Meryl and Don-Love and Only Love Chapter 30, Part 1
It was Sunday afternoon, and the Gummers had just returned to New York. Meryl started a pot of soup on the stove while the girls were doing their homework, and she went in search of her husband who seemed to have disappeared as soon as they got home. As crazy as it might sound, she missed him. They both felt like teenagers who had just fallen in love. Neither of them could get enough of the other, but they tried to cool things around the girls. The weekend in Connecticut had done them all good and Meryl was counting down the days until they would be back at their Connecticut home for Christmas. Not only because they would be renewing their vows but the whole family would be together for the first time since Thanksgiving. While Meryl was looking for her husband, she couldn't stop herself from looking at her new ring on her finger. She refused to take her old band off. She loved looking at the two together, one showed where'd they'd been, and the other showing their present and future. She finally found him in their office. "There you are; I was missing you.”
"Hey, baby." He smiled looking up from the pile of mail. “I’m sorry, this pile of bills and statements stole my attention."
Meryl walked over to him and sat on his lap. "The girls are busy." She said placing wet kisses all over his face. "Can I distract you?"
"I wish; God I wish.” He moaned as he accepted kiss after kiss on his lips. "I want to get through this stuff so I can devote my attention to you and the girls tonight."
Meryl smiled as she picked up half the stack; she loved that spending time with her and their children was so important to him-something most of her friends with husbands complained they didn’t do. "In that case, I'll help."
"I've sure let things slip through the cracks lately." He sighed going through everything.
Meryl got up and sat in the large leather chair in the office, cross-legged. "You've been a little busy taking care of us. It’s okay, we’ll get through it all.”
"What the hell?" Don sighed as he looked at a statement. "Louisa's college fund that my parents set up has a 0 dollar balance."
Meryl looked up from what she was doing. "What?! There was tens of thousands of dollars in there."
"I don't know." Don sighed as he looked through the pieces of paper. "It says here they sent it to us because the total balance was withdrawn and closed. He did this you know."
Meryl got up and walked over to him. "Don't get worked up yet, we don't know anything for sure."
“Like we don’t know for sure that he helped Mann?” Don was already getting angry as he read through the paperwork. "The only other name on this account is my father. First he tries to help Mann and now THIS?”
Meryl stopped him as he reached for the phone. "Sweetheart, we had an amazing weekend. Mann is put away forever. We are renewing our vows, the kids are all happy and healthy. Please don't let your father ruin that. IF he did withdraw that money, it doesn't matter. We can certainly pay for Louisa's college ourselves. Not to mention we can afford it, but we also have eight years to save. Please, you promised me a few days ago you wouldn’t go after him.”
"That's not the point, Meryl. Of course we can afford it, and of course we will make sure she receives the best education possible. My father has basically denied her ever since we found out you were pregnant. When they did this, I took it as a sign he had FINALLY come to his senses. But now he is pissed at me, and he is using my daughter; and you for that matter. That is NOT okay, and I want answers. I moved on from the whole Stacey and Mann thing but he can’t just hurt you and Louisa, this family, OUR family, over and over and over again and get away with it.”
Meryl took a deep breath before she said the next thing. "Don, do you remember what you said the night before Thanksgiving? You were so worked up because of your father your blood pressure was dangerously high. You promised you wouldn't let his venom poison us anymore. You also said that just a few days ago; and that you were tired of him running our lives. He’s trying to do it again. He didn’t get a rise out of you with offering to testify for the defense, he didn’t get a rise when we found out he was Mann’s landlord so now he is trying this. As I said, I would never tell you to cut ties, or give you an ultimatum. But you promised me you were done with him. So every time he does something we go back?"
"Baby." Don sighed as he took her hands in his. "I know exactly what you are saying, and I know what I promised. I HONESTLY don't want to start anything with him. But if I don't find out what happened here, if I just ignore it, then he will think he can keep hurting us and our kids. You know I can't let that happen."
Meryl nodded as she looked at her beautiful ring. "But Don, I'm afraid he will tear you down so badly, that there won't be any of you left."
"I understand what you're saying sweetheart, but I won't let that happen. You have EVERY right to feel what you're feeling; and I completely understand where you are coming from. As much as I want answers about Mann I won’t even approach that topic. This is about our baby, this is about Louisa. I need to find out what happened. Please say you understand and support that." Don said hopefully.
Meryl looked at him for a long time. She could never fully understand what he had gone through with his father, and his argument did make sense. After all they weren’t the only ones James was attacking. "PLEASE don't let him get to you, please Don. I can’t take it if anything happened to you. He isn’t worth it. The damn money isn’t worth it.”
“This isn’t about the money, I don’t give a shit about the money. This is about him hurting Lou over and over and over again.” He said as she nodded. “You can take the phone away if needed." He said with a kiss to her lips as he reached for the phone and dialed. "Good, you answered."
James Gummer sighed as he held a scotch in his hand. "Dear Lord, why are you calling? I thought I was dead to you."
"To me, yes, but not to our kids-they still love you. Which is why I want to know why Louisa's college fund account that YOU and Mom set up for her is now at a 0 dollar balance. I just received a statement in the mail." Don said as Meryl was proud of him for staying calm so far.
James shook his head. "Simple...she's not a Gummer."
"Dad, I swear." He sighed when Meryl gave him a warning look. "We've been over this...YES she is. She is MY daughter which means she is YOUR granddaughter.
"We don't have any proof of that." James pointed out.
Don gave Meryl a look as he was trying to keep calm. "She looks just like a Gummer-proof enough. Besides, no matter what you think, Meryl has NEVER cheated on me and NEVER will." Don smiled at her. He was trying to keep calm for Meryl’s sake; though he wanted to tear into his father for all the hurt he caused his family.
"Wake up and smell the infidelity, Donald. I took out the money to pay for the lawyer." James said.
Don looked at Meryl confused. "Lawyer? What lawyer?"
"Sam Kellerman...Kevin Mann's Lawyer." James laughed.
Don couldn't believe what he just heard. He was shaking. He looked at his wife, her eyes were full of love and trust for him and he couldn't take it. HIS father paid for the lawyer who defended the man that tried to rape her TWICE, who terrorized her and their family, the man who almost killed her. It was proof that James had helped Kevin Mann all along and Don was physically sick. He was supposed to protect his wife and their family but because of his father his wife and children had been severely traumatized; his wife was almost rape and killed. Don just hung up and started shaking. Meryl had no idea what happened but she was on his lap in an instant, taking him in her arms, loving him. She whispered soothing words in his ear, but he couldn't bare to tell her what was going on. After awhile, he stopped shaking but he started to feel as though he couldn’t breathe. He had to get out of there. He couldn’t face her; not now, not yet. Don patted her hip and she got up. "I gotta get out of here."
"Don, where are you going? What in the hell happened?" She asked as she chased after him. “Baby, please talk to me. It’s nothing we can’t get past.”
Don grabbed his wallet, keys, phone, and coat. "I love you and the kids so much, but I can't deal with this right now. I have to think.”
Meryl stood there dumbfounded as he closed the door on her. Meryl didn't stop the tears that streamed down her face. She had no idea what her father-in-law had done, but whatever it was, it was bad. Bad enough for Don to feel like he couldn't be in the same apartment as her and their kids. She grabbed the phone and tried calling him but it just went to voicemail. "DAMN IT!"
***
Meryl put off dinner hoping Don would walk through the door at any moment and they could have dinner as a family. Luckily the girls were busy with their homework allowing Meryl to worry incessantly, alone. She couldn't stop thinking about him. She just wanted him in her arms. Whatever his father did they could face it together, surely it was nothing compared to what they had just been through. Meryl called his phone over and over and over. If he was out drinking while she was there agonizing and worrying about him then she was going to KILL him. She finally decided to call the girls down for dinner.
"Why are we eating in here?" Louisa asked as they sat down at the breakfast bar in the kitchen.
Grace looked around and didn't see her father. "Yeah, where's Dad?"
"He had to run an errand, eat up. I need to go check on something, I'll be back." Meryl said as she went to the office to look for any clue of what her father-in-law could have done. She desperately wanted to call James and find out what the fuck he did; but she wouldn’t do that to her husband, no matter how frustrated she was with him at the moment. While she was in there the phone rang and she quickly picked it up. "Hello?"
"Is this Mrs. Gummer?" The man on the other end said.
Meryl didn't have time for telemarketers. "Yes, I'm sorry, I'm very bus-"
"Mrs. Gummer, I'm Lieutenant Morasco from the NYPD. Ma'am, your husband was in an accident just a little while ago." The man said.
Meryl felt her breath leave her as the tears frantically rushed down her face. Not Don. Not her Don. He was her life. Her breath. Not after everything they had been through. Not after he just walked out. "Is he, well, is-"
"He was conscious ma'am, when the ambulance took him to the hospital. He gave us your number and insisted that we called you immediately." Lt. Morasco explained.
Meryl smiled through her tears; that’s her man. "What happened? Where is he?"
"He was crossing a cross walk when what we assume was a drunk driver didn't see him and hit him. We have witnesses who saw the driver driving erratically. We took his statement and are working on a profile from that." The lieutenant explained.
Meryl felt sick. "Oh my God!"
"He was taken to Beth Israel, I'm sorry but that is all I know. We are working on a profile to catch the driver." He told her.
Meryl was grateful for that much. "He's alive, and that's all that matters." She smiled. "Thank you so much." Meryl quickly hung up, put on her shoes, and got her stuff together as she ran down to where her girls were. "Girls, I need to talk to you."
"Yeah?" Grace asked.
God, Meryl hated to do this to her babies, but she didn't want them at the hospital not knowing the extent of Don's injuries. "Listen babies, Daddy has been in an accident, but he is OKAY. I need to get to him."
"We're coming." Louisa said immediately.
Grace knew that look on her mother's face. "Want us to stay here?"
"I think it would be best; as I don’t know if you two can even go back. I am sorry for leaving you two here alone.” Meryl nodded as she hugged and kissed each one. "I am going to call Uncle Third and have him come pick you up as soon as possible. I PROMISE to call you as soon as I know what Dad's injuries are, and that you can see him AS SOON as the doctor says it's okay. Are you two okay with that?"
"Yeah." Louisa cried. "Did the mean man hurt him?"
Tears came to Meryl's eyes when she saw the fear in her daughter's eyes. "No baby, he didn't. He's in jail. It was someone who drove when they shouldn't have and hit Daddy while he was on a walk. But the police officer said he is fine."
Grace wrapped an arm around her sister. "We understand, give Daddy hugs from us."
"I will." Meryl said hugging them both. "I love you both so much. Now remember..."
"Keep the doors locked, don't answer the phone, and don't leave the townhouse." Louisa ad Grace both said together.
Meryl couldn't help but smile. "I'll call you soon."
***
While Meryl was in the cab, she called her brother, relieved that he would go pick up the girls. She just needed to get to her husband. She was happy to hear he was alive, but she had NO idea what shape he would be in when she got to him. She wanted to be mad at him. If he would have just stayed and talked to her, then this wouldn't have happened. But she couldn't be. He was crossing a crosswalk and a damn drunk driver hit him. How much more did he have to endure?
***
Meryl rushed in and found a nurse in the ER. "My name is Meryl Gummer, my husband Don Gummer was brought in earlier."
"Just a second, ma'am." The nurse said as she looked him up on the computers. She knew exactly who she was. She was Meryl Streep. But she could tell that in that moment she was just a wife worried to death about her husband. "Okay, he will be fine. He suffered a concussion and several broken ribs, and he is VERY battered and bruised. Apparently he broke his hand a week ago, but the accident caused more damage to it."
Meryl nodded. "He suffered from broken ribs back in September."
"They are easily re-injured. I'm sure the doctor will talk to you soon, but he is in room 20 here in the ER." The nurse smiled always relieved to give good news in the ER instead of bad news.
Meryl couldn't help but hug the young woman. "Thank you, thank you so much."
***
Don was laying in the hospital bed hoping and praying his wife would walk in at any minute. He HATED how he left things with her. He was just so ashamed he needed to get out of there to think. He hated he just walked out on her. That he treated her like that. He was on his way back to the apartment when BAM he was hit by a car. He just wanted to hear her voice. To see his kids. He hated that could have been the last time he talked to her. That that could have been her last memory of him. That his last memory of his kids could have been rushing out of the house and not saying good-bye. He didn't even tell Henry and Mamie he loved them when they last spoke to him. He didn't care if Meryl was pissed as hell at him, he just needed to see her and his kids. Don didn't have to wait too much longer because she soon ran in, with tears in her eyes.
Meryl stopped when she walked in. He had bandages on his head, his chest was wrapped, and his face was bruised and battered. She didn't care he looked liked he'd been hit by a train. It was still the most beautiful sight she had ever seen. "We have to stop hanging out here."
"I'm so sorry, sweetheart." Don said with tears in his eyes. "I'm so sorry."
Meryl immediately went over to him and took his face in her hands, placing a tender kiss on his lips. "You ,Donald Gummer, scared the shit out of me. All I care about is that you're alive. I was going out of my mind with worry when you just left."
"I know, I'm sorry, I was just so angry and I didn't know how to face you. I’m also so ashamed.” Don whispered as he looked down.
Meryl lifted his chin when he looked down. "Hey, this is me. You can tell me ANYTHING. Just please don't leave like that again."
"I'm sorry, when I think that could have been your last memory of me..." He trailed off.
Meryl kissed his lips again. "You did say you loved me."
"And I do, more than anything." He choked.
Meryl sat down on the bed and took his hand in hers. That is when she noticed his right hand was bandaged, which worried her because she knew how important his art was to him. "What did he do? Come on baby, please talk to me."
"It makes me sick, I don't know how to say it." He said as he looked into her eyes. "Dad took the money out of Lou's college fund to pay for Mann's attorney. Which also tells me that he did help Mann get to you, to our family. It makes me so sick to think about; my own father led your stalker and attacker to you; to our children.” Meryl was speechless, she didn't know what to say, and eventually Don broke the silence. "I'm so sorry sweetheart; I can’t tell you how sorry and how much it hurts me that you were hurt because of James. God, I hate him. If it wasn’t for me then you never would have…”
Meryl quickly leaned down and kissed him firm on the lips. "You have NOTHING to be sorry about. NONE of this is your fault. I would go through months and months like this to be married to you; my best friend, my partner and the love of my life. My heart just hurts for our baby. I can't believe he did that. It was the ONLY nice thing he has EVER done for her. I can’t say I’m surprised about him and Mann; he’s tried to break us apart for 23 years but he can’t touch us baby, this hasn’t touched us. I just hate he has treated Lou this way.”
"I know, God it pisses me off. Of course she is a Gummer, I mean, just look at her." Don exclaimed. "He takes the money meant for HER education to pay for the lawyer of the man who tried to rape and kill you; and he helped him! What kind of person, father, grandfather does such a thing?”
Meryl looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "He tried to kill you too, many times. "
"He is sick, he's as bad as Mann." Don pointed out.
Meryl couldn't help but agree. "It's not so much the fact that he used that money to pay for Kellerman that bothers me; or even the fact that he helped Mann which we pretty much knew and were trying to move past. It's the fact that he did that to Lou. He has NEVER recognized her as your child."
"I don't want her to EVER know about this." Don said.
Meryl took his left hand in hers. "I agree. We'll open a fund for her this week, with the amount of money that account had in it."
"I know I've said this before, but I'm never talking to him again. You were right, there's no point." Don said as played with her rings. “He has pushed me too far. Helping your attacker? My God, Meryl!”
Meryl sighed. "I don't want to be right about this. I hate he hurts you over and over. This was beyond low, Don."
"I agree baby. I really am done. I can't do it anymore. I can't do it to you or the kids." Don said.
Meryl took a deep breath. "Sweetheart, I love you more than anything; you know that. But I have heard this alot."
"I know, I know you have. I’m no longer going to be a broken record where this is concerned-this is the final straw.“ Don acknowledged. "I hate everything you and the kids have been through because of him. When I was laying in this damn bed and thought all of this happened because I was mad at my damn father, everything became clear. No more. He's not running our lives anymore. He's not going to penetrate our strong family wall. I promise you sweetheart, I do. You can trust me."
Meryl looked at him and smiled as she tenderly kissed his lips. "I do trust you." She kissed him again. "I do believe you." Another kiss. "And I do love you so much." She whispered as she leaned her forehead against his; she also knew this was his breaking point regarding his father. "God, I was so scared."
"I know, I'm sorry. I guess no hanky panky tonight." He teased.
Meryl wiped the tears from her eyes as she laughed. "I'm afraid not baby."
"I am really sor-" He was cut off by her fingers on his lips.
Meryl shook her head. "You don't need to apologize. All I care about is that you're okay."
"How are the girls?" Don asked.
"Scared, but Third is picking them up. As soon as the doctors come in we will call them." She smiled.
Don took her hands in his good one. "While we're waiting, I think we should talk about the wedding."
***