John and Marlena entered the penthouse in silence as they carried the two sleeping children upstairs to their bedrooms. John tucked Brady into his bed as Marlena carried Belle into her bedroom. Marlena looked at her sleeping little girl and smiled at how innocent she looked sleeping. Marlena kissed her softly on the head as she pulled Belle's covers up.
"Mommy," the little girl began opening her eyes, "is Christmas over?"
"I'm afraid so sweetie." Marlena said looking into her daughter's blue eyes.
"Does that mean that daddy has to go away again now too?" Belle asked with tears in her eyes. "I love having daddy home with us and I don't want him to go away again."
"Belle, sweetie your daddy will always be here for you." Marlena explained to her daughter. "He loves you and he will always be a phone call away."
"You love daddy, don't you?" Belle asked curiously.
"Of course I love daddy." Marlena said feeling the tears fill up in her own eyes.
"Then why doesn't daddy live here with us like he did before?" Belle asked her seriously.
"Well..." Marlena began searching for an answer.
"And why does Eric and Sami's daddy live with us now instead of my daddy?" Belle interrupted her. "You don't love him instead of daddy do you?"
"Belle, sweetheart." Marlena said picking her up and holding Belle to her chest. "I love your father with all of my heart and nothing will ever change that."
"Then why does Eric's dad always say that he loves you and why does he try to kiss you all of the time?" Belle questioned with tears in her eyes. "Why does he try to make you love him mommy?"
"Sweetie, Roman is sick and mommy has to take care of him and make him feel better." Marlena explained wiping the tears away from her daughter's face as her own heart broke to see her daughter in pain. "You know when you're sick and mommy takes you to the doctor?"
"Yes mommy." she nodded looking up at Marlena.
"Well, I'm Roman's doctor and I have to make sure that he feels all better." Marlena explained to her.
"Why can't daddy stay here and help you make Mr. Roman feel better? Daddy always helps me and Brady when we are sick." Belle informed her. "I think that daddy would be a good doctor to Mr. Roman. He would make him better fast so that he could go back to his own house."
"That's a good idea sweetie, but right now I have to help Roman by myself." Marlena explained kissing Belle's forehead. "I promise you that soon your daddy will be able to live with us all of the time."
"Brady and I would be so happy if that could happen." Belle explained looking up the her. "We say prayers every night so that God will let daddy stay here with us. I haven't said my prayer yet mommy. Will you pray with me?"
"Sure sweetheart." Marlena said as Belle began to say her prayers.
"Dad?" Brady asked as John was about to walk out of his room.
"Hey slugger, I thought that you were sleeping." John smiled turning back to talk to his son.
"Dad, I was wondering if we could have a talk." Brady explained sitting up in his bed.
"What's up slugger?" John asked sitting on the bed and messing up Brady's hair.
"Dad," Brady began removing John's hand from his hair. "I'd like to have a grown up talk with you. It's not time for kid stuff."
"Alright son. What's on your mind?" John asked trying to hide his amusement with his son's need for seriousness.
"You and mom." Brady explained serious as ever.
"What about me and mom?" John asked wondering what had sparked his son's interest.
"Well, Belle and I were watching the Sally Jesse Raphael show the other day and they were talking about couples in trouble." Brady explained putting his hand on John's shoulder. "Dad, Belle and I think that you and mom are a couple in trouble."
"Son, when did you watch that show?" John asked astonished that his son had seen a talk show.
"Dad, come on, it's on like every day." Brady explained rolling his eyes.
"What ever happened to Sesame Street?" John asked Brady.
"Come on dad it's the nineties." Brady informed him. "That's not the issue though dad. Belle and I are worried about you and mom. We think that Mr. Roman is causing problems for you and mom."
"Brady," John hesitated before he spoke, "son, your mother and I love each other very much and nothing is ever going to change that."
"Then why does Mr. Roman live here instead of you dad?" Brady asked him. "Mom's in love with you, not him. When people love each other, they are supposed to live together."
"Brady, your mom is a doctor and she is helping Mr. Roman until he is healthy again." John explained to his son as he tried to hide his own feelings of animosity towards the situation. "Once Mr. Roman is healthy, then we can all go on with life the way it used to be."
"Promise dad?" Brady asked him.
"I promise son." John said giving his son a kiss. "When all of this is over, what do you say we take your mom and sister to a baseball game?"
"Only if we can eat hot dogs and pretzels with lots of mustard." Brady said smiling.
"Lots of mustard." John assured him as he tucked him back into bed. "I promise."
"I believe you dad." Brady yawned looking at John. "You'd never break a promise dad."
"That's a fact son." John smiled kissing Brady again. "Now you get some sleep before your mother kicks my butt for keeping you up all night."
"I don't think that mom would do that because that's domestic abuse dad." Brady explained to him.
"Another Sally show?" John asked him.
"Yep." Brady smiled proudly.
"You know, we're going to have to see to it that Chelsa finds some other television show for you to watch from now on." John said to him. "What about something like the Nickelodeon channel?"
"Awe dad that channel is for babies," Brady began noticing John's look of disapproval. "but Belle and I can give it a try."
"That's my boy." John smiled leaving Brady's room
"Okay angel," Marlena said tucking Belle in after they had finished saying their prayers. "Time for you to get some sleep."
"Okay mommy." Belle said hugging Marlena goodnight. "Mommy?"
"Yes sweetheart?" Marlena asked her.
"Will daddy be here in the morning?" Belle asked as her eyelids grew heavy.
"Sure sweetie." Marlena said kissing her forehead. "We can have breakfast together."
"Can we have pancakes mommy?" Belle asked closing her eyes and yawning.
"Anything you want dear." Marlena said looking as Belle fell fast asleep. "Oh sweetie girl I hate what this is doing to you. I pray that this will all be over soon."
