Eddie hasn't been around for awhile. Journey knew why- his mother was dying. Jade had been battling cancer for awhile now,and it was finally starting to really kill her. Rodrick, though he was normally thought as the tough guy nobody really liked, never left her side. Jade could feel her own life slipping away anyway, but found it to be a peaceful experience. Journey stayed completely out of it. Shed had to mother the kids anyway, but those kids even as young as they were, were smart enough to understand they shouldn't interfere. Even Sunset chose to avoid the family of enders in the tree Eddie grew up in.