Jessi is curled up next to her mom. Brenda has put her arm around her and pulled her closer to her. They are holding onto each other tightly. Brenda not wanting to relive the past and Jessi scared to know the truth. Both know it has to be done.
B: Tears are starting to form in her eyes. "As I said, we were dancing. I heard a gunshot. The next thing I know Sonny's face cringed in pain as he let go of me and sank to the floor. Blood was everywhere. He had been shot in his left side. I don't remember all the details. I was pretty hysterical. I tried to talk to him, but Alan and Monica at the party rushed to him and Aunt Lois and Aunt Robin dragged me a couple of feet back so I could still see him, but Alan and Monica could look at him. Someone called 911. I don't even know who. Alan told me he didn't think Sonny was going to make it because he was losing a lot of blood and he was starting to get delusional. I screamed that Alan was lying. Grandpa Mike came over and tried to calm me down. He tried to tell me everything was going to be okay, but I knew he didn't believe it. I could feel his tears fall on my shoulders as cried on his. The EMTs came and took Sonny. I insisted that I ride with him and they let me. They got the bleeding to stop in the ambulance. They were doing all kinds of stuff to him an d had him hooked up to so many machines. I wasn't paying much attention to the EMT's, because I kept looking at his face. He looked so weak and sick. I remember one of the EMT's yell that they were losing him after one of the machines went crazy. They tried to get me out of the way, but he grabbed my hand and looked at me and said, "I love you, Baby. I'll always love you." I cried and told him I loved him too. He closed his eyes and the machines went crazy again. I knew then that he died. I always knew when he was in pain, and I felt it then and then I felt empty inside. No more pain, just emptiness and lonliness. The EMT's were shouting things and talking hurriedly. They were busy at work on him. I didn't understand a thing they were saying until one quietly said, turn off the machines, we can't revive him. I was hysterical. By this time we had reached the hospital. They hurried him out of the ambulance and I followed. Inside the hospital I just stood as they wheeled him into the ER. I just hoped that the EMT's made a mistake. I waited, and Aunt Lois, Aunt Robin, Uncle Ned, Grandpa Mike, Aunt Laura and Uncle Luke and arrived. They were there when the doctor came out and told me that he was dead. He had died before he even reached the hospital. I couldn't take it and I ran from the hospital, I ran from the pain." Brenda looked around the room. Brooke had crawled up into the chair with Lois and Lulu had moved from the chair and was between Jessi and Laura on th e couch. She was curled up next to her mother. There wasn't a dry eye in the room. She pulled Jessi closer to her and wiped away her tears.
J: "Where did you run mama?"
B: This caught Brenda by surprise. She hadn't been called mama in such a long time. Jessi had decided when she started kindergarten that she was a big girl and big girls didn't use "mama." She had been "mom" ever since. "I ran to my special place to think. I stayed until Uncle Jason came and took me home." Brenda hated lying even more to her daughter, but the incident at the docks was something she didn't want Jessi dealing with along with the issues about her father. Brenda realizes she sounds like Sonny. She was and had been lying to the person she loved the most in this world to protect her. This is what would get her so upset with Sonny. He always lied to her to protect her. She hated the lies, but she finally understood. Silently in her heart she said, "I forgive you Sonny. I finally understand."
J: "Mama, tell me about him."
B: "What about him? You've already heard all the stories I have at least a million times."
J: "Tell me why the man you loved, the man that was my father, was in the mob?."
B: "Turning to crime was a mistake he made long before he met me, honey. He felt like he had power, respect, control, everything he didn't get when he was young. He was good at it. He liked the danger. At times I think he liked the world being against him, and others I think he just wanted to feel like he belonged somewhere. Then he met me and realized how much danger he was in. He was going to get out. We had it all planned, but someone else's plans got in the way."
J: "Did you ever find out who shot Daddy?"
B: Lying through her teeth again. "No, honey, we didn't"
J: "Would Daddy have loved me?"
B: "You don't have ask that Jessi. He would have loved you very much. You would have been his pride and joy. Besides he always had a soft spot in his heart for little girls. He loved being around Lu and Brooke when they were babies."
J: "I have lots more questions, but I don't want to talk much right now. I just want to go home and think about everything for awhile. Can we go home now?"
B: "Sure, honey."

***

A little later in the evening "Sam" is in an airplane. The pilot has announced that they will be landing in a few minutes. "Sam" prepares for the landing. He's a little worried. He was so excited to get home, he forgot to ask Clive how he was supposed to recognize him. He had been in contact with the man for years, but had never once met him face to face. Clive would find him. He always did.

The plane has landed and "Sam" is walking out of the passenger walkway. He looks around hoping to see a face he can put with the voice of Clive. Someone callse out, "Sam!" He turns in the direction of the voice. He sees two men. One is tall with light brown hair, the other one looks exactly like, no wait, it was Jason Morgan.