Family Values

March 11th, 2012
Sunday
Hyatt Harbor Side Hotel, Boston, MA
4:30 A.M.

Donna spent the night packing and was out by 4:00 the next morning. She made sure Greg was asleep in the guest room before leaving. She tried not to think about his hopeful face and the amazing ring. She packed all of her things into her car and then drove to the Hyatt Harbors side Hotel. There were plenty of other closer hotels she could have stayed at but the Hyatt seemed like it was out of the way in Boston and Greg would never guess that’s where she would be staying until she decided on what to do.

Greg woke up expecting to find Donna still asleep but was surprised when he found the bed empty and neatly made like no one had even slept in it. He walked in and to his horror, saw that all of Donna’s things were gone. Her make-up, clothes, pictures, and bags were gone. He felt the weight of the ring still in his pocket. He’d put it in his pocket last night. He sat on the bed in misery. She was gone for good like he’d feared. The woman he wanted to marry had walked out of his life and never coming back.

Donna checked into the hotel and went up into her room. She only had one of her suitcases with her for clothes and left the rest of her luggage in the car. She sat down on the bed feeling extremely tired. She shut her eyes and let herself sink into the softness of the bed. What as next for her? Should she go live back with her parents? Buy her own place? Should she even stay in Boston? She thought of all the cities she could move to to work as a nurse. New York City, Portland, back to Providence, or even as far as Chicago. She had a good amount of her own money put away. She could definitely afford an apartment.

She didn’t think that she could handle re-building her life on her own at the moment. It would be a bad choice for her to move somewhere by herself. Her only option was to move in with her parents in Florida and get a job as a nurse there until she felt independent enough again to move out on her own. She picked up her cell phone and called her mom. When she answered Donna said

“Hey mom, I need to talk to you,”

“About what?” she asked. “What’s wrong?” Donna didn’t know how to tell her mom that Greg had cheated on her with Felicia. She felt no sisterly love for Felicia anymore and viewed her like any other girl.

“Greg cheated on me…. with Felicia, I’m staying at a hotel right now and I don’t know what to do.”

“Are you serious?” asked her mom.

“Yes,” said Donna, “I walked in on them kissing. He told me that it was an accident and that’s all they ever did but I don’t know if I believe it.”

Greg looked for any clues as to where Donna could have gone but she had been careful to leave nothing behind. The house looked like she had never even lived there. He decided to go for a walk again and went to the same park he had in the past week. The last time he had been there Donna had been with him. She had been in a good mood because it had just been him and his mom. He remembered her smiling face and soft laughter. He flipped open the small black box again and looked at the ring. It was perfect for her.

Donna stayed on the phone with her mother for an hour telling her about everything that had happened. She knew that her mother was shocked about Felicia being involved. Donna was surprised when her mother told her she should go and try to work things out with Greg, but she could come down to stay if she wanted. Donna shut her eyes again and thought about Greg’s desperate face. He had been so sincere with what he had said, especially when he had proposed to her. The ring had been so beautiful. She loved the two pearls in the middle. Maybe it was true that it had been all Felicia’s delusional thoughts? She did come home that night and find an empty package of beers. He had definitely been drunk. The day she walked in on them Greg looked like he has just gotten home. He had his car keys in his hand and his coat was on the floor like he’d just thrown it down. Maybe he was telling the truth. Felicia had been the one to come onto him. She was scared to go back and talk to him. Scared because she knew she'd fall right back into his arms. She couldn't let herself go back.

Greg decided to get dinner from Regina's pizzeria after the park. He didn't want to go home and eat dinner alone. By the time he got back it was 8:00. He thought about calling up some of the guys and going out to get his mind off things but he knew that getting drunk and partying was not a good idea. He had nothing better to do with himself so he started getting ready for bed despite how early it was.

Donna couldn't believe what she was doing. She was back in her car headed to Greg's. The scene of her walking in on him and Felicia played in her head. As she kept thinking about it she saw how clear it was that Greg was making sense when he told her that he had no part in it. Felicia had forced herself on him.

Greg heard a knock on the door as he was getting ready to shower. Ever since the incident with Henry he was always cautious when opening the door. He looked through the peep hole and felt his heart leap into his throat when he saw Donna standing there. Why had she come back? He opened the door and she leapt into his arms.

"I'm sorry!" she said. He was confused

"What?"

"I should have believed you when you said it was Felicia who kept coming onto you. I was just so paranoid." she said "I'm so sorry Greg. I love you."

"I love you too," he said, not believing what was happening. "What made you realize I was telling the truth?"

"Because it makes sense. I found the empty box of beer the night I came home."

"What about when you walked in on us?"

"I believe you," she said "I should of never doubted you I was just so upset." He pulled her into his arms and gave her a tight hug.

"Wait here," he said. He went back into his bedroom and grabbed the ring. He walked back over to her and with.a smirk he said

"Let's try this again." He got down onto his knee and opened up the box.

"Will you marry me?" She laughed and said

"Of course I will Greg."