Can't Do It Without You

Begging

"But you don't understand!" Danny exclaimed, getting frustrated. He had been trying to get his Sargent to let him leave in four months, and stay with Linda for three. He wanted to go back home when she was eight months, help with the birthing, and stay a month afterwards, to help everything get settled. "This is my wife we're talking about! All I'm asking is three months. That's it. Three measly months."
Sargent Roberts raised an eyebrow at Danny. "Why is she pregnant in the first place?"
"Cause my damn sperm fertilized her damn egg and now she's gonna have a damn baby. In five damn months! I just want three months, three damn months. The eighth, the ninth, then the one afterwards. Please? Have I ever asked for anything?"
"No."
"And you yourself said I was the best damndest marine! So let me be the best damndest father for my kid, the best damndest husband to my wife. Please? For three lousy months, that's all I'm asking. Three months."
"And you won't ask to go home after those three months?"
"Only if somebody has died."
Roberts sighed, "Fine. But only three months. No longer."
"Yeah, I understand. Thanks!"
**********
"Really, Mary, it's not a problem," Linda ate a barbecue chip, "we'll survive."
"No," Mary put her foot down, "I'm not gonna let you starve yourself or live in your car because the landlord is taking your apartment away. You're gonna live with Frank and me for as long as you need, no arguments."
"Thank you. I really appreciate that."
"Don't mention it. After all, you're family too. Since the moment Danny introduced you all those years ago."
"It wasn't that long ago."
"How old are you?"
"Twenty nine."
"And how old were you when you met Danny?"
"Sixteen.... oh, gosh. Ten years has gone by already?"
Mary chuckled and patted Linda's hand, "better get used to it, dear."
The phone rang, prompting Linda to stand up. She licked her fingers before answering, "Hello?"
"Linda Baby?"
".... I'm sorry. Linda doesn't live hear."
"It's Danny!" He yelled, hoping to catch her before she hung up.
"Danny?"
"Who the hell ese calls you Linda Baby?"
"Some psycho person? But that doesn't matter. Can you come home?" She pressed the speaker button, so Mary could hear, too.
"Only for three months. The eighth, ninth, and the month afterwards."
"Your sergeant's so nice."
Danny chuckled, "you have no idea what I had to do in order to get the three months. I begged! And I don't do that for anyone 'cept you."
"Um, Danny? You're on speaker phone, and, uh, your mother's here."
"Come again?"
"Hi, Danny," Mary smiled as she leaned on the counter.
"Oh." Danny covered his eyes with his hand, "hi, Ma."
"Anyways, I'm glad you're coming home. It's- it's rough up here." Linda sighed, looking at her wedding rings.
"I'm sorry. What's wrong?"
"Turns out I can't make it on my own. Not with Jack and Baby Reagan. Our landlord's evicting is."
"Damn landlord."
"I know, but Mary offered to take us in till we can afford another place.... which'll probably be in four years, to tell you the truth."
"Thank you, Mom."
"No problem, Danny. You come home, y'hear?"
"Yeah, I hear.... I gotta go. I love you."
"Love you more," Linda felt tears prick her eyes.
"Love you most. Bye, Ma. Bye, babe. Say hi to everybody."
"We will. Bye." She waited till Danny hung up. Sighing and shrugging, she stated, "at least he's coming."