Chapter 52 - These Five Words

When Jon pulled his car onto the helipad, he could see that Dorothea was upset and has been crying. 


His heart hurt for her.  His heart hurt for himself, since he's been forced to think about the fact that his parents will someday die.  He stopped the car and got out, walking up to the woman that he's still married to, he takes her in his arms and hugs her tight.  He can feel Dorothea go weak in the knees, so he holds her even tighter.  "I'm so sorry."  he tells her, kissing the top of her head.  "How are you doing?"

 

Dot stands there, silent with a million thoughts going through her mind.  Her daddy was gone and she's at the airport getting ready to go bury him, and the man that she loved even close to that wasn't going with her.  She could hear the kids getting out of the car, arguing like siblings do, specially when they're sick of travelling together.  Romeo runs up to his mom and grabs her hand.  Dorothea directs her attention to the little boy that commanded her attention, "Mommy!"  She kneels down and hugs her son.  Looking over his shoulder, she sees Beth helping Stephanie and Jesse get all of their bags out of the back of the SUV. 

 

Dorothea kisses Romeo and tells him, "Go get on the chopper and buckle up your seat belt.  I'll be right there."  She gives the little guy a love pat on the butt, as she stands up and he walks away.  Dot is now fixed on the woman at the rear of Jon's car and headed that way. 

 

Jon sees what's about to happen and tells Dot, under his breath, "Not in front of the kids."  She pauses, but doesn't listen.  She stays on the path that leads to Beth, with Jon right behind her.   Beth sees her coming and does the right thing, she moves away from the kids.  The three of them meet and all come to a stop, Beth can see the heartbreak on Dorothea's face and instantly feels bad. 

 

"Dorothea, I am so sorry."  Beth says, and she means it.  "I can imagine how you feel." 

 

"Can you?" Dot snaps at her, loudly. 

 

Beth can see the kids lugging their bags onto the helicopter  Chris is out there giving them a hand, taking their bags as they go.  All 4 kids are on board, Jon is on her left and Dot is in her face.  "I can."  Beth softly says.  "I can imagine the heartache you must feel."

 

"How can you do that?  Have you ever lost anyone you loved, unexpectedly?"  Dorothea barks at her, "Have you ever suffered loss like this?"

 

Beth cannot believe what she's hearing.  She looks at Jon and he gives Beth a nod, telling her to walk away.  Beth shakes her head no and replies to Dorothea.  "I do know what it's like to suffer a loss Dorothea."

 

"Dot, go get on the helicopter.  The kids are waiting." Jon steps in and tries to stop what's about to happen. 

 

"I will in a minute, I have something I want to say to her."  Dorothea responds to Jon in a way that he's not heard in a long time.  She looks back at Beth, "I am flying to Florida to bury my dad and my HUSBAND is not coming with me.  You are responsible for the breakdown of my marriage, you are responsible for everything that has happened to us - you brought this curse upon the Bongiovi family.  Why don't you leave before someone really gets hurt, before on of MY children are hurt."

 

Beth is flabbergasted, she never once thought that Dorothea would go off like this, specially at a time like this.  Jon puts his hands on Dot shoulders and turns her body in the direction of the plane.  "Go Dorothea.  Get on the helicopter and go.  Call me when you have details."  Dorothea wasn't so easy to move, but he managed.  Dorothea starts to walk away and decides that she isn't finished, "And just so you know, when I get back - you and me will be talking."

 

Beth stands there, not saying a word, biting her tongue so hard she'd swear it was bleeding.  She knew now was not the time to get into it with Dorothea and she let her walk away.  Jon followed Dot onto the helicopter and Beth got back into the car. 

 

When his kids were safely secure on the chopper, Jon walked off and got back into the car.  He looks at Beth and gives her crooked smile.  "I knew I should have stayed home, Jon."

 

"Why?  Because she's upset?" he asks, shaking his head no.

 

Beth looks at him, "I told you she'd get upset."

 

"And I told you that she is a big girl.  I'm not leaving you home every time I need to meet her or do anything with her regarding the kids."  He puts the car in gear and they make their way off the helipad, "She needs to get over it all already, Beth."

 

"I know babe, I just think that today might not have been the day to make her take steps in that direction."

 

"Bullshit, you were nothing but cordial to her.  She had no reason to treat you the way that she did or talk to you like she did."

 

"She's upset.  She just lost her dad."

 

"And that's your fault?" he asks

 

With a chuckle, Beth says, "According to Dot it is."

 

Jon reaches over and takes her hand, kissing her fingers her tells her what she didn't NEED to hear, "You know none of it is your fault."

 

"I do."  Beth pulls his hand to her lips and she kisses his fingers.  "I just feel so bad for her."

 

They go along for a few moments in silence when Jon asks her, "What do you want to do? Are you hungry?" 

 

"I could eat." Beth replies.  "What do you want to do?"

 

He thinks for a minute and says, "Want to just go home and order something or do you want to go out?"

 

"Let's go home and order in.  We've been going all day long."

 

"Sounds good to me." 

 

In no time at all they were pulling in the driveway, through the garage door that leads to the section of the driveway that's hidden from the street, Jon puts the car in park.  He turns off the ignition and turns to Beth.  She can see that he has something to say, but maybe he doesn't know how to word it.  So, she beats him to the punch.  "What?"

 

He fidgets with the keys for a minute, takes a deep breath and says, "I need to go to that funeral."

 

"I know you do."  And Beth laughs, "Do you think that I would let you not go?  You have to be there."

 

"Are you okay with that?"

 

Beth crosses her eyes at him, "Of course I'm okay with that, Jon.  Your kids will need you there and I'm sure it will help Dot to have you there."

 

"Do you want to go?" he winces when the words fall out of his mouth.

 

"Absolutely not.  I will send flowers though."