The Swear Jar

  “I’m fine. Stop fussing. I’m not hungry right now. Go eat. I want to rest my eyes,” she smirked.

  He kissed her forehead. She closed her eyes. He went and sat at the kitchen table with everyone. They ate pizza quietly, but soon they were laughing about Russell and his ejection from the hospital.

  “We told him we’d take him on a tour of the morgue. He didn’t seem interested. I wonder why?” Andrew mused.

  “I’d have punched him in the nose if you guys hadn’t stopped me. He needs to have his face rearranged. You should have at least let me wipe that smirk off his face,” said Duncan bitterly, taking a bite of pizza.

  Everyone laughed. Duncan froze. He tilted his head to the side. He heard mewling. He dropped the pizza onto the plate and stood up.

  “Excuse me,” he said.

  She was having another nightmare. He dreaded finding out if she would remember him this time or not. If he could take back what he had said, he would. Since he couldn’t, he would make it up to her by telling her over and over again he loved her. He would also tell her he was sorry as many times as it would take for him to never doubt her or their love again.

  Duncan woke Meara up. She was cranky and wanted to go to bed. He helped her hobble upstairs. Grimacing and sweating, she rested on the small landing. Andrew, Lisa, Diana and Ben watched from the foyer. He spoke quietly to her. She shook her head. They were bickering.

  “Stop treating me like a baby,” she snapped.

  “Then stop acting like one.” He shot back.

  “Bastard,” she growled.

  “Bitch.” He stared at her.

  “This isn’t going well,” Lisa whispered.

  “Actually, this is good,” said Andrew.

  Ben nodded, but Diana, shaking her head, wasn’t convinced. Meara and Duncan struggled. As they made the top of the landing, they disappeared from view. The bickering ceased and silence followed. The four of them were shocked when Duncan went by carrying Meara in his arms, kissing her. He carried her into the bedroom, coming back to close the door. They heard the distinct click of a door lock.

  “I would say it’s going very well. We better go or we might hear something we don’t want to hear,” chuckled Ben.

  They found Sean, Anne and John in the living room working on a jigsaw puzzle. The two families were engrossed in the puzzle when a sheepish Duncan showed up five minutes later with a pillow and Meara’s afghan.

  “She remembered I said it was a mistake to ask her to marry me. She’s a lefty, but I forgot she throws righty.” Duncan exhaled, brandishing the pillow. “Diana, under the circumstances, would you help Meara with her pajamas?”

  Diana glared. “You’re lucky it was only a pillow. I wouldn’t have been so nice. I’ll go face the monster.”

  He rummaged through the hall closet. “Would you please put this on her night stand? I want to know if she has a nightmare.”

  He handed an old baby monitor to Diana. It was her turn to look sheepish, especially after being so caustic with him.

  “We’ve been talking. If it’s all right with you, we’d like to sleep over. I don’t want to leave her,” she said.

  “Of course, Diana. You’re all my family. There’s plenty of room, if Sean doesn’t mind crashing on the couch or you don’t mind Anne in with you,” he replied.

  “Couch is fine with me. It looks like we’ll be sharing, Dad. I get the remote!” laughed Sean.

  “I’ll sleep here in the living room so I can hear Meara. You can have the family room all to yourself, Sean. I better not have any movie charges on my cable bill next month.” Duncan wagged his finger.

  “No need to be so crabby,” smirked Sean, throwing his hands up.

  Diana tucked Meara in for the night. Lisa and Andrew headed off to bed with John. Sean crashed quietly on the couch. Diana and Ben got Anne settled and went to bed themselves. Sighing, Duncan spread out on the living room couch, placing the baby monitor close to his head. So far Meara was quiet. He found it hard to sleep on the lumpy couch. He could hear her tossing and turning, so she wasn’t asleep either. He wanted to hold her and relax with her after such a stressful day. He smiled grimly. It wasn’t going to be that easy. It might be a long while before they were together again.

  “I know you’re listening to me, wherever you are. I still think you’re a big jerk, but I can’t sleep without you. I’m lonely. I want you in bed with me, even if you start snoring. Get your ass in here before I change my mind,” she whispered.

  He grabbed the baby monitor, pillow and afghan. He ran upstairs and flung the bedroom door open. He closed and locked it, just in case. He realized she might not remember his family was sleeping over. Now her family was too. She would have to forget the no sleepover rule. They needed to be together. He hoped her faulty memory would work in his favor for once. He slid into bed behind her, gently pulling her close.

  He nuzzled her neck, kissing her. “Meara.”

  “No funny stuff, mister,” she replied, sleepily. “I’m still upset. And my feet are throbbing.”

  She sighed, leaning back into his chest. She placed her bent index finger against her lips and fell asleep. His heart leaped to see her do this. He settled the blanket around them and kissed her dimple. He quickly fell asleep. During the night, she awoke to the sound of tapping on the bedroom door. She sat up, puzzled. She listened to him snoring beside her. He was exhausted. She hobbled painfully out of bed and slowly made her way to the door. She unlocked the door to find John standing there.

  “Can I sleep with you, Grammy Ems?” asked a bleary-eyed John.

  “Yes, John. You can sleep with us. Just don’t wake up Grandpa, he’s very tired,” she whispered.

  John climbed into bed between them. She smiled. John had called her Grammy Ems. She fell back to sleep. Early in the morning, Duncan heard Lisa calling for John. Their bedroom door was now open. He sat up to find John between them. He smiled. She faced away from him, still asleep. John woke up. He quickly shushed John, pointing to her. John nodded.

  “Grammy Ems said it was okay to sleep with you. Is she going to get better? The bump on her head looks bad,” whispered John, concerned.

  “She’ll be fine. We should tell your mother you’re in here,” he replied.

  Lisa and Andrew came to the door. Lisa looked frazzled. Duncan bounded out of bed.

  “He’s here. He was our chaperone. Meara’s still asleep. She’s going to kill me. I’d like to be buried in my blue suit with my birthday tie, please. We’ve broken the no sleepover rule,” he whispered.

  “Maybe she’ll forget,” Lisa said.

  “Not a chance,” said Duncan. “John, let’s go. Let Grammy Ems sleep.”

  “Grammy Ems?” asked Andrew.

  “She liked it, according to John. It gives me hope. I’m going to milk it for all it’s worth. It might just save my life,” he chuckled, shutting their bedroom door.

  Ben came out of the bathroom. “Duncan, what’s for breakfast? I could stop by Lynn’s Café and get food for everyone.”

  “Wait a minute and I’ll go with you,” Andrew said. “We’ll take Sean with us.”

  “I’ll get the coffee and tea water going,” said Duncan. “Thanks, guys.”

  Chapter Fifty

  As Duncan headed downstairs, he heard Anne and John in the family room, giggling over cartoons on television. Ben and Sean waited for Andrew in the foyer. In the living room, Lisa and Diana picked up the jigsaw puzzle from last night while chatting about kids’ after school activities. Duncan got the coffee machine going as Ben, Andrew and Sean left to get breakfast. He heard their bedroom door open upstairs. He walked into the foyer and saw Meara making her way downstairs. She made it to the small landing and sat down. She leaned against the wall, pain on her face. He sat next to her and held her hand.

  “The stairs are too much for you right now, sweetheart,” he said gently. “We have to think of a better plan.”

  “You’re right,” she replied, leaning against his shou
lder. “But I’d love a cup of tea and I hate being an invalid.”

  “I know.” He kissed her.

  She kissed him back. “What’s the plan?”

  “Your house is out. Your family’s house is out. This house is all right if I keep running up and down the stairs all day.” He laughed.

  “It wouldn’t be fair to you, but it would be a start in making it up to me.” She kissed him.

  He cupped the side of her face as he kissed her. Their tongues met and she gave a small moan. He was encouraged. He stroked her cheek.

  “Let me make it up to you. I’ll carry you back upstairs. We’ll lock the door,” he said hopefully.

  Pulling back, she raised an eyebrow at him. “That’s your plan?”

  “It’s only the first step in the plan. Honestly, I’ll keep repeating the steps that come after that over and over again.” He grinned seductively.

  “How about you help me to the kitchen and make me a cup of tea? That’s a better plan. For now,” she blushed.

  By the time he got her settled at the kitchen table, Ben, Andrew and Sean were back. They had several bags of food with them.

  Duncan raised an eyebrow. “How much food did you get?”

  “We were putting together a breakfast order. We were stumped on what you and Meara would want. Lynn recognized me. She asked about her favorite couple. We told her Meara had an accident. She took our order and added sandwiches, chips and cookies for lunch. She refused to let us pay for it. She told us to tell Meara to get better soon. And Duncan should take good care of her or Lynn would find him,” said Ben.

  “We’ll have to thank Lynn. She’s been so good to us. And her food is delicious,” said Meara. “I want to thank all of you for being here. It’s good to have family around in a crisis. I’m so lucky to be married to a good man and have such wonderful children.”

  All movement in the kitchen stopped. Lisa gasped. Diana tilted her head quizzically. Duncan’s jaw dropped in horror. Sean was smiling impishly while Andrew sadly shook his head. Ben clapped a hand over his mouth.

  “Meara, what are you saying?” asked Duncan.

  Her brow furrowed. “Honey, I know my memory is still a little fuzzy, but John calls me Grammy. We’re married. Andrew, Sean and Diana are our children. Anne and John are our grandchildren.”

  Collapsing into a chair across from her, he covered his eyes. “Oh, no. Oh, sweetheart. Meara.”

  Most of them were shocked at how bad her memory was, but Sean laughed out loud. Duncan shot him a dirty look. With tears in her eyes, Meara sighed audibly. All eyes turned to her.

  “And THAT will teach you to follow the no sleepover rule or suffer the consequences. You should see your faces,” she giggled. “How did you know, Sean?”

  “Your eyes were dancing. You have a great sense of humor. We’re staying over again tonight. Cut Dad some slack. He shouldn’t start the New Year off cranky. Don’t make him sleep on the couch,” Sean begged.

  “We could lend you John as a human barrier again,” said Andrew, chuckling.

  “As adorable as he is, no thank you. He kicks,” she laughed. “I’ll think about what you said, Sean.”

  As the others got breakfast ready, Duncan beamed and hugged her tightly. “You had me worried. Point taken, Lady Meara. I should have Sean plead my case more often. Who knew you and Sean would click? I should probably be worried about that too.”

  “There are more important things to worry about right now. We have to talk about sleeping arrangements. At least when we were engaged, I was coming around on the issue. Now that’s no longer true, we need to think about propriety. We’re back to square one,” she said, her eyes darkening and her voice cold.

  His face fell as his voice rose. “Square one? I thought we were going to work it out? Wherever we’re together is home? I thought you loved me?”

  Everyone in the kitchen stopped for a second time. They were going to be caught in the crossfire. There was no way to avoid it. They looked on anxiously as Duncan and Meara argued passionately.

  “I do, but sometimes, love isn’t enough,” she whispered. “What if we’re married and you have doubts? I couldn’t take it again if you doubt me. It would kill me. Maybe it’s best if we split now before it gets too messy. At least this time, I’m not stranding you at the Shore house. I can ask Diana to help me move my things. I can ask Ben to clean up my house today.”

  He roared. “NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT. This engagement is not off even though you gave me back the ring. You said we’d work it out. That’s EXACTLY what we’re going to do. It’s already messy. You’re NOT moving your stuff anywhere. We can’t be without each other. You’re mine and I’m yours. We’re TOGETHER, that’s IT. You’ve said two things, square one and stranded. I’m calling Mike to see if he’ll lend us the Shore house. We can stay there while you get better. We can spend time together, back at square one. And it’s winter, so we might get stranded if it snows. I’m NOT letting you go. Do you HEAR me?”

  “Yes, Duncan,” she squeaked, her face and ears crimson red.

  “That’s better,” he said, panic making his chest hurt. “I have a phone call to make. Sit right there until I come back.”

  She nodded meekly. Sean and Andrew exchanged looks, never having heard Duncan yell before. Lisa and Ben were at a loss as to what to say or do. Diana stalked over to Meara.

  “Are you going to let him speak to you that way? In front of the whole family?” demanded Diana.

  “Yes, I am,” she said softly. “He’s finally realizing what he has to lose if we end it. He has to fight for us if he wants to stop doubting.”

  The mood subdued, the families were sitting down to breakfast when Duncan returned. Everyone tiptoed around him, avoiding eye contact. Meara sat where he had left her.

  He spoke brusquely. “Mike says Happy New Year to everyone. He gave me a list of things we have to do to make the Shore house usable in winter.”

  “When will we be leaving?” she asked quietly.

  “Tomorrow morning. It’s New Year’s Eve. We said we would spend it all together. That’s what we’re going to do. We can make plans later. And Meara?” His voice softened slightly.

  Seated around the table, everyone froze. They had no idea what he would say. They had never seen him so angry. Meara held her head high.

  “Yes, Duncan?” she asked.

  Pulling up her chin, he kissed her and placed her diamond heart necklace around her neck. “I won’t accept this. You can’t give my heart back. It’s yours, always. The ring we’ll talk about in private. But everyone should know we’re still engaged. Understood, Meara?”

  She spoke haughtily. “I’ll accept the necklace. You can say what you want about the engagement. It’ll take a lot of convincing for me to take back the ring.”

  Diana flashed an evil grin. Feisty Meara was in there somewhere. Sean backed up, knowing Duncan was going to blow. Andrew and Lisa took Anne and John out of the room. Ben covered his eyes.

  “I made a MISTAKE. A BIG one. I accept that. I know you’re angry and upset with me. I won’t beg you to forgive me. You need to decide if this is worth fighting for or if it’s over. I can’t go on like this. You’re acting hot one minute and cold the next. Decide right NOW,” snapped Duncan.

  As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he dreaded hearing her answer. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing her. She drove him crazy, but she made everything in his life perfect. His heart pounded. He would never allow doubt to threaten them again.

  “You’re worth fighting for. Aren’t we fighting right now? Are you willing to fight for me?”

  “Yes, I’ll FIGHT for you. What kind of stupid question is THAT?” He threw his hands up, yelling.

  “You were so cruel. So cold. You didn’t follow me. You let me go. You promised you’d follow me if we were fighting.” Tears streaming down her face, she gulped for air.

  He growled. “STOP CRYING. I promised to follow you until you learned to fight. You’ve learned to FIGH
T quite well. YOU’RE the one who left the argument, not me. Why did YOU leave?”

  “You didn’t believe me. I wanted to stay. I wanted to beg you to forgive me for something I hadn’t done. I wanted to tell you anything you wanted to hear to make you stop being so cold. I couldn’t lie to you, so I ran. I had hoped you’d learn the truth. I gave you everything I had and you pushed me away like it was the easiest thing in the world for you to do. The thought of never being with you again made me crazy. By the time I got home, I had lost my mind and I’m not sure what happened. You know the rest,” said she calmly.

  “I couldn’t understand why you left without fighting back. I’m glad you didn’t lie to me. I don’t want you to change or be someone you’re not. At the time, I didn’t realize we were having a relationship ending argument. I was lashing out in fear, not thinking about how it was hurting you. I’m sorry. I never want to be without you. It would kill me. That’s why we’re still engaged. From now on, I will not listen to anyone but you. You will not run from arguments, no matter how nasty it gets. And I will not accept your resignation. UNDERSTOOD?” His voice cracked.

  “Yes, Duncan,” she sighed, pulling him down to kiss him. “Would I be a real pain in the neck if I asked for breakfast in bed?”

  She winked at him. His face went blank. She giggled. He sprang into action.

  “Meara, get yourself up those stairs. Everyone, keep yourselves occupied. Meara needs her rest and I’ll tend to her. We’ll see you later this afternoon for lunch.”

  Their families stared in disbelief. They weren’t sure what had happened. Andrew and Lisa brought Anne and John back into the kitchen. Meara hobbled to the stairs while Duncan arranged food on a serving tray. Their families sat around the kitchen table, mystified.

  “Dad? Is everything all right now?” asked Andrew.

  “Everything is absolutely fantastic, Andrew,” Duncan grinned.

  Sean shook his head. “Those two are weird. I’m glad they worked it out. Do you think Meara has any homemade cheesecake in the fridge?”

  Everyone laughed. They passed food around the table, chatting away like one big happy family. Anne sat thoughtfully. She was glad Duncan and Meara weren’t fighting anymore. She loved them both and didn’t want them to stop loving each other. That would be too big of a change. Anne’s eyes widened. She made a mental note to give Uncle Hank’s letter to Meara when she got better. Anne had the sign she had been looking for all these years.