Love for a Lifetime

Chapter 102

    "Jack, we're moving into the big house."

    "What?" Jack asked as he sipped the coffee that was part of his hospital breakfast.

    "Your mother doesn't want to live alone anymore."

    "She's not alone. She's got her chauffeur and cook and maids and-"

    "Jack, they aren't family. She misses your father. She hasn't any kids in the house anymore. She's lonely and she's almost 83 years old."

    "Okay, fine if you think it's a good idea. How is she?"

    "She's shaken up, but she's the same old Rose Kennedy. She thanks God for saving her life and is borrowing my Rosary right now."

    Jack chuckled a little, "Sounds like Mom. Hey, there she is!"

    Bobby pushed Rose into Jack's room in a wheelchair. She looked weak to Jack, "Hey, Mom."

    "Jack," she said quietly, "How are you?"

    "I'm good. How are you."

    "I'm still here because of the good Lord."

    "Hey, Jackie and I talked and we're going to move into the big house with you."

    "Are you really?" she asked excitedly.

    "Only if you'll have us."

    "Of course!" Rose clapped her hands together.

   
    Jack had to spend a week in the hospital so Jackie worked on moving out of their current house and into Rose's. By the time that Jack was discharged, they were successfully moved. "Welcome home, Jack," Rose said kissing her son. She was sitting on the couch drinking some lemonade that Jackie had made her. Things were changing. Jackie fired all of the staff and now the only people who weren't family were the secret service, but they had been around so long... They had become family.

      By the time the Fourth of July arrived, the family had grown adjusted to their new living arrangements. The children were thriving and Rose was so happy to be living with her family. Despite all of the good news, it seemed as though Jack's cortisol pump was not working properly. And so, on the Fourth of July, Jack was confined to his bedroom because he was unable to get out of bed. His body had grown weaker over the past few days and the doctor claimed that the pump would start working. He was sure of it, but Jackie wasn't.

Though Jackie spent most of the day by Jack's side, Bobby talked her into taking a walk with him while Joe looked after Jack. Jackie and Bobby started on their usual stroll and then ended up walking down to the beach. Jackie plopped down in the sand and stared at the ocean. Bobby sat down next to her. She began to hum a tune that he didn't recognize at first as she drew in the sand with a small twig.

"Somewhere over the rainbow... Way up high... There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby," she began to sing.

"Somewhere over the rainbow... Skies are blue... And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true," Bobby continued. "Our song," he whispered breathless.

"The song that those violinists played the night you proposed to me."

       "Oh, Jacks," he placed his head in his hands, "Why did I let you go? It was the biggest mistake I ever made."

        "Bobby, don't talk like that. You have Ethel and the kids and your career. You're leading a lovely life."

         "Our marriage is falling apart, Jackie. I don't know how to fix it. I tell her that I think I'm depressed and she just says, 'what the hell do you have to be depressed about'. The truth is that I don't know. These past few years have just been one shit storm after another. Vietnam, Dad, Jack, Joe, and it's just..." He trailed off and Jackie knew he was sobbing.

She moved closer to him and put her delicate hand in his back. "Bobby, I know it's not the greatest of circumstances sometimes, but you'll get through it. We always do."

"I just don't know if I can do it anymore," he choked out, "Ethel doesn't seem to care and-"

"Bobby, for my sake, please see a therapist. I care about you."

"Kennedy men don't see shrinks."

"The hell they don't... Jack's seen a therapist. I talked Teddy into going after the Chappaquiddick incident. See a therapist," Jackie said gently as she patted his back.

Bobby hugged her tightly, "Love you so very much, Jackie," he whispered.

"I love you too, Bobby. And whether she shows it or not, so does Ethel. She needs you around."

       "Jackie," whispered so quietly it was nearly inaudible, "You are the only person in the world that cares about me or what happens to me."

      Her heart was breaking for him because she knew it was pretty much true. Sure, they all cared about him, but no one has taken the time to ask how Bobby was doing. Joe had returned, Jack's health had been hanging on by a thread, Teddy's personal problems were their own tiny tornado destroying everything in its path, Rosemary was always a concern, Eunice had her special Olympics, Pat was struggling with alcohol, and Jean was working on her VSA project. That left their all powerful brother, Bobby, all in a world of his own. He was the one everyone turned to when times got rough and now when he needed someone to turn to, there was no one.

     Jackie put Bobby's head on her shoulder and patted his back gently as he cried, "Shhh," she whispered over and over, "It's going to be alright." For the first time ever, Jackie was lying to her best friend. She didn't have a clue if things would actually be alright for him ever again.