Chapter 20 maybe?

Jon was surprised when Stephanie had picked up her mothers phone, he could hear raised voices in the background.

“Hey, your mom there?” He asked even though he heard her raised voice.

“Yeah she’s here, when are you coming to get us?” She asked.

“Sweetheart, you know you live with your mom and Greg now.” He told her.

“Don’t wanna, neither does J. J. or Jakey after these past three weeks.” She told him.

“What happened?” he was almost afraid to ask.

“Granny Graham called me a slut and what did she expect with a dad who pranced on stage,” She told him.

“She called you a what?” he almost yelled into the phone.

“A slut daddy, Then she got out her stick and was going to whack me with it till J.J. took it and broke the damn thing.” She told him, he could hear the tears in her voice to know she was crying. “The next day Grand dad took J.J. to the police station for threatening Granny. Daddy it was horrible. Jakey has been hiding under the bed afraid to come out.”

“Put your mother on the phone…now.” He told her.

“Yes daddy.” She said know that he was using his father voice.

“What the hell do you want now Jon?” She asked. “I called your cell and the SOHO number and got voice mail.” Dorothea told him.

“I was busy, I’m calling you now.” He told her trying to control his voice.

“That’s the point, you’re always busy.” She yelled.

“Look Dot, I didn’t call to get into an argument. You called and after talking to Stephanie I want to know what’s going on.” He tried to stay calm. After getting her usual reply when he returned her calls, it just got old and not worth the arguing that would happen if he took the bait.

“We were in Maui when I got a call from Steph that J.J. was being arrested.” She told him.

“Why didn’t they call me?” He asked her. Granted his cell worked while at the cabin and he didn’t get calls from his kids, so he had been thinking they were alright. He should have called to check on them…something he would have to change.

“I have no idea Jon; maybe they didn’t want to bother you while you were working? Isn’t that how you wanted things? I get the kids and you get to work twenty four seven?” She snapped.

“I am never too busy for my kids and you know it.” He finally snapped back.

“No you aren’t, you’re available to your family only when it suits you.” She yelled.

This was how things had been the last year and a half of their marriage. The yelling would start the kids would hide and then doors would slam and a car would leave. After a few days they’d be back trying to work things out till it started all over again.

“Look yelling and blaming each other isn’t getting us anywhere.” He said trying to calm the situation down. “The kids are what’s important right now.”

There was total silence on her side of the phone. He could still hear yelling in the background.

“Dorothea…I want to know what is going on, why is there yelling there?” he tried to stay calm.

“Can you come here tomorrow?” A voice that wasn’t his ex wife’s came over the line..

“Sure Greg, what time should I be there?” He didn’t have any problems with Greg, their divorces was between him and Dorothea, if anything it was over way before the split. He had to respect a guy who could take on his kids and their lifestyle.

“We have to be in front of the judge at eleven and then maybe it would be best if we met without lawyers to work this out.” Greg told him, the calm voice of reasoning, as he was holding Dorothea’s hand to try and calm her down.

“I’ll be there and I agree no lawyers, we can get this settled. I’ll see if I can get Lexie to watch Romeo.” He agreed. They had agreed that Romeo didn’t need to be there.

So now as he lay with Lexie cuddled to his chest his thoughts were on the call and the fact that their life had gotten more like a episode of the Twilight Zone than Father Knows Best. Reaching over he set the alarm, she never told him what time her meeting was, so setting it for seven sounded like a good number to start with. Kissing the top of her head he sighed and closed his eyes. Might be the last good night’s sleep he’ll get in a long time.