringly, "Just your mama, you two. Mr. Patrick moved a way for now. Go upstairs, and pack your clothes for a trip! Aren't you excited?"

    John watched Sami, and Eric leave the room, followed by Frank, who knew very well that he needed to supervise the twins, and then he turned to get an explanation from Martha about Eric's odd behavior. She sighed deeply, "I didn't want to tell Marlena, John...Roman was so angry when he came home. I mean, who wouldn't be. He was imprisoned, and tortured for seven years!"

    "Tell Marlena, what? Something happened...something you never told Doc?" John's skin crawled with apprehension.

    "When they came for Christmas, I noticed...well it seemed like Eric was scared of Roman, and Sami was angry around him. Sami wouldn't leave Eric's side, and Marlena was so upset. She'd just returned herself a few months earlier, you know, and lost you almost immediately...only to be faced with a man who had a face she recognized, but he wasn't the same at all." Martha paused, wondering how to continue, and decided that the best way was to get to the point, and not try to sugar coat anything. "After the kids begged to stay, they started acting out. Being defiant at home, getting in trouble at school. Frank, and I decided that maybe with all the turmoil, they should go into therapy...work through it. It actually came out in therapy, that Roman, he uh, he had hit Eric...a few times I think."

    "He hit him? And you never told Doc?" John couldn't understand why Martha would never tell Marlena. "Why wouldn't you tell her? G-d, you know she would want to know!"

    "When I would speak to her on the phone...there was so much she never said. John, I know my daughter. She was unhappy, incredibly unhappy. I could feel her slipping away. The therapist said we shouldn't force the issue of them calling Roman dad, so they reverted back to calling him Mr. Patrick...and when they say Dad or Daddy...well, then they're talking about you. The children were safe, with me and Frank, what would telling her do in that moment?"

    "Everything, Martha! Roman punched her! He cracked her cheek bone, and left bruises on her from shoving her around. She had a concussion, and-and it had been escalating for weeks. You could have at least told me! Maybe I could have...maybe..." John choked out, trying to keep himself from crying, but the guilt just overcame him. "If I had known..."

    "We can't change it now, honey," Martha wrapped her arms around John, holding him tight. "Let's just get her babies home to her, and hope to G-d you can put your family back together."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

    John, Eric, and Sami walked towards the house, which was booming with some type of pop song. The twins had talked his ear off on the flight home. The fact that their Daddy had a plane to use was "beyond cool" according to Sami. John could tell though, that they were nervous, and apprehensive about seeing their mother again. They hadn't had enough time with her to form that bond, but they trusted John because no matter what, he was their father. On the flight home he told them stories about times he had spent with Marlena and funny things they had done. He told them about their little brother Brady, and how big he had grown. He had tried with his heart, and soul to get them excited about this new path they were all getting ready to walk together.

    John checked the door, and realized it was unlocked. Glancing at the twins, he put his finger to his lips to indicate quiet, and they walked in. The music in the living room blared from the speakers as Marlena swung Brady around with her. "You're such an amazing dancer, little man! Someday you're going to sweep someone off their feet, just like your daddy swept me off mine!" She twirled around, and came face to face with a grinning John, and two smiling children, one who waved shyly and another one who screamed, "I love to dance!"