JAKE AND VICKY'S COTTAGE/EVENING

DONNA and VICKY are sitting on the couch, looking at pictures.

DONNA
I've always liked this one of you and Marley.

VICKY
Really? I like this one much better.

DONNA
That one's cute, too.

VICKY
Mom?

DONNA
Yes, darling?

VICKY
Can I talk to you for a minute?

DONNA
Of course. You can talk to me about anything, Victoria, you know that.

VICKY
It's about Reginald.

DONNA
What could there be to say about him?

VICKY
He is dead, right? I mean, there's no chance he could be alive?

DONNA
Of course not, darling. Reginald is dead.

VICKY
Kirkland says he saw him at the hospital.

DONNA
He made it up. He must have. Or he just saw someone who looked like Reginald.

VICKY
I don't know, Mom.

DONNA
You know how children are. When Marley was a little girl, she swore she'd see ghosts in her room at night.

VICKY
Mom, he sent flowers. Kirkland says he gave him a bouqet of flowers for me.

DONNA
Victoria, Reginald is dead. Now I suggest you talk to Kirkland and make him understand that there's no way he could have seen him.

VICKY
I will. It's just really strange, you know?

They turn back to the pictures and we:

FADE OUT

THE LAKE/SAME EVENING

Alli is laying on her back, looking at the clouds, as SEAN sits next to her.

SEAN
How do you feel?

ALLI
I feel better...you were right. I feel like watching the clouds forever now.

SEAN
Told you.

ALLI
Do you have more?

SEAN
Alli, don't get carried away. The occassional joint is okay, as long as you don't overdo it.

ALLI
Of course. I promise not to overdo it.

SEAN
It's getting kind of late. I need to get home.

ALLI
Okay.

They get up to leave, Sean leaving his backpack on the ground. Alli steps between him and his bag.

ALLI
I'll get everything packed up. Why don't you go get the car?

SEAN
Okay. Back in a minute.

Sean walks away. Alli goes over to his backpack, takes out the marijuana and puts it in her purse, then follows the same direction that Sean left in.

FADE OUT


FELICIA'S APARTMENT/SAME EVENING

The apartment is quiet, SERGEI is asleep on the sofa, as the door begins to turn and FELICIA walks in, followed by SERGEI.

FELICIA
(whispering)
Looks like Gabrielle wore someone out.

HAYLEY
(giggling)
He's so cute when he's asleep. Should we wake him up?

FELICIA
No, let him sleep. I want to talk to you, anyway. Tell me what you thought of Gary and Josie. You were so quiet on the ride home.

HAYLEY
I like them. I think it's too early to make a final decision but I like them a lot. And they've got your approval, don't they?

FELICIA
Oh, honey, they've got more than my approval. I think they'd be the perfect couple to raise this baby.

HAYLEY
They seem like very nice, very genuine people. I feel so bad for them losing their son.

FELICIA
So do I. But I know that being able to adopt your baby would be a dream come true for them.

HAYLEY
I'll put some serious thought into it this week. I'd really like to meet with them alone, too, especially Josie. Maybe she and I can have lunch one day or something.

FELICIA
I think that's a great idea. Do you want me to call her and set it up?

HAYLEY
No, I'll do it. I need to start taking some responsibility for myself anyway. You can't do all of this for me.

FELICIA
I'll give you the number and you can call whenever you feel comfortable.

HAYLEY
I scheduled a doctor's appointment for Monday, too. They're going to do all the necessary tests and stuff...and a sonogram.

FELICIA
Are you going to find out what sex the baby is?

HAYLEY
(smiling)
I don't know...do you think I should? I can't decide if I want to be surprised or not.

FELICIA
It's up to you. It might make it easier if you're not getting attached to the thought of the baby being a particular sex.

HAYLEY
You're probably right. I guess I won't find out. I just hate calling the baby 'it'.

FELICIA
Do you want me to come along on Monday?

HAYLEY
That would be nice...but I thought about asking Lorna to go with me. I feel like she and I are playing at being sisters, but neither of us really knows how to act.

FELICIA
I think that's a wonderful idea, and I'm sure she would love to go with you.

HAYLEY
I wonder how her date-that's-not-a-date is going.

FELICIA
I don't know...I hope she and Matt are having a great time. It's been so long since she's been really, truly happy. Ever since Gabe died...

Sergei opens one eye, then promptly shuts it, feigning sleep and listening to the conversation.

FELICIA(cont'd)
I had thought about trying to fix Lorna up with Sergei...being a meddling mother and getting involved in her love life. But she seems to be doing well on her own, with Matt. They were involved a long time ago.

HAYLEY
Well, Gabrielle sure adores Sergei.

FELICIA
She definitely does. Speaking of my granddaughter, I'm going to go check on her. Hold down the fort out here and I'll run you home, okay?

HAYLEY
Actually, can I stay until Lorna gets home? I want to hear how tonight went.

FELICIA
Of course you can, honey! Let me go peek in on Gabrielle.

Felicia walks into the bedroom and Hayley sinks into a chair. As she does, Sergei stirs and she jumps.

HAYLEY
Sergei! You scared me!

SERGEI
I am sorry. I did not mean to scare you.

HAYLEY
Were you awake for that whole conversation?

SERGEI
(sheepishly)
I hear all of it, but please not to be telling Felicia.

HAYLEY
Why not?

SERGEI
I do not want her knowing of my interest in her daughter.

HAYLEY
Lorna? You're interested in Lorna?

SERGEI
(glancing fearfully towards the bedroom)
Shhh....I like Lorna. She is very nice and beautiful. This I do not deny. But for me and her...it can not be. I am married to her mother.

HAYLEY
In name only, though. You never know, Sergei. I wouldn't give up on Lorna. She might surprise you.

Hayley grins at him as we:

FADE OUT

THE HARBOR CLUB/SAME EVENING

LORNA and MATT are still talking at the table. Their meals have long since been cleared away, the ice in the wine bucket has melted and the wine itself is gone. The restaurant has dwindled down to just the employees and the two of them.

LORNA
We seem to be the only ones left here.

MATT
What time is it? (He glances at his watch.) Wow, it's that late already? I can't believe it. We've been talking here for three and a half hours.

LORNA
Two years of catching up is certainly worth three and a half hours.

MATT
Two years of catching up and about eight hundred stories about our daughters.

LORNA
Oh, God....can you imagine if we were ever part of a "Where are they now?" article for D&M? Jenna and Dean are still jet-setting all over the country, with the band, seeing new and exciting people, and we're....we're ordinary.

MATT
(smiling)
You could never be ordinary.

LORNA
(teasingly)
It's my greatest fear. And I think we've both achieved it. Our record deals and covert trysts have been replaced with nine-to-five jobs and visits to the pediatrician.

MATT
(standing up)
Do you want to be very un-parentlike and dance?

LORNA
Dance? Now? The pianist is gone, Matt. There's no music.

MATT
I happen to know a few tricks of the trade. Wait here a minute.

He walks over to the hostess and talks to her for a minute. She moves away from him, towards the stereo on the wall, and he comes back to Lorna. As he holds out a hand to her, Natalie Cole singing "The Very Thought of You" comes over the speakers. Lorna smiles at him and takes his hand, standing up as he leads her out into the middle of the floor.

They dance closely for several minutes, both of them avoiding the other's eyes. When they look up at one another again, they smile.

MATT
(very quietly)
Not quite like the old days, is it?

LORNA
Nothing like the old days.

Slowly, they each lean forward, and their lips meet, gently. As they kiss, we:

FADE OUT