No Matter What

Chapter 5

Don and Meryl spent a little more time with Suzie, before she left so they could get to the airfield. Suzie even offered to drive them, which Don and Meryl appreciated, but they wanted her to get home to her baby. Don and Meryl made sure to say again, how they didn't want to come between her and Henry. Suzie assured them that they won't, that they were not the ones who created this problem. Suzie wasn't quite sure what she was going to say to Henry when she got home, she knew she was going to make sure he and his sisters knew that they did was not okay. Suzie helped Don and Meryl down to their SUV and they were soon off to the airfield.

***

Meryl noticed that Don would reach out for her hand, or put his hand on her knee, whenever he didn't need his right hand for driving as they were on their way to the private airfield. Soon as they got there, Meryl went to open her car door but noticed that Don just sat in his seat. He didn't move. He didn't say anything. He just gripped the steering wheel and looked straight ahead. She was worried about him as she noticed the closer they got to the airfield, then the quieter he became. Meryl turned to him when she noticed something wasn't right and cupped his cheek in the palm of her hand. "Baby, are you feeling alright? You're really pale."

"I'm thinking this is a bad idea." Don said shakily. "I should take you three somewhere safe. You shouldn't be anywhere near my mother. It's not worth it."

Meryl put her hand on his when he went to restart the car. "What isn't worth what? Us going to Indianapolis isn't worth you releasing your anger and hopefully feel better? You feeling better and getting some sense of closure is worth EVERYTHING to me."

"It is NOT worth your safety and well-being." Don said seriously and shook his head as she began to say something. "And please don't say you would put up with anything for me and the kids. I know that, and I love you for it more than you know. However, you have put up with this shit for far too long. I am so fucking tired of you having to put up with shit because of me."

Meryl sighed. She knew how he felt, she wished he wasn't put in these situations over and over and over again because of her. "And I feel the same way about you, baby. As much as I KNOW you need to do this for you, I need it to. You aren't putting me in danger, sweetheart. You would NEVER let that happen, and if I thought you wouldn't be safe then I wouldn't have even mentioned it. Besides, I know why we are staying in a different hotel. It's not because you want us to have a different place to stay."

"So sneaky." Don teased her. "Am I that transparent?"

Meryl smiled as she stroked the mole under his right eye. "You are when I have loved you for over half my life, and as damn much as I love you. It's because you don't want her to be able to find us. I hate this for you, so much, but I know this is what you need to do. I want to be with you. I NEED to be with you."

"And I hate this for you as well." Don took a deep breath. "I'm not putting you in a bad position?"

Meryl shook her head with a soft smile. "You are NOT. I am insisting."

"Okay." Don took a deep breath as he took the keys out of the ignition. "Let's get this over with, Mrs. Gummer."

***

Don and Meryl quickly got settled on Larry's plane just as the babies were getting fussy and ready to eat. Once the babies ate, Meryl looked at Don who was holding Brady on his lap, facing him, as she came back over to the sofa he was sitting on after changing Mags. "Baby, can I get you something to eat? Drink?"

"I'm really fine, sweetheart, but thank you." Don looked at his phone. "I'm sorry, I didn't even think about lunch. Want me to see what snacks..."

Meryl shook her head. "I'm not very hungry."