Pillow Talk

Road to Hell - A

"How did it go?" Eddie asked as Jamie tiredly entered the apartment after bringing Nikki home from court. They had the day off from work and had planned a trip to the botanical gardens. Eddie had understood when it hit the fan that Jamie had to stand by his sister and niece.

"They released her ROR so I drove her home," Jamie replied. "I cannot believe she did this Eddie. Okay, it was not her drugs, we know it was not her drugs, but she won't give up who they belong to and I know that she knows!"

Eddie handed Jamie a glass of juice and his bagel, "Eat." Eddie sat down on her legs. "I know you want her to speak up and finger the person that did this, but I was a girl in college once too. It is really hard to stand against your friends, and for Nikki..."

"Don't make excuses for her, Eddie," Jamie replied biting the bagel. "This is good, what did you do to this?"

"Added garlic to the butter," Eddie replied. "Seriously Jamie, you remember what school was like, how difficult that can be."

"Yes, I do, but I also know that I'm a Reagan and I was raised to be strong in the face of hard times. I was raised that way, to stand on my own if it meant doing the right thing. Erin raised Nikki the same way," Jamie sighed. "I know she did."

"Okay, maybe she did," Eddie replied. "Maybe she did but honey, I know as well as anyone when you get into the position of having to rat out your friends, it gets crazy. I was raised to be a good girl too, but when my life started to fall apart, so did I."

Jamie turned to face Eddie, "Baby, that was different. Nikki didn't just lose her mother, she wasn't the daughter of a man that made his money in a questionable way. That girl has every opportunity to succeed and you know what really gets my goat?"

Eddie rubbed Jamie's leg, "No, what?" She really wanted to listen to him, she could see he was coiled like a snake and had to let it go or snap.

"Boyle. She is using the last name Boyle and not because it's her father's name, if that was the reason that would be fine. She's using it to hide who she is. She's ashamed of us and she wants help from us. How ungrateful can you be?"

Eddie took a breath, "That must hurt you so much. I know how proud you are and one day I will be proud to where the Reagan name, and to have our kids bear that name too. You should talk to her about that and how it makes you feel."

Jamie shrugged, "Honestly, I don't think she'd even care. She was always a little mouthy but it was okay... that was who she s and we loved her, but since college..."

"I'm telling you Jamie, late teens and early twenties, it is hell on girls. I was that age once, remember? I was stealing scarves and gloves from Bloomingdales trying to get my father's attention after Mom died, trying to get a boy to like me. I even stole for a boy once and when I got caught under the bus I went but I never ratted him out. That same boy...pushed me a lot to do things I didn't want to do, but to stay under the radar, I never said a word. I was that girl, I was a wild, lonely girl and I'm pretty sure being the only granddaughter and niece in a family full of testosterone, which is no picnic!"

"Eddie, honest to God, please stop trying to make this the same thing," Jamie sighed. "It's not the same thing! If Nikki came home from boarding school to find her father drunk and her mother dead, I'd give it to you..." Eddie lip quivered, Jamie knew he'd gone too far

"Oh, sweetheart, I am so sorry," Jamie reached out and pulled Eddie close. "I'm sorry, I was angry and..."

"Stop it, Jamie! Just stop it!" Eddie tried to pull back but Jamie held fast. "That was a horrible time for me, and for you to just use it like that!"

"I didn't mean to do that, I'm just..." Jamie sighed. "You had a reason to do things Eddie. You had a traumatic thing happen and you had to put that out some place. Nikki has no such excuse! She's showing how spoiled she really is. I'm her uncle, I love her, I'll support her, but I'm having such a hard time with how she's..."

"I know, I know you didn't mean it," Eddie sighed. "Hey, we were supposed to go to the botanical gardens today but how about I take you someplace else."

Jamie smiled, he knew he had to make up for his huge faux pas. "Anywhere."

Eddie took the car keys and she and Jamie got into her Porsche. Usually she let Jamie drive but today she was going to make it a surprise. She drove them over bridges and through tunnels until they came to a pretty isolated cemetery in Long Island. Eddie pulled the car up to a crypt labeled, JANKO. Eddie took Jamie by the hand, "Momma, this is my Jamie." Eddie looked up at Jamie, "I come here when I have something to tell her. You told Danny about us, now I'm telling my Mom. She's not here physically, but she is in here in my heart. She would love you, she would love how you love me."

Jamie tipped Eddie's chin up and took her lips, "I do love you. Please do not compare what you suffered losing your mother to Nikki's stubbornness and do not compare your shame at your family name to her shame, it is not the same thing."

Eddie reached up and caressed Jamie's cheek, "I know how much you hurt, Jamie. I know that she hurt you by denying the family name, and by turning her back on what you all have taught her, but sweetheart, you can't save someone that doesn't respect you and she doesn't. Focus on what you can save, what you can do, because you are a hero to a lot of kids."

Jamie smiled, "And what about you, Ms. Janko, am I a hero to you?"

Eddie ran her hands up Jamie's chest, "You will be if you feed me. There is a fabulous crab hut near here..."

Jamie laughed, "Always the stomach with you Janko..."