Can't Do It Without You

Danny Was Right

Linda frowned as she spun her fork around in her hand. Talk at the Sunday dinner table always revolved around guns and police work and the law.
Erin shook her head, "it's so sad. I mean, I knew him and he's- he's not here anymore."
"He was a great guy," Joe nodded, pushing his food around.
"A real hero," Jamie added, slightly smirking.
Before someone else could say something, Linda spoke up, "okay, can we not? Just- can't we just sit in silence? I know this guy died, and I'm very sorry for the family, but can we—" her voice cracked and she looked into her roast.
"Let's change the subject..." Mary suggested, sympathizing with her daughter in law.
Jack looked up at Linda, "you sure it's Danny's kid?"
Linda threw water in his face, "son of a bitch." She growled and stood up, walking away. She went to what would become her place to calm down- the backyard. She had no idea how many times she'd come out to the warm spring air or crisp fall air, and have a meltdown. She looked up at the big tree, and just plopped herself down on the snow covered grass. She didn't care if her stockings were getting soaked, or if the snow was freezing her legs, or if her black dress was getting sprinkled in white. She just sat there and cried, burying her face in her hands.
"If Danny doesn't make it, I'll be the father."
Linda looked up to see Joe standing with her coat. "What?" She happily retrieved the coat, shrugging into it.
"I like you, Linda. I always have, and I know I always will." He sat down in front of her, decked out in his dress blues, "so if Danny doesn't make it-"
"He will. I know he will." Linda looked down, "no, I don't know that.... I've been having nightmare after nightmare that he won't come home. I cry myself to sleep at night. It's just- it's just so hard!" She crumpled into Joe, needing a solace.
He hugged her, "let's go inside, okay?" He lifted her to her feet as she nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Jack was waiting for her in the kitchen, "sorry."
"That's sincere," Linda responded, sarcasm dripping from her voice. "You know, Danny's right: you really are an ass." She walked passed him.
"At least I'm not pregnant and cry myself to sleep every night."
She stopped dead in her tracks. "You're right, Jack. You're not pregnant, and you don't cry yourself to sleep every night. But there are two things you'll never have; you'll never have the joy a mother feels when the little human is finally born. You'll never have that, or any other emotion that goes with it. And you'll never have the love Danny and I have. We got married because of the love and utter devotion we have for one another.... why did you get married to Erin? Oh, that's right. You knocked her up, didn't you?" She saw his surprised face, "yeah. You eloped at Morgan Hall because you got her pregnant. You don't love her; all you want is the sex."
"I could say the same for Danny. You are pregnant, after all."
"Danny really does love me, sex is just a really good perk. He'd die for me!"
"And when you get the call, saying he is dead, you're not going to say, 'he died for me, isn't that romantic?'. You're gonna be mad."
"No, Jack, I'm gonna be heartbroken! And I'd die two days later from heartbreak! I'm gonna be sad and broken and-and... and I'm gonna stop talking to you altogether because I don't want to freak out the baby!" She stormed past him once more, Joe following.
"What're you gonna do? Cry in a closet?"
Linda held out her arms, "hold me back, Joe. Hold me back, or I'm gonna kill him."
"What's going on?" Erin wondered, coming in with an empty dish.
"Your husband's an ass and a douche and every other insulting name!" Linda pointed to Jack, and stormed upstairs.