Carl held the door to the apartment open for Rachel as they brought Aubrey home. Rachel had expected the teeming masses that had greeted them when the Twins came home to be there. She was startled to find the place basically devoid of sound. She gave Carl a quizzical look as she passed through the door.
"Carl read her expression, "I thought perhaps you'd appreciate the quiet."
She smiled, "Yes, this time I just want peace and quiet, no circus productions. But where are the twins? Ryan, Andrea and Daniel?"
"Ah, the Grubs are with Paulina at the Restaurant, driving Nancy insane. Ryan is on a picnic with Vicky, Stephen, Kirkland, Maddie and Daniel. And Andrea is at police headquarters going over all the information she provided to them on Vern. The place is ours."
"Where is Jake if Vicky is with Ryan? I can't imagine him giving her up without a fight not after everything they have been through together," Rachel said as she sat down on the couch and carefully removed Aubrey from the infant seat.
Carl took the diaper bag to the makeshift nursery and returned seconds later, "I believe Jake is at "Our Place" with Paulina, helping entertain the Grubs. He's taking Ryan's return rather well. I think perhaps he might be denying his marriage falling asunder."
"Do you really suppose he thinks his marriage would survive Vicky's true love returning?"
"I can not fathom why he would think that. However, I can not fathom that you would return to Mac if he turned up alive."
The words Carl spoke threw her off guard. What would she do if Mac walked in the door tomorrow? Would she give up her life with Carl to return to the man that had taught her what it meant to be loved and to give love? It had been almost 10 years since Mac's death and the ensuing years had changed her greatly. She no longer was the woman she had been when she had been married to him. His death had left her stronger, more self-assured, independent and not afraid to fight for what she wanted. Could she go back? She didn't think so.
There was also the consideration that Carl was a vastly different man than the one Mac knew. The Carl that sat holding their newborn daughter had found a heart beneath his hatred. Mac would never have accepted the change. And what would Carl do if Mac walked through the door? Would his vendetta return? Would he welcome him or fear that Mac would take her from him? Carl would believe their love stronger than the memories of Mac. He would be right. She couldn't go back in time, she couldn't desert her family for memories, not when she had the love of a man who would fight with every ounce of his being for her.
She wasn't Vicky. Vicky was still very much in love with Ryan. Time had not healed her wounds. She had not moved on from the glimmer of hope that Ryan was alive. She had only married Jake because it felt safe. He could ward off the cold at night and hold her in his arms when she was lonely. The question remained, though, would Jake accept that Vicky wasn't in love with him?
Rachel's thought's turned back to the man who sat beside her with a 4 and half pound baby up over his shoulder, gently patting her back. "Your such a wonderful father," she whispered stroking the baby's wispy hair.
"I never dreamed that in my old age I'd find the meaning of happiness."
"You are happy aren't you?"
"I am, my love," Carl replied as Aubrey spit-up down the back of his shirt.
"You've been graced, " Rachel laughed taking the baby from him so he could go clean up.
The doorbell rang seconds later. Rachel went to answer it since the house staff was down to 1 at the moment and Helen was at the store. "Loretta?"
"Hi," Loretta answered with a soft smile.
"Hi yourself. Come in I have missed you. Why have you kept yourself so scarce?"
Loretta came in and sat down in the living room chair before she answered Rachel, "To tell the truth, I didn't know what to say to you. I feel badly about what happen and wish I could have changed things."
"Loretta how were you to know? How were any of us supposed to know? Carl had an idea that Vern might have been more than we thought but things kept happening and he never got his contacts followed up. I had not the slightest idea that Vern wanted me dead and Carl as good as dead. After I was kidnapped I believed that the person behind it was of Scandinavian descent and that whomever it was wanted to make Carl pay, an Eye for an Eye. That still wasn't enough to implicate Vern. All Carl had was vague feelings of unease at times when he was with Vern.
Do you realize that in the 3 months that Vern was here he was only in the house at the same time Carl was 3 times? What was Carl supposed to pick up on those 3 times? And you, how were you to know?"
Loretta shook her head; "There was no way for me to know. I don't harbor guilt over what I didn't know. But I do feel badly that the man I loved could try and destroy my best friend. You all could have died because of him. I question how I ever loved him knowing how he felt about the man who he thought killed his daughter. I knew how angry and disturbed he was and yet I went on loving him hoping that my love would be enough to change him, like yours had Carl."
Rachel held the baby in her arms. She looked down at the sleeping babe. "Would you like to hold her?"
Loretta' eyes lit up, "Yes!"
Rachel passed the baby to her best friend, "Loretta, how do I say this? Vern was mentally ill. He had to have been for this to have gone all these years. His anger and revenge growing in need as the years have went by. Carl, was an evil man but he had all his facilities with him. From what Andrea has been telling us Vern has been a few bricks shy of a full load for many years."
"Andrea? His granddaughter?" Loretta asked, not fully aware of everything that had taken place.
"Yes, she brought Ryan home. With Ryan and Andrea also came Daniel, Justine and Vern's son."
"Justine and Vern's son!" Loretta mouthed the words as the implications grew for her.
"Justine knew that Vern had taken Ryan when she returned from the convent determined to kill Carl if she couldn't have him. She and Vern were lovers. He helped feed her insanity."
"Vern never told me about Daniel. My God, Justine knew all along?" Loretta shook her head in disbelief.
"Hello, Loretta, I see you finally came to meet our Kitten!" Carl said merrily as he buttoned his silk shirt. "Be careful she has a fondness for decorating shirts."
Loretta held the baby back from her body and looked at the dark blue eyes, "You wouldn't do that would you sweetpea?"
"We just brought her home. She had a bit of jaundice to overcome before they would allow her home," Carl answered taking the baby from Loretta's arms.
"I can see her daddy is smitten," Loretta laughed.
"She's had him wrapped around he little finger since the first moment he saw her."
"Isn't that the way of it with Daddy's and their little girls?" Loretta asked smiling at Carl who was wandering off singing to the baby.
"I think so, Mac was just as in love with Amanda. I just hope that our children don't have the same shortcomings that my children with Mac have."
"God willing they won't. How have they been since the fire?" Loretta asked.
"Amanda has her moments when she forgets to be selfish and other times when I really want to slap her. After Aubrey was born, instead of asking how I was she was crying about Daddy' house. I almost died and she was concerned with the lose of material items. Then 2 weeks ago she apologized for that behavior. I never know what will come out of her mouth next.
"Matt, I have seen 3 times since Aubrey was born. I don't know what to make of it. He's been seeing Cheryl for 3 months and now suddenly they aren't together. I tried to call Cheryl the other night and never got an answer. Matt won't talk to me about it. He's been very distant and nothing I say seems to have any kind of effect. I don't even know what he is feeling about the fire. That was his home too.
"Iris is mad but that's nothing new and Paulina is being the sweet understanding Paulina we know and love. I don't know what I would do without her."
"Sounds like the same family. What about Jaime? How has he been?"
"Jaime and Marley are moving away. Jaime got an internship in Jamaica. He wants to work where he feels like he's making a real contribution to society. Marley wants the same. Jaime has always been my free spirit. They are leaving after Amanda has her baby.
"It also seems my darling Amanda is going to try giving marriage a 3rd shot. At this rate she might give me a run for my money on trips down the aisle. She and Cory want to wed as soon as the baby is born. At least I like Cory, which is more than I can say about Grant and Evan. Sam was sweet but they were so young. And Shane I think was more of a friendship that got a bit carried away."
"The ever evolving story of our lives. Nothing ever stays the same long. Who would have dreamed 3 months ago that Ryan was really alive and that Carl had a daughter raised by a madman?"
"Nothing ever stays the same. Sometimes I dread the changes we must endure. I don't want Jaime to leave again. I sure didn't want the mansion to burn. I didn't want Aubrey to arrive 8 weeks early or lose my uterus. I am scared of what the future holds. I just have to hope that it's better than the last year has been."
"We all have to hope the future is brighter. This last year has been tumultuous for us all," Loretta said with a sigh.
The baby started to cry from the nursery. "My cue. One more thing I don't want to change, I don't want my baby to grow up, knowing she is my last," Rachel replied standing.
"Surely you won't suffer from empty nest syndrome at 70!" Loretta laughed.
"I'd hope not," Rachel answered with a smile as she disappeared into another room.