"Hiding from Harry?" she asks as she walks into Tom's office.
"Joannie." Tom says. "Am I that obvious?"
"It must be that 'Lose your father-in-law now. Ask me how" button on your lapel that's giving you away."
"I thought if I was at work, he couldn't say I wasn't trying to support this family."
"Dad, you could work 24/7 and Harry wouldn't approve of you. Grandpa Paul never has. What is it with you and fathers-in-law, anyway?" Joannie wonders.
"I married their daughters." Tom replies.
"You've got to stop doing that, Dad. Next time, just live with them."
Tom gags on his coffee. "Joannie."
"Dad?" Joannie smiles. "Oh, and speaking of living with, you'll be happy to hear that Nancy is living without."
Tom blushes. "I don't know what you mean." he lies.
"Take me to lunch and I'll tell you all about the birds and the bees and Noah and Nancy."
"You are on and I know a great place." Tom says. "I'll drive."
"Is it on your diet, Dad?" Joannie chides.
Tom stops dead in his tracks and hands her the keys.
"Sorry. But Susan told me about a great new tofu place."
"Tofu?" Tom says. "But that tastes like.....well, nothing."
"It tastes like not getting your head handed to you by your wife and kids."
"OK, you win," Tom says. "Now how is Nancy?"
"I don't know. Noah certainly isn't staying over, but she had a whopper of a nightmare last night."
"Elizabeth was saying she was having Nightmares before she left." Tom states. "Did she say what they were about?"
"Said she couldn't remember. But she woke me up screaming for someone to stay away from her."
"Terrific, I wish she wouldn't have moved out."
"She's coming back home tonight--but for one night only. Maybe we could convince her to stay."
"Worth a try."
"Good luck."
"So are you buying lunch?"
"Me? You hire a spy and then expect her to buy lunch?"
"Worth a shot." Tom says.
"You could at least respect me enough to give it a good shot," Joannie pretends to grumble.
"I'll tell you what, I'll buy your lunch at any place you want to go and I'll order a salad." he offers.
"Wow. I ought to spy for you more often."
Tom shakes his head.
"Let's go to that French place across town, Dad."
"Sure, but let me take a second mortgage out on the house first." he jokes.
"Works for me. or we could go to the diner down the block."
Tom drives to the diner.
Later that evening Nancy almost cancels due to the nightmares she's been having. Worried that it'll worry her family. ~Don't get cold feet you promised Joannie, besides you might not have one tonight anway.~ She decides to go and a little while later pulls into the Bradford driveway.
Abby is outside getting the mail.
"Hey, Nancy," Abby says, pulling a large envelope from the mailbox.
"Hey Abby, is that the mailbox I thought it was missing."
"Shh. Don't jinx it," Abby says, opening the envelope.
Nancy laughs.
Abby opens the envelope but doesn't look inside. "I can't."
"Sure you can, you'll never find out if you don't." Nancy says not having any idea what she's talking about because she doesn't know what Abby's been waiting for
Abby starts to pull out the papers, then stops. "No, I can't. You do it."
Nancy takes it and pulls out the papers.
"Well?" Abby frets.
Nancy smiles. "They're publishing your book."
"Really? You're not just fooling?"
"Read it for it yourself." Nancy hands it to her.
Abby does. "Wow."
"Today one book, tomorrow the world."
"I'd be satisfied with getting the boys' room clean."
"I hear ya."
Abby reads the letter again. "I think I'm going to bronze this mailbox."
"Good idea, I'm heading inside, you coming?"
"Hmm? Oh, yeah. I'm coming."
They go inside.
"Do you want me to gather everyone or do you want to tell Dad first?"
"Hmm? Oh, I guess I should tell your father. He won't like being part of some general announcement, no matter how often he does that to me. Besides, I'm not planning to make a big deal of this. It's just a book of football plays--it's not the Pulitzer."
"You should, you'll be helping a lot of kids."
"We'll see. Why don't you go find Joannie--she was waiting for you."
"Ok," she goes looking for Joannie.
"Through hill, through dale, over briar...oh, hi, Nancy."
"Hey Joannie, watcha doing?"
"Titania. How was work today?"
"It was all right, I posed and then I posed again."
"Sounds like the rehearsal from hell. How do you stay sane?"
"Breaks, lunch, and dollar signs."
"Dollar signs especially, huh? Well, dump your stuff on the spare bed--I love saying those words. 'Spare bed'."
Nancy does this. "Oh come on I know you miss Susan's snoring."
"Nah. I made a tape before she moved out."
Nancy laughs. "Is it better than Led Zeppelin?"
"I don't know about better, but it sure is louder."
"Hey if you need to rehearse I'll be quiet or go do something else."
"No, I need an audience."
"Ok," Nancy gets comfortable and waits for the play.
Joannie starts acting, playing all the parts.
When she's finished Nancy cheers and claps.
"Thank you, thank you. Now let's see you pose."
"Do I have to?"
"Oh, come on. Don't be a spoilsport."
"All right." She poses.
"Hey, you're good."
"Thank you."
After Nancy goes upstairs Abby goes in search of her husband, checking all his hiding spots.
Tom is out in the garage hiding from Harry.
"That bad?" Abby asks and starts to rub his shoulders.
"You tell me, he's been walking around with a smile on his face and actually being nice to me."
"Oh, so that's what that was about," Abby laughs. "I knew it couldn't have been what Mary was implying."
"You lost me, what was Mary implying?"
"That my parents had gone upstairs to...well...be alone. In the middle of the day. With everyone in the house."
Tom thinks about this and suddenly his mouth flies open.
"That was my reaction exactly."
"As Nicholas would put it 'Ewww.' "
"Well, Nicholas puts it that way about you and me," Abby says, swatting Tom's shoulder.
Tom nods agreeing with that. "So what brings you out here?"
"Hmm? Oh--this," she says, handing him the envelope.
"Abby this is wonderful." Tom says. ~and on the first try too~
"Isn't it?" Abby says, oblivious.
"Congratulations honey." he says and kisses her.
"I've got to tell my parents," Abby says and starts hurrying back towards the house. "Aren't you coming?"
~Great now I got to put on a front for her parents too.~ "I'm right behind you." he says.
Abby hurries ahead of him. "Mom, Dad!" Abby finds her parents in the living room, sharing a drink. "Mom! Dad! Guess what?"
"What dear?"
"My book," Abby says, handing her father the envelope. "The publisher accepted it! Dad, would you look over the contract?"
"Of course," Harry says, taking his glasses out and digging through the papers.
"Honey that's wonderful!!" Katherine hugs her.
"Isn't it? They say in the letter they have big plans to promote it--not only to the academic market. They want to know if I'll do talk shows, interviews..."
"Then we have to find you something to wear."
"More than one something from what they write."
Tom hangs in the background.
Harry sneaks a look at Tom. "Thomas, why don't you help me look over this contract? You must have seen a few in your time."
"That's OK Harry, you are the lawyer in the family." Tom says. "Excuse me." Tom goes into his study and unlocks a secret drawer in his desk and pulls out an old manuscript with rejection letters.
"I've got to tell the kids," Abby says. "Nicholas! Hey, Nicholas, where are you?"
Nicholas comes running in from the other room.
"Nicholas, could you do me a favor and get everyone into the dining room? I have an announcement to make."
Nicholas goes thru the house yelling for everyone to meet in the dining room. Tom is startled back to present day reality and puts the manuscript back in the drawer forgetting to lock it. He joins everyone in the dining room
"What's up?" Mary asks.
Tommy and Elizabeth join them.
Abby waits impatiently for everyone to gather and as soon as they have, she bursts out with her announcement.
Tommy, Nicholas and Elizabeth congratulate her
Mary hugs her. "That's wonderful Abby."
"Thank you. I'm going to need you to help put together a wardrobe for the publicity trips."
"Sure no problem." ~I wonder why she didn't ask Nancy to help her? She's the family clothes expert.~
"We'll talk about it later. Go through my closet and see what, if anything I need to buy."
Nancy congratulates her again.
Susan also congratulates Abby.
"They wrote something about me doing radio shows with some of the '49ers who have to do community service," Abby tells the boys. "Want to come with me and meet them?"
"All right!" Tommy and Nicholas exclaim.
Joannie walks over to Tom. "You don't look thrilled, Dad," she whispers
"What? No I am happy for her."
"You know what Mom used to say when one of us looked like you do?"
"What?" Tom asks.
"She'd hand us the glue and tell us to paste on our smile a little better."
"Joannie, this is a big deal for her."
"Keep repeating that, Dad, and you might convince yourself. Don't worry--Tommy and Nicholas will chaperone her well," Joannie says, missing the reason for Tom's mood.
"Joannie, I trust my wife."
"Sure, Dad, whatever you say."
Tom leaves the room.
After Abby gets ready for sleep, she sits in bed, reading over the materials the publisher sent. "This is so great, isn't it, Tom?"
"Great." Tom says.
"I'll be finished with teaching soon, so I can work on the revisions...Hey, can I borrow your study? There's no where else that's quiet and has a typewriter."
"Sure." Tom says half asleep.
"Thank you. You are such a good husband," Abby says and leans over to kiss him.
He has fallen asleep.
Nancy had tried not thinking about anything before falling asleep hoping that would prevent one of her mystery nightmares. But even that fails her as screams from her nightmare start to fill the Bradford household.
"Tom, Tom, wake up. Someone's screaming," Abby says.
"It's Nancy." Tom replies as he gets out of bed. "I'm going to warm some milk for her. I'll be right back."
Joannie wakes and rushes over to try to wake Nancy.
Nancy wakes with a start like she usually does from the bad dreams and takes a little while to settle down. "I'm sorry Joannie."
"It's OK. You remember what the dream was this time?"
"I was trying to get away from someone but couldn't."
Meanwhile in the hallway.
"Who screamed?" Mary says coming out with a baseball bat thinking maybe there's an intruder.
"Put the bat away Mary, I don't think we have an intruder." Katherine says and Knocks on Joannie's door.
"Come in," Joannie says.
Katherine comes in. Mary hangs back.
"Is everything all right?" Katherine asks.
"Yes." Nancy lies.
"No it isn't, you had another nightmare didn't you?" Katherine asks. "Nancy your among family here you can talk about it."
"Ok I did, but they'll go away eventually."
Mary exchanges a look with Joannie.
"Nancy, how long have you being having nightmares?" Joannie asks.
"Since before the accident." She admits. "I don't want to worry anyone can we please just let it go?"
"No," Mary says. "We can't let it go." ~Someone hurt her and when I get my hands on the bastard.~
Katherine makes a mental note to ask Tom and Abby for the number of Nancy's counselor.
Joannie looks to Mary for guidance.
"Honey," Mary goes to put an arm around her. Nancy gets up and distances herself from her. "Becoming independent doesn't mean you can't ask for help every now and then."
"I think I've put this family through enough Mary, and I'm not going to put you guys through anymore." She packs what she brought with her.
"Nancy, where are you going?" Joannie asks
"Back to my apartment so you guys can get some sleep."
Katherine leaves the room and goes to knock on Tom and Abby's door. "Sandra Sue, Tom, get out here please!!"
Abby opens the door. "What's going on, Mom? Who was screaming?"
"Nancy was she had another nightmare, and now she's planning to leave in the middle of the night."
"Leave?" Abby hurries to Nancy's room. "Nancy, what are you doing?"
"Leaving." She says.
"In the middle of the night?"
"I woke up the whole house and you all have things to do in the morning."
Mary shakes her head.
"So?" Abby says. "You know, we'll all get back to sleep much faster if you just get back into that bed and go to sleep."
Nancy ponders this.
"Yeah I think we all better be getting back to bed." Mary yawns hoping this works.
~All right, but no more coming over here and waking and worrying this family.~ "You're right." Nancy finally says and puts her bag down
'I'm hitting the sheets," Joannie says.
"You're not the only one." Nancy yawns and gets back in bed. The others leave the room.
In the hallway.
"Abby can I have her counselors phone number." Katherine asks.
"Do you think that's wise, Mom? She is an adult."
"I know she is but maybe her counselor has seen this before with other patients. Maybe she can give us an idea on why this is happening."
"It's worth a shot. I'll give it to you in the morning."
"Thank you, now you get some sleep."
"Easier said than done."
Katherine almost tells her how Harry helps her get to sleep sometimes but decides against it. "I know, do you want to talk?"
"I think I'll just try to get some sleep. Thanks, Mom."
"Ok Goodnight." Katherine goes back to bed also.
Tom comes up with milk for Nancy
Nancy steps out of Joannie's room intent on getting something to drink hoping she'll fall to sleep better.
Tom goes over to her. "Here, I thought this might help you sleep."
"Thank you. I'm sorry I woke all of you." She takes the milk and starts drinking it.
"Want to talk about it?"
"I can't talk about what I can't remember."
"Do you remember anything?"
"I was trying to get away from someone but couldn't." She sighs. "It's ok it's just a dream it's not real."
"Yeah." Tom says not quite believing her. "You think you can sleep now?"
She nods, gives him a kiss, and returns to bed.
"How's Nancy?" Abby asks when Tom gets back into bed.
"Who knows? She says she's fine, but I am not buying it."
"My mother wants to have a talk with Nancy's therapist."
"But why?" Tom asks. "Doesn't she think we can handle this?"
"She just wants to help. You're always going on about how your age and experience make you smarter than the kids, but when my mother offers to help, all of a sudden it's interfering?"
"This is just great, First I have your father who thinks I can't take care of his daughter and now I have your mother thinking I can't take care of mine."
"Boy. As far as you're concerned, they can't do anything right, can they?"
Tom sighs in frustration. "They are the ones who think I cant do anything right."
'That is not true! My father was trying to be nice to you all evening and you're the one who was acting like a...My father, Mr. 'I'm a lawyer and I know it all' even wanted to get your opinion on the contract the publishers sent me, to see how it compares with contracts you've gotten, and you turned him down flat."
"Lets just forget it OK?" Tom asks.
"Forget it? You attack my parents and then you want to 'forget it'?"
"Yes I do." Tom says as he rolls over.
Abby rolls him back over. "Well, I don't."
"What do you want from me?"
"An apology for one thing."
"Ok, I'm sorry." Tom says.
"And an apology that sounds like you mean it for another."
Tom gives in. "I am sorry I said those things about your parents."
"They only want to make things easier. These kids are as close as they'll get to grandchildren."
"I know." Tom says.
"You have been in a mood all night," Abby says, accepting his apology. "And it's not just my parents. What is it? Is it Nancy?"
"Yeah, Nancy." he replies. "Can we get some sleep please?"
Abby kisses him. "Good night."
"Yeah Good night." Tom says still thinking about his unpublished effort.
After a minute Abby whispers, "Tom? You asleep?"
"Hmm?"
"I love you."
Tom turns to her. "I love you too."
Abby kisses him. "Good night."
"Good night."
After talking to Nancy's counselor the next morning. Katherine goes into the kitchen and pours herself a cup of coffee.
Tom is reading the paper. "Good Morning."
"Good morning." She says.
"Sleep well?" Tom continues the small talk.
"No, you?"
"Not really."
"Did Abby tell you that I was going to talk to Nancy's therapist, I hope that's all right."
"Sure no problem." Tom lies.
~Is he even interested in what she said?~ "Do you want to know what she said?"
"Oh you called her already?" Tom asks. "I didn't realize, what did she say?"
"That it's most likely caused by trauma of some sort, but she won't know for sure unless Nancy goes to her for help with this."
"And how does she suggest we do that?"
"She said we can try an intervention if Nancy won't do it on her own."
Tom sighs. "I still can't understand why she moved out."
She gives him a friendly pat on the back when Abby walks in.
"Are you as tired as you look?" Tom asks.
"More," Abby says, making her zombie-like way over to the coffee. After downing a cup of coffee Abby gives Tom a kiss. "Good morning. Morning, Mom."
"Good morning honey, I spoke to the counselor this morning."
"What did she say?"
"That it's most likely caused by trauma of some sort, but she won't know for sure unless Nancy goes to her for help with this."
"Nancy go for help? Not the way she's been lately."
"That's why she suggested an intervention."
"That'll be a real emotional scene with this family."
"Nothing else is working."
"That's true," Abby sighs. "Did she say how long we should give Nancy to work it out before we intervene?"
"She said we should try it as soon as possible and to call her to set a time."
"Tom?" Abby checks with her husband. "Earth to Tom..."
They start planning a good time. While upstairs Nancy awakens and asks the sleeping Joannie.
"Hey Joannie do you have to get up yet?"
"Hmm? Oh, yeah--time for me to make you breakfast in bed."
"Oh yeah cool, thanks for reminding me." She gets back in bed.
Joannie sighs, hauls herself out of bed and heads downstairs.
"Would you like some coffee honey?" Katherine asks.
"I've got to make Nancy breakfast."
"Why's that?"
"She made me breakfast yesterday. Fair's fair, only I wish fair didn't have to be so early in the morning."
"Do you need any help?"
"Just point me in the direction of the pans. My eyes don't work so early in the day."
She smiles, "sure," and helps her find the pans.
"Who invented morning, anyway?" Joannie grumbles.
"Sadists."
"Apparently it was someone who got at least 8 hours sleep." Tom yawns.
"Nancy didn't keep us up for that long, Dad."
"Well I still worried about her." Tom says. ~Among other things.~
Joannie elbows her father. "Or maybe you and Abby just stayed up late celebrating her book, huh?"
Tom feigns a laugh.
Katherine tries to hide how uncomfortable that comment made her.
"Speaking of the book,' Abby says, 'I've got some calls I have to make."
Tom looks at his watch. "I better get ready for work."
Joannie turns to Katherine. "My cooking's not bad enough to empty the place out. Must be my jokes..."
"No honey I don't think it's you at all."
"Then what?"
She shrugs.
"Oh, come on, you must have some idea. Do I look like the Creature from the Black Lagoon or something?"
"Joannie you didn't do anything to upset them. They have their minds on other things and they'll discuss with all of you soon."
"Something they'll discuss with us later? What's going on
Katherine leaves the room before she tells her too much.
"It really must be my jokes," Joannie muses as she starts cooking Nancy's breakfast.
David walks in. "What about your jokes? I taught you half of them they can't be that bad."
"Well, they sure can empty a room."
"Ouch that hurt." He jokes. "So what's for breakfast."
"Serve yourself or scrape the pans--I have to go serve Nancy, and you know the rule about strange men on the second floor."
"Oh come on I'm not that strange."
"Know anyone stranger--other than Dad, that is."
"Cousin Marvin from Patagonia."
"Oh, OK. I'll put eggs up for you, but you have to watch them or Nancy's food will get cold."
"Thank you, you're a good kid."
"Kid?" Joannie protests as she puts David's eggs in the frying pan. "Hey, did you hear Abby's big news?"
"No I didn't, what's the big news?"
"Remember that book Abby was working on with all her first husband's friends? A publisher wants it."
"Wow that's great."
"So now she's off to work on it, Dad's off to avoid Harry, Katherine ran off who knows where, and no one got any sleep last night."
"Why didn't anyone get any sleep?"
"Nancy had another one of her nightmares."
"I wouldn't worry too much, she can't have them forever right?"
"I hope not. Well, I'd better get this upstairs," Joannie says, hefting her tray.
He nods and watches his eggs.
Joannie takes the tray upstairs. "Anyone here hungry?" she asks as she walks into her room.
"Yeah over here and thank you."
"Here you go, Miss," Joannie says, parking the tray on Nancy's bed. "Service with a smile, or as near as you get this time of the morning."
Nancy starts eating. "You look exhausted, sorry about that."
"That's OK. I'm just sorry you're not sleeping well."
"It'll be all right nothing last forever."
"Maybe not, but if you don't get some sleep, it sure feels that way."
"That's for sure, this is a very good breakfast."
"Thanks. Sleep over more and I'll make it for you again."
"That's a tempting offer but there's no sense in all of you losing sleep."
"Oh, come on, that's what family is for."
"I know and as a member of this family it's my job to make sure you guys get some decent sleep."
"Hey, if it's not you keeping us up, it'll just be someone else."
"Ok I'll think about it."
"Good."