Endings and Beginnings

Chapter 24

Meryl was sitting in the back of Don's SUV in between the babies' carriers; not able to take her eyes off either of them. She kept making eye contact with Don through the rearview mirror. She could tell how worked up he still was; and so was she but she was trying to be strong at least in front of Dana. She loved her brother immensely; but she had so many emotions swirling around in her, as she knew Don did as well. She had been so angry at him for months at what he did to Don and accused him of; then she was beyond terrified when she saw him holding their daughter. Dana had offered to sit in the back with the babies so Meryl could sit up with Don; but she and Don had discussed it back at the apartment, in private, and neither one of them were comfortable with Dana being in the back with babies even though they would all be in the same car together. As much as Don wanted to be with his wife and their babies; it was more important to them for her to be in the back with the babies while he kept an eye on Dana. Don would often reach his right hand back over the console to rub her knee or she would grab his hand or she would reach her hand through the hole in his headrest to rub his neck and shoulders; small gestures to show each other they were in it together. She had texted Mary when they left the apartment. At times there was conversation; but most of the time it was quiet.

***

Dana took a deep breath. They were approaching New Canaan and so he knew he needed to tell Don and Meryl something that was bothering him. "Meryl, Don, there is something I need to tell you."

"What is it?" Meryl asked leaning forward in her seat after checking on the babies for the millionth time.

Don looked back at Meryl with a questioning look and she shrugged. "We're a captive audience."

"Yeah." Dana breathed. "It's about Kevin Mann."

Those two words struck fear and anger in both Meryl and Don like no two words ever could. Don immediately reached his hand back for Meryl's. When he felt her squeeze hard on his hand he knew he needed to speak next. It took Don a minute to find his voice; visions of the recent letter and pictures of the caskets and receipts raced through his mind as well as Meryl's terror and it catapulting her into early labor. Don and Meryl took the necessary steps with Larry after receiving that envelope 6 weeks previous from Mann; but with everything else they had tried to put him out of their minds as much as possible. "What about him, Dana?"

"I was in the same prison as him." Dana began.

Meryl took a deep breath; not exactly sure where this was going. "Larry told us."

"Oh yeah." Dana said. "Well, he talked to me. He's not giving up."

Meryl was stroking her husband's fingers when she felt him tense. "What do you mean he's not giving up?"

"He has a shrine to you, Meryl." Dana said as he saw Don's hand tighten on the steering wheel; and his jaw ticking. "He said he's coming back for you...and the babies."

Don looked back at his wife through the rearview mirror and his heart literally broke in two when he saw the fear and tears that were present in her eyes. He tried to give her a reassuring smile. "He said that to you?"

"Yes." Dana sighed. "The shrine is well known to the prisoners."

Meryl was swallowing past her tears as Don was trying not to lose it. "We should have known; he sent us a letter."

"He did?" Dana asked shocked.

Meryl looked at Don through the mirror and he nodded as he squeezed her hand  to give her strength. "Yeah, he sent us a letter telling Don that me and the baby, well babies since I didn't know I was pregnant with twins, would die. He bought caskets and sent the receipt and pictures to Don and me. It was pretty ugly and awful."