Hand in Hand

Chapter 43

Don was relieved that getting Meryl and Henry out of the apartment was just what his wife needed, and Henry entertained his parents throughout the night just as he usually did. When Don led his wife and son past the pizza cart on the street, Meryl teased him that she thought he was buying them a slice a pizza for dinner; Don just shook his head and tenderly kissed her lips as he pushed their son in the stroller, telling her she deserved much more than a slice of pizza. Instead, he took them to their favorite Italian restaurant in the neighborhood. It was a nice place to eat, but not fancy and very child-friendly. Don and Meryl were able to get their favorite entrees while Henry was able to eat his favorite "pasghetti." Don was so glad to see the relaxed look on his wife's face and hear her laugh; two things he felt like he hadn't heard or seen since his mother got there. Which made him wish he never would have let her come in the first place as he felt like he knew better than to let that happen, but what was done was done. When they went home they played with Henry, bathed him together, put him to bed together and then Don had a chance to show his wife just how much he loved her; and most importantly, that he would ALWAYS be around and nothing would ever take him from her, Henry and any future children they would have together.

***

Don woke up in the middle of the night sweating and with awful chest pains. He just couldn't get comfortable and felt off. He wondered if it was because of eating Italian food and drinking wine later than they normally would have thanks to the stunt his mother pulled. He smiled that Meryl was still sound asleep, thinking that was just what she needed after an extremely stressful and trying few days with his mother in their apartment criticizing every little thing she did. He didn't want to wake her up with his restlessness, so with a kiss to her head, he carefully got out of bed in search of some antacids, talking to himself. "35 years old and damn heartburn is keeping me awake; I hope this isn't the beginning of old age." As Don made his way to the kitchen, and where he knew they kept the over the counter medications in a locked cabinet out of the reach of their almost 2-year-old son, Don stopped in Henry's room and watched him sleep for a few minutes: he slept on his side, with his beloved stuffed colt by his side, sucking his thumb. Don felt the pain literally take his breath away, and he walked off to try to get some relief. "Damn, this is some heartburn.

***
Meryl woke up when she felt cold, and soon realized it was because her husband was no longer in bed next to her. She looked at the clock on his nightstand and saw that it was barely 1:30 in the morning; and she wondered where he could be. She turned on her side and saw he wasn't in the bathroom. Things had been amazing since his mother left, but she was afraid maybe it was still bothering him. She couldn't imagine that Henry was awake as she didn't hear him, and she was a much lighter sleeper when it came to their son than her husband. She got out of bed, grabbed Don's hooded sweatshirt that was draped over the chair in their bedroom, slipped into her slippers as she put on a t-shirt and pajama pants to sleep in after her husband made exquisite love to her only hours earlier, and went on a hunt for her husband. She smiled as she passed Henry's room and saw he was sleeping peacefully. As she made her way through their sprawling Manhattan loft she saw he wasn't in their office, the guest bedroom, or the upstairs loft where his studio was. As she made her way to the living room she gasped when she saw her husband sitting on the couch with all kinds of antacids and a glass of water on the coffee table in front of him, holding his left arm as she was sweating and looking paler than she thought she had ever seen him; even when he was shot. She immediately went over and knelt down in front of him. "Don? Baby?"

"Hi, Darl." Don gave her a weak smile. "Hope didn't wake you...up."

Meryl didn't give a shit about that. "I don't care about that; Don Man, are you okay?"

"Must be indigestion." Don shrugged. "Chest hurts and I feel lots of pressure."

Meryl held his head in her hands; not liking his appearance at all. "Why are you holding your left arm; does it hurt?"