#rowanschrieber

LILA- “Albert, I am so glad you are here...You need to get me out of here though. That woman that was just here thinks she is my nurse. She tries to bathe me and everything! She stole my purse I know it was here.”

ENOCH- “Mom, I am not Albert. Dad died years ago. I am Enoch, and that was your nurse. She didn’t steal anything, you haven’t used a purse in years.”

LILA- “I use my purse everyday! Albert, quit being silly. Just give me a hug, and then we can go. I need to get home to the boys.”

ENOCH- “You are going to stay for a little while but the kids and I need to get back home. We will see you again next Saturday.  Maybe Hailey can come with us next time. Do you need us to bring you anything?”

LILA- “Of course I am staying here a little while.  Where else would I go? It was so nice to meet you. And bring Shirley back with you next time too. It was good to see her!”

ENOCH- “Mom! That is not---

ROWAN- “It’s okay daddy, if she thinks I am Shirley, I can be Shirley.  She must have been someone that Grams loved very much.  Okay Grams I will come back next time.  I will bring a book and you can read to me, Okay?”

LILA- “Oh Shirley that would be so much fun, yes.  Bring us a book next time.

(Little Rowan is so right, let them believe what they want.  Don’t try to convince them otherwise, it makes it confusing for them and then they get upset...5.2 million Americans have Alzheimer's, in America alone an individual develops Alzheimer's disease every 68 seconds. My mother is in Stage 5 of this devastating disease. For her and millions like her, please donate.)

NURSE- “Ms. Schrieber, you have company here to see you?”

LILA- “Company? Who could it be, everyone I know lives here.”

NURSE- “It’s your son and his family, Ms. Schrieber. You know, Enoch. He visits every Saturday.”

LILA- “Is it Saturday, already!? Time sure flies don’t it? Well let me see my company.”

ROWAN- “Hi Grams. You look pretty today.”

LILA- “Why Shirley!? Thank you honey but what are you doing here, and where is mom and dad?”

ENOCH- “That’s Rowan, Mom. Not Aunt Shirley.”

LILA- “Well, little girl, you look just like my sister Shirley. Come here and give me a hug you pretty thing. How old are you now?”

ROWAN- “I am six now, almost seven, Grams!”

LILA- “Oh, Shirley, you are getting so big. So why did Albert bring you here, where is mom and dad?”

(5.2 million Americans have Alzheimer's, in America alone an individual develops Alzheimer's disease every 68 seconds. My mother is in Stage 5 of this devastating disease. For her and millions like her, please donate.)

Jackson puts Rowan down and she just glares at him, but what he wants to say is important and he has went over it in his head many times and wants to get it right...

JACKSON- “Listen Dad, I know at one time you loved mom, you loved her very much....”

ENOCH- “Yes, I did, she was an amazing mother, and wife Jackson.”

JACKSON- “I understand, I do. I mean you were only three years older than I am right now when I came along. When you should have been graduating high school, you were working and trying to be a father. I am sure it was difficult.  I can’t even imagine what I would do, or how I could do it.”

ENOCH- “I am not going to lie, it was hard. and I missed out on a lot.”

JACKSON- “Like football, college, all of those things that Seth was able to do. And over time I am sure you began to resent mom...and me and she probably felt the same at times.”

ENOCH- “Maybe she resented me, but she never ever did you.  You were her world, Jackson, trust me.”

JACKSON- “But she is not here anymore, at least not physically, all I have left is you dad. You and Rowan.  And you have done well for yourself this last year or two.  Hailey is a great person and great mom.  I am not saying I want to move in, because that wasn’t mom’s wish and honestly, I think it is better I am with Uncle Seth and Mark.  But I need a dad. And I am sorry for being such an---- an ass towards you. So if you will forgive me, I would really like to start over with you.”

Enoch grabs him and start hugging him.  So tight that he almost knocks the wind out of his son.

ENOCH- “I would like nothing more.  You have made me the happiest man alive right now Jackson!! You have nothing to apologize for. Your mother did good with you son, really good. You are smarter than any thirteen year old I’ve ever met.  I love you Jackson!”

ROWAN- “Dada, wove Jack Jack... I wove Jack Jack. He is my Jack Jack Dada!!  I wove Jack Jack!”

ENOCH- “Hey Jackson, I see the little girl finally got her wish, her Jack Jack is here.” He looks at his son, somewhat confused, as they haven’t spoken since Corrine’s funeral and that was less than pleasant.

JACKSON- “Hailey said she has been driving you guys crazy about that, sorry. This looks a lot bigger down herewith everything cleaned out.”

ENOCH- “Yeah, I saved some extra money, Hailey wants a family room, so we are getting a family room. So what brings you by?”

JACKSON- “I just wanted to say I saw you at the game the other day.---”

ENOCH- “If you prefer I didn’t come---”

JACKSON- “NO... I mean, no, it was nice.  Nice you being there. It meant a lot. Mom never missed a game all through the years, that was the first game she ever missed.  So it was nice to see you there.”

ENOCH- “Knowing your mother, I am sure she was there, Jackson. You were her world.”

JACKSON- “And she was mine. It’s just been really tough, but seeing you there made me think that maybe we should talk, you know.? We have no promise of tomorrow do we?”

ENOCH- “Unfortunately, no son we don’t. And I would like that, us to talk I mean.”

ROWAN- “I talk Jack Jack!  I talk to you!”

JACKSON- “Yes, you talk a lot Ro Ro. And if you want to come to my games, you can sit in the parent section, I will let them know you will be there. It’s down front so you can see a little better.”

ENOCH- “I would love that.  You are good Jackson, really good.  Better than I ever was. I am very proud of who you have become, without any help from me.”

JACKSON- “Actually  that’s not true Dad, I mean it was you that bought me my first football.  I still have that little thing. And you were the one that would pass pack and forth with me. I missed that the most when things got---

ENOCH- “I know, I am sorry.”

JACKSON- “Apologies don’t change things, but actions do, and you coming to my game made me realize that you are important to me. What happened, happened and we can not change the past.  But me being stubborn and acting like a jerk isn’t right either.  Mom didn’t raise me that way.”

On the other side of the Bay, someone else is having a visit as well. Jackson meet Rowan.

HAILEY- “Jackson, meet your sister, Rowan Lila Schrieber.”

ROWAN- (screaming at the top of her lungs)

JACKSON- “OH my Watcher...why is she screaming like that?  Does she do this all day!?”

ENOCH- “No, she probably just needs her diaper changed, or wants a bottle.”

JACKSON- “Did I scream like that when I was a baby?”

ENOCH- “Oh, trust me, you were even louder.”

JACKSON- “How can something that small make so much noise??”

HAILEY- “Go ahead, just pick her up Jackson.”

JACKSON- “Okay, how? I don’t want to hurt her.”

LILA- “You are not going to break her. You can throw a football, but you can’t pick up a baby?”

JACKSON- “Footballs don’t scream. If I pick her up will she stop?!”

ENOCH- “Very possible.”

JACKSON- “Okay, here goes nothing....”

The minute Jackson picks her up and starts cradling her in his arms, she quiets down and looks at him.

ENOCH- “I think she likes you Jack.”

JACKSON- “Hi there Row Row, that will be my nickname for you. I am Jackson, your big brother.  You can call me Jack, okay? You and me, we are gonna be tight. I will toss a football with you and take you fishing.  And the boys? They better not even think about coming around.”

Over on the other side of town, in Brindleton Bay, Lila is back at her home now that Enoch and Hailey have begun the process of buying the home from her. Lila is enjoying the quiet in her backyard. She is actually glad that the house didn’t sell. So many memories are here.

Enoch on the other hand just got an email on a job he applied for at the High School...

ENOCH- “HAILEY!!!  Good news I got that job at the High School as groundskeeper!  This is great news... Hailey??”

HAILEY- “I have some news too, Enoch.  I think I am in labor!! You may want to call the doctor and let him know we are going to the hospital.”

ENOCH- OH MY WATCHER!!! It’s time already! These babies come awful fast now a days!  Ok, I will call the doctor, and pull the car around.”

HAILEY- “I think it may be too late for that, Enoch.  My water just broke!”

Sure enough, the baby came too fast to get to the hospital, and it was born at home. A little girl... 

ROWAN- “Jack Jack...Ro Ro needs wove!! JACK JACK!!”

JACKSON- “Hold on girl, you are an impatient little booger aren’t you?”

ROWAN- “I no booger, I Ro Ro Schrieber, and I need wove Jack!”

JACKSON- “Okay Ro Ro Schrieber, come here...”

HAILEY- “I am so glad you are here, she has drove me crazy for the last two days wanting her Jack Jack!  You really got her spoiled, Jackson.”

JACKSON- “She certainly is outspoken when she wants something, isn’t she?”

HAILEY- “I guess she gets that from me, I am pretty outspoken too. Speaking of which, your grandmother has been taking cookies to her room and hiding them.  For the life of me I don’t know why, but I am finding them in all kinds of places. Found two in between her mattress and box springs. Your dad said not to say anything, but I think she should see a doctor.”

JACKSON- “Wow, yeah, I will mention it to Uncle Seth, you know dad is not the most responsible of us. Speaking of him, is he around?”

HAILEY- “Yeah he is finally cleaning up the basement, he is going to build a bar down there...for soda, not liquor, and a family room. The living room up here is getting crowded for us.”

JACKSON- “Cool, I am going to go down and talk to him.”

HAILEY- “Oh... Okay. Are you okay, Jackson?”

JACKSON- “Yeah, I just wanted to thank him for coming to my game the other day.”

HAILEY- “That’s nice, he will like that, I can take Rowan, if you want.”

ROWAN- “NO!!  I stay wif Jack!”

JACKSON- “Okay, you can stay with Jack, let’s go see Dad.”