When Jessica heard the news she immediately dismissed Matthew from the room taking the baby and locking the door. She hadn't said a word to him... yet.
She was all alone in her room listening to Joan on the phone.
"Joan, what do you mean, 'he's gone'?"
"We got a call from the prison last night... they found in dead in his cell. They are ruling it to be a suicide..." it was so hard for Joan to keep it together. It took a while for her to get through a sentence.
Jessica tried her hardest to understand but she just went blank. After hearing that Robert was dead every word Joan said through the phone was in one ear and out the other. She was in complete and utter shock. So much swam through her head in that moment. Her first thought was the boys... her sweet, innocent, loving boys.
After minutes of trying to hold it all together, Jessica broke. She couldn't hold it in any longer. She began to sob. She held her chest and cried, and cried, and cried.
"I'm so sorry to give you the news, Jessica. I really wish it wasn't this way." Joan says when she hears Jessica sobbing.
"Joan, I'm sorry... he was your brother...." Jessica tries to pull herself together and just breathe.
"Jessica, I have to go. I'll keep you updated. Please, give the boys my best."
The phone call had ended quickly. Once Joan had hung up Jessica dropped the phone onto the ground and sat in silence. She continued to cry.
Though her and Robert had a toxic past, Jessica did once love him. He was the father of her children. They shared a life together. She had known him most of her life. He always had a place in her heart, no matter what.
She couldn't help but feel guilty. He was hurting and Jessica knew it when she visited him. But she didn't do anything about it.
Matthew kept knocking on the door but Jessica ignored him. He had the baby the whole time.
She quickly called Danny's office.
"Doctor Houston's Office." The secretary says
"Brandi, this is Jessica. It's an emergency." She says urgently
"Jessica, hello. I'm sorry but Danny is with a patient right now. I don't know if he is available. Is everything okay?"
Jessica stood up from the bed and stomped her foot. "Brandi, I need you to go tell my husband I need him home, now. It is an EMERGENCY!" She raises her voice
"Oh-oh Okay Mrs. Huston, I'm sorry. I'll get him right away."
Jessica stayed on the line and within a few moments Danny was on the phone.
"Jessica, is everything okay? What's going on?" He says nervously
Jessica stops crying and breathes heavily. "Robert- he's dead.... he killed himself last night." She says softly
Danny was speechless. He didn't know what to say. All he knew is that he needed to go home to his wife and her boys.
"I'm leaving now."
//-//
Jessica stayed in her room the whole time until Danny got home. She was so shocked that she didn't know how to process this news. She didn't know how to tell the boys or when.
Danny came running into the house. Matthew, Brandon, and Emily were all on the couch. Matthew had Marlowe in her rocker as he sat in the living room impatiently.
