Chapter 108 - Hearts Don't Break Even

As she sits there and listens to the words that Stephanie is saying, Beth can't help but realize that she's also feeling them.  
Her heart hurts and her stomach turns.  Beth knows that the kids have been affected by the trials that they have had to face and she knows that they haven't gone unscathed but to hear Rose unload made her see just how traumatized they all were by what's gone on.  She reads both Jon and Stephanie's body language and can tell that they are about to enter someplace that they have needed to go, for a very long time.

Feeling an emotional heaviness, Stephanie takes a seat on the arm of the chair.  With her eyes focused on the floor, she murmurs, "Had the two of you not met, we never would have lost McKenna or the twins."

If a pin had been dropped, they would have heard it hit the floor.  Beth looks to Jon, Jon to Beth and as if he was defending someone's honor, they all are startled by what Jesse has to say.  "Steph, if they hadn't met - we never would have known them."

"We didn't know them!" she quickly snaps back.  "We never got to know them because Beth was always running away from dad, or dad was ignoring Beth, or Beth was too busy making friends with the crazy bitch that killed our sister."

"STEPHANIE ROSE!"  Jon shouts, "Don't ever say that again."

"Jon!"  Beth stands, trying to shift his focus, without even thinking, "Let her talk."

"That's bullshit Beth."

"She needs to get this out."  Beth moves in closer to Stephanie, with her hand on her shoulder, she adds, "Get it out Stephanie."

"You came into our lives and honestly Beth, it's been hell from the get go.  We have had to deal with so much of your baggage and NOW we have armed men outside because of you."  Stephanie's heart is pounding so fast and so hard, her palms are starting to sweat.

"You do know that I never intended for ANY of this to happen."  Beth defends herself, "And if I could undo or take any of this away, I would."

"That's beside the point now Beth.  We have armed men, men with guns walking around our house and if we want to go to school, we have to take some with us.  This isn't because of anything that my mom did, this is because there are men out there that can't let you go.  Why do WE have to pay for that?" the young woman is getting quite heated, with all eyes on her, she follows that up with, "My mother has been and will always be in love with my dad, and if it weren't for the men in your life - I'm sure she would have moved on by now - but because of the crazies that you attract, she's in so deep she may never get over this."

"Get over what?"  Jon interjects without hesitation

Stephanie shoots a look at her dad, "YOU!"

"This isn't because she can't get over me, Steph.  This is because she's weak minded and easily swayed.  She knows right from wrong and if she's decided to cohort with these people, than this is on her.  NOT BETH."

"Dad, be real.  You have to admit that none of this would have happened had you never met her, never cheated on mom."

Jon gives her a disbelieving chuckle, "My marriage was over, Stephanie.  Beth had nothing to do with that at all."

"Dad."

Jon holds up his hands, stopping her from talking, "Wait, hear me out."  He inhales deeply, "Beth had nothing to do with my marriage being over. Your mother and I were done long before I met her, but I'm glad that I did."

"Although you turned our world upside down?"  Jesse jumps in, trying to hide the fact that he felt just about the same way.  "Are you glad that you leaving mom brought all of this onto us?"

Jon takes a moment and looks at his kids.  In the background he can hear the little ones laughing with Jake and Romeo.  With a smile growing on his face, he admits to his son and daughter, "THAT right there, makes it all worth it.  The sound of that laughter to me is priceless.  The men walking around outside are insurance that that laughter will not stop and that the two of you will be safe."  He takes a breath and sits on the couch, "I would have missed THAT if I never met her."  Almost defeated, Jon rests his head on his hand and closes his eyes, "The cost to get here has been very high and a price I never thought that I could pay - but whatever you think about Beth, and whatever you think about why I divorced your mother, nothing is going to change."

"We don't want anything to change, except we want to have our normal lives back."  Stephanie plops down next to her dad, "We want to be able to go to the mall and have no one know who we are.  We want to go back to school and blend in with the other kids."

"That's not going to happen."  Jon looks up at her, "Not until we get your mom, Brian, Dalton and Melissa under control."