No Matter What

Chapter 6

"You, Meryl Gummer, are the BEST damn thing to EVER happen to me." Don said as he turned to his wife, cupping her face in his hands, once they got to his parents' front door. "I love you so damn much. Please don't listen to her. I want you to say whatever you WANT to say."

Meryl stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. "You are EVERYTHING to me, Donald Gummer. I want you to know how much I love and adore you, and I wouldn't be anywhere else than right here with you. We are a team, baby, always and forever. I want you to say whatever YOU need and want to say. I will be right by your side."

"I am so glad." Don said as he threaded his fingers through hers before ringing the doorbell. "Here we go, love."

Meryl held his hand in both of hers as she brought his hand up to her lips. "Together."

"It took you longer than I thought." Jane said cryptically when she saw her son and daughter-in-law on her front porch. "I knew a way to get you here is by threatening your precious Meryl."

Don put his right hand on the door, pushing it open, as Meryl was holding his left hand in both of hers. "It fucking stops now!"

"What is this about?" Jane said as she stood at the door. "I take it you didn't do what I told you to, Meryl."

Don shook his head as he wrapped his arm around his wife. "Don't you dare speak to her like that. I came here to tell you to stay the fuck away from my wife. What you did was reprehensible, trying to get the kids to turn against her." Don saw his dad walk up. "Dad, I'm sorry about just showing up, but I needed to speak to Mom in person and tell her to leave my wife and family alone."

"Okay." Was all Brad said to begin, he knew what had happened, Jane had told him. He didn't want to get in the middle, as he was sure Don probably wouldn't like what he had to say. "This is between the three of you, I'm not going to get into it."

Don was taken aback at his father's statement, not knowing that Meryl's heart was breaking at the same time. "So, you're taking a side?"

"I didn't say that, Don." Brad sighed. "I am so sorry that this happened, and I told your mother I didn't like her tactic, however, you continue to make a huge deal out of these situations. You say you are going to ignore your mother, but you don't. Maybe she does this to actually get some attention from her son. Did you ever think of that?"

Don shook his head. "Not in this way. I have always given her attention, it's when she pulls this fucking shit that I want nothing to do with her."

"And yet you continually show up on our step and throw out these empty threats to her." Brad pointed out. "What's the point? So yeah, if you are saying I have to pick a side I guess I have."

Meryl shook her head as tears appeared in her eyes and she rubbed his chest. "I'm sorry, baby, I shouldn't have insisted on us coming here. I really thought it would help you feel better."

"This is not your fault, Darl." Don said strongly. "You didn't start this. You were trying to end it in a positive way for me and the kids."

"You know, Meryl, I first thought you were a trouble maker; and maybe you fooled me into thinking you weren't." Brad said as Jane remained pretty quiet. "You could encourage Don to let it go, but you don't. You fuel his fire and make all of this worse."

Don was shocked. "Seriously?! You are blaming HER? She has done nothing, and then Mom sends this awful text to her and our kids. She was trying to make it better because I was so damn upset that I couldn't even calm down."

"She could have calmed you down, but obviously she didn't." Jane interjected. "She made you come here to tell off your mother. She is stirring the pot."