Episode 28

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Episode 28

Scene 1:

The last thing in the world Maura wanted to do today of all days was go to her brother's engagement party. She stared sullenly out the window at the driveway below as her father called for Jillie and Piper. If she weren't so blue, she would think the Gone With the Wind scene playing out at the Conlan home amusing. She heard her own name being called and she threw open her window to reply.

"I'll be down in about ten minutes, Dad. I forgot to call Joanie and tell her today's special. I'll only be a few minutes," she called closing the window. Sitting on the edge of her bed, Maura pulled out the letter she'd gotten yesterday. It had been a complete surprise, pleasant but horrible at the same time. Her daughter's tenth birthday had been last week and her adopted parents had sent Maura a card with a single picture inside.

Maura was taken with her daughter immediately. Tristen's hair was long, almost as long as Maura's, and a deep chestnut color. Her eyes were a soft gray that looked at the camera with a child's innocence. Maura traced her outline, even running her fingers over her cone shaped birthday hat and felt a tear slip down her nose. She had never regretted giving the little girl to a loving family but she wanted more than anything to know her. To hug her. She wanted to hold her. And she knew she never would. The day she learned she was pregnant, she knew she would never hold her own child...this child.....

November, 1990
Pink meant pregnant. She was pregnant. Maura dropped the stick into the trash and tied the garbage bag tightly, carrying it with her as she stalked to the dumpster before climbing into her car. She slipped a Throwing Muses tape into the stereo and drove. She didn't care where she went; she had decisions to make.

Rick didn't want a family. He didn't want children...they complicated life and he wanted a simple life. Hadn't he told her that a million times? He had and she had agreed. But now everything had changed because now she was pregnant. They were going to have a child whether he liked it or not. How would she tell him, she wondered. "Hi honey, how was your interview with the Chicago Tribune? Hope you got it because we'll need the income now that I'm going to have a baby." That wouldn't go over well.
Rick would be very unhappy. But she had no choice, she had to tell him. Surely he would get used to the idea, even like it after a while. Maura smiled to herself slightly as the picture of Rick as a father worked her way into her mind. It would be so sweet, she thought, a baby and Rick...they were going to get married anyway. If only he would keep an open mind!

She returned to their small apartment after stopping by a grocery store and picking up a few things for dinner. Throwing her keys on the shelf next to the front door, she spied Rick's blazer thrown on the back of the recliner.

"Rick?" Maura called lightly. He was home already, that was unexpected.

"In the bedroom!" He called back. She poked her head into the bedroom and watched as he undressed, carefully hanging his slacks and shirt back up in the closet.

"Sweetie?" She asked. "Did the interview okay?" Rick turned and grinned at her, pulling a t-shirt over his head.

"Better than okay, Mo. They offered me a job at the Tribune! Can you believe it!" He replied sweeping her up into an embrace. Maura pushed him away and stared at him.

"That's...great?" He nodded and she smiled. "Well? You told them no right?"

"Actually, Maura...I said yes. They want me in Chicago next week." She stared at him dumbfounded.

"What about it was just for practice? What about our plans?"

"You'll come with me of course!" He said reaching for her. She jerked away from him and glared at him accusingly.

"I've got a job waiting for me here, Rick. I don't want to move to Chicago," she said feeling sullen and angry. Why would he do this now? Why did all of this have to happen now?

"Maura, it's not like you couldn't find a job in Chicago," he told her sounding more like her father than her fiancé. "And it's not like we have a huge family to uproot. It's just us. You and me. No ties, like we always said." Like you always said, she thought angrily. She let him wrap his arms around her middle...her middle where their baby was growing. "I want to celebrate. Let's go out to dinner." She nodded, numb. She couldn't tell him about the pregnancy now. Not tonight...not after that.....

Scene 2:

Ellen pushed the heavy front door of Four Winds open and kicked her suitcase over the threshold. Home. It was weird to be here again after she had vowed never to return here. The dark wood of the foyer seemed more oppressive than it had when she was a child. The last time she had been here...had it really been three years? Her father's funeral had just ended and she had stood in this same place vowing never to step into the house again. Yet here she was. Hallie had better appreciate this.

She left her bag by the door and ventured further into the house. The main hall was decked out in roses and streamers. People, caterers and wait staff, she assumed, scurried about from the ballroom that took up most of the main floor to the back entrance and the yard out back. She followed a waiter towards the yard and took in the tables decked out in lacey cloths, the tents where a band was setting up, and the tables of food and drinks being laid out. Hallie spared no expense.

A familiar figure directed traffic around the tents. Her mother hadn't changed one bit, still the queen of all she surveyed. For a moment, Ellen wanted to turn and walk away. The very reason she had left Virginia was standing right in front of her. Yet, here she was about to socialize with her. If she hadn't made a promise to Hallie she would leave this instant.

"Ellie?" She turned at the voice, knowing without looking that it would be Jamie. He smiled at her, his arms cradling a small baby. Next to him, two boys, his boys, she reminded herself, held hands and looked at her with curiosity. The taller boy looked so much like Jamie that she was taken aback for a moment. He had the same wide blue eyes and the same determined chin. The other boy had a broader forehead and dark puppy dog eyes. He must be the stepson. "Ellie! It is you! I had no idea you were coming!" Jamie smiled, excitement touching his eyes.

"I didn't either until three days ago," she replied smiling back. "Hallie called and begged me to come. So here I am." She hoped he wouldn't mention how he had begged her to come to his wedding and she had turned him down flat without a reason at all.

"I'm glad you're here," he said instead. "These are my sons, Christopher and Jesse. Boys, this is your Aunt Ellen."

Ellen knelt down and offered her hand to each boy. Chris shook her hand somberly but Jesse threw his arms around her and hugged her tightly. She laughed at his show of affection and squeezed him back. "You guys can call me Ellie if you want to. Or Aunt Ellie. Ellen is my formal name."

"You can call me Chris then. 'Cause Christopher is my formal name," Chris echoed, smiling a little.

"I'll do that," she answered. "Jamie, is this the new baby Hallie told me about?"

"It is," he replied proudly. "Ellie, this is my daughter, Lily Celeste." She peeked into the blanket at the sleeping baby.

"She's very pretty. She looks like you."

"She looks like her mother," he corrected. "I wish you could meet Michaela. But she's still resting from the labor. It was pretty rough."

"Another time, perhaps," Ellie answered feeling ill at ease. She followed Jamie's eyes as they watched something behind her. She felt rather than saw his body tense a little. Gwen was behind her. She turned slowly and met her mother's blue eyes, so unlike her own soft brown ones. She had never felt so completely different than she did right then.

"Ellen," Gwen said slowly.

"Hello...Mother," Ellen managed to choke out. "Surprised to see me?"

Scene 3:

Maura shook the memories loose and stuffed the picture back into it's envelope. There would be time to think about Tristen later. Right now, she had a party to attend. Thankfully, it would be a party without Rick Upton. She didn't think she could take seeing him just now. She hid the picture in her dresser drawer buried among her scarves and accessories before grabbing her purse and setting off down the back stairs at a gallop.

She didn't hear Jillie calling her name as she hit the driveway. Piper climbed into Jory's car and waited while Maura settled into the backseat behind her. "Where's Jillie?" She asked straightening her shirt.

"She forgot something," Jory replied starting the car. "Dad said he would wait and drive there with her." Maura nodded and settled back into the seat. Today was going to be a trying day, she realized. She was going to have to put on the act of a lifetime just to keep herself from feeling miserable over her daughter and her own failed engagement. Jory pulled out of the driveway just as Jillie reemerged from the house. Her eyes met Jillie's briefly as they pulled away. There was a look of curiosity in them that Maura knew all too well. What was Jillie up to, she wondered briefly before turning her attention to Piper's chatter about the play...