Damaged...But Not Broken

No Peace

Noah was now 7 months old and Thanksgiving dinner is being prepared.
Noah is in the living room bouncing in his bouncer and chewing on a teething ring.
Which this was the first time in a while he was calm. Jessica had noticed lately that he was being extremely clingy with her. He would cry if she was out of his sight; even for a few seconds. He wouldn't want to go with Danny most of the time or anyone else. She couldn't understand it.

Danny and Jessica were in the kitchen making the side dishes and dessert for dinner. The turkey cooking in the oven.

Sarah and Lily were spending Thanksgiving this year with Lily's parents and they were going to announce that they were expecting; they told Jessica as soon as they found out. They were both 8 weeks pregnant now.
And only Anjelica would be joining them for dinner.

Jessica and Danny were tense. Things hadn't been going well.
"Danny, we need to do something."
"What can we do?"
"Well, for one, maybe a restraining order would be a good start. That girl has been harassing you since September! Everywhere we go she's there! And how the hell did she get your number?!"
"I know Jess. I've told her many times to leave us alone. She just won't stop." Danny says exasperated, placing two fingers between the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes. "Anjelica gave her my number. She met Megan on set when she was visiting me. Megan called her and she gave her my number. She didn't know Megan would be so..."
"Out of touch with reality." Jessica finished for him.
They stayed quiet for a while, then they hear Noah cry.
"I'm gonna go feed him." Jessica says and leaves the kitchen.

"Hey my little love bug!" Jessica picks him up and goes to his room.
She sits on the rocking chair and lifts up her shirt and Noah begins to feed.
Jessica stares into Noah's eyes and runs her fingers through his hair; tears rolling down her face. "Oh Noah, mommy is so sorry that things haven't been normal around here. Mommy and daddy are trying to get things back to how they were."
Noah reaches his tiny hand towards Jessica and places it on her cheek, looking back into her eyes.
Jessica smiles and holds his hand. "Mommy is okay my sweet boy. We will be okay."
Jessica wipes her tears and looks at the wall and says to herself, "Why did this girl have to come into our lives?"

Danny listened at the side of the door. His heart broke. He heard Jessica crying, which she had been doing a lot of lately. He hated to see or hear her cry.
He couldn't understand why Megan was doing this. Danny thought of these past couple of months. He remembered how it started. It was the encounter at the cafe that day.
After that she would be where ever he and Jessica would be. Then it was the text messages. They started off casually but then the messages became desperate. She wanted to always have lunch or dinner with Danny and when Danny would say that Jessica would be joining them, Megan would cancel.
There was a time at the the beginning of November when things seemed to calm down. They didn't hear from Megan for two weeks.
In that time, Jessica had become relaxed and they even became intimate again.
But that didn't last for long because Megan resurfaced and began trying to contact Danny. He had told her so many times to stop calling and texting.
He already changed his number and tried to ignore her as best he could but she kept showing up almost everywhere he went. He knew he had to do something to make this girl understand.
Danny heard Jessica getting up from the rocking chair and quickly hurried back to the kitchen.

Jessica came back into the kitchen with Noah in her arms.
"Dinners almost ready. Anjelica should be here any minute." Danny said. "Hey Noah, want to come with daddy?"
Danny smiles and held up his arms to take Noah but Noah shook his head and clung to Jessica.
"Noah, go with daddy." Jessica tries to hand him over to Danny but Noah begins to whimper and his tiny hands grab onto Jessica's t-shirt. "Okay, okay. Jeez, what's gotten into you?"

Just then the door bell rang.
Jessica opens the door. "Hello Anjelica!"
"Hey Jess!" Anjelica says giving Jessica a hug. Then turning to Noah, "How's my nephew? Come to Auntie Angie?" Anjelica puts her hands out but once again Noah pulls away and buries his face into Jessica's neck.
Jessica sighs. "Noah, mommy loves you, but mommy is so tired sweetie. Please go with Auntie Angie or daddy."
When Noah doesn't budge, Jessica breathed in and out, trying to control her tears.
"Come on in Anjelica. Let's go sit down on the sofa."

Some time after that, dinner was served and for the rest of the night, Danny and Jessica decided to forget about their situation with Megan and just enjoy the evening as a family.