Their Next Chapter

Chapter 39

"I love you, Donald Gummer!" Meryl cried as she ran to Don on the bridge. "I love you so damn much."

Don turned to her as the snow fell. "I don't deserve your love. I know you didn't want me near you. I know I broke you. I can't live with myself knowing I did that to you."

"I WANTED to see you; I NEEDED to see you. I was asking the kids for you. They told me you weren't coming and I NOW know they told you not to come. That is NOT okay with me and they will hear about it. This has all been the misunderstanding from HELL. I kept telling the kids we could work it out I just needed to talk to you and they made it seem like you didn't come close to the hospital." Meryl choked. "Like you didn't want to or didn't care about me. I don't know why in the hell I believed that!"

Don shook his head. "I tried to get to you, M, I did. Did the nurse not tell you I was on my way when she called me? I asked her to let you know that; because of our stupid fight, which is ALL my fault, I NEEDED you to know I was on my way. I got there as soon as I could, baby. I had to be with you. I turned the car around and broke every fucking speed limit to get to you. I wanted, I needed, to be with you. I got there just as quickly as I could."

"I know that now, baby." Meryl choked. "I heard your voice, I did. I tried to get out of bed and get to you but the kids told me you weren't there so I thought I imagined it."

Don shook his head. "They blocked my way. I should have picked their asses up and moved them but they made it sound like you didn't want to see me. I told Henry to tell you that I love you. Did he not tell you? I begged him."

"No, he didn't. I wanted us to talk. I knew we could fix this if we talked." Meryl said. "It all got way too out of hand."

Don took a deep breath. "I really didn't mean anything I said, Meryl, I didn't. I was just hurt knowing I wasn't enough for you and once again I hurt you before you could hurt me. Though me hurting you like I did has taken away my breath every moment since then."

"You are MORE than enough for me, Don Man." Meryl cried as she clenched her fists. "I really could kill our children. First, they put these FALSE and AWFUL thoughts in your head and then they tried to keep you from me? It's NOT their place. None of their fucking business."

Don took a deep breath. "I now know how you felt all those years ago after I was shot and my mother wouldn't let you get to me."

"I never wanted you to feel like I did." Meryl choked. "Baby, come home. Please come home."

Don shook his head. "I can't. You need to sign the papers. You need to do it for yourself."

"This is what I need to do for myself." Meryl said tearing the the divorce paper in pieces and throwing it in the Hudson. "What I need is you, Donald Gummer. You are what I have always needed. What I will always need."

Don was crying. "I hurt you so badly."

"Don Man, it was a misunderstanding. Yeah, we both hurt each other. I am NOT willing to let go of our amazing 33 year relationship because of that. Are you? Do you REALLY want this?"

Don's eyes got big. "Hell no, but I deserve it. You deserve the best, Meryl. I'm doing this for you."

"I have the best; I have for 33 years." Meryl choked. "If you still want me."

Don choked on his words. "I will always want you. I just can't live with myself knowing how I hurt you."

"It's over, Don Man." Meryl said as she walked closer to him. "I need you, Don."

For the first time since this whole conversation Don finally moved closer to her. "I need you, so damn much. I don't deserve you."

"You know what you don't deserve? You don't deserve to be beaten up like this. Now, Donald Gummer, 33 years ago we pledged our lives and hearts to each other on this bridge. Nothing can break us, baby. We just need to be together. Please come home with me." Meryl said walking closer to him.