Scene 1
"I think I'll try to acquire the shop next door and expand to contemporary literature."
Several days after receiving the visit from the banker, Victoire was already showing the fruits of her newfound fortune. They were subtle changes, and she planned to improve her life without really changing it. The old fans were gone and replaced with an air conditioner, and the shop was given better lighting. Victoire herself was renewed, with a new hairstyle and newer, more flattering clothes.
"These rooms will remain. Raoul and Manette made their lives on antiquarian books, even through the war, and I couldn't change it. But..." She made her way to a wide wall of shelves and began tracing a door. "Yes, here. There could be a door, or a doorway, from this section to the contemporary section. And a coffee bar."
"It all sounds wonderful, Mama, but you still will not tell me where the money came from." Frankie looked up from her seat at the counter, still hopeful for an answer.
"From an old friend. An old friend with a big mistake to make up for."
"But who? Not my father?"
She'd grown up without him and had long since stopped wondering about him, but Frankie still could not hide her desire for some sort of contact with him.
"No, Frankie."
"But I can't understand why you're being so secretive. And why won't you even write or call to say thank you."
"This friend has spent a lifetime avoiding me completely, Frankie, and I am not ready to forgive. I accepted the money because we needed it and I want a better life for you."
"Then let me thank this person."
"No, honey. I'm sorry." Victoire rubbed her daughter's shoulder and smiled. "Now, can you watch the shop for a bit? I'm going to talk to the owner next door before he goes home for the day."
Frankie sighed. "Yes, Mama."
Frankie sank into her seat behind the counter and watched while her mother left.
"I'm sorry, Mama, but if you are not going to call..."
Frankie flipped through her mother's address book and picked up the phone. She assumed a deeper tone to her voice when the other side answered.
"Yes, hello. This is Victoire Chevalier, you were put in charge of my account? ... Yes... Yes, now, I know I said I was not interested in this information, but I think I have changed my mind. I understand you have some information about the individual who transferred the funds to my account... oh, I completely understand. Whatever information you can give me... Thank you."
Frankie smiled triumphantly and began writing down the information.
"Yes, thank you, sir." She finished writing and hung up the phone, folding the paper and tucking it into her pocket. "It's the right thing to do."
* * *
Aunt Grace's hospital room was so overflowing with flowers that the family was beginning to have the bouquets distributed to other patients. They were coming from family and friends the world over as each heard of her sudden hospitalization, her first in over forty years.
Edwina, Arlie, and Maureen were at her bedside, each taking turns reading from the cards and telegrams, while Pierce and John stood outside.
"You can't just make the decision, John."
"I know you don't like it, but she made me her next of kin. She'll have a longer life in the hospital."
"She's already had a long life. She's awake and coherent and wants to go home. It's her decision."
"She'll be better cared for here."
"We can hire nurses, rent the equipment. But she wants to go home. We have to respect that. I want this decided and organized now. I've already put off that meeting with the old guy about the Regent Island deal, but he's not going to stay understanding forever."
"Pierce, if you're putting business ahead of—"
"For God's sake, you know me better than that. This is Aunt Gracie."
"We should at least discuss it with Elizabeth..."
"Already called her, and she agrees with me. And so do Mom and Arlie and Maureen..."
John raised his hands in defeat.
"All right. We'll take her home."
Scene 2
"Hi, Papa, it's Tina."
Tina breathed a sigh of relief as her father finally came on, sitting down on the park bench she'd been pacing in front of.
"I have to ask you something important... no, you know my Italian isn't good enough, especially when I'm upset... yes, I'm staying in Victoria... Because Becky's here and she's staying, but Papa... You know I'm not qualified for any sort of job that would suit me... Yes, I do need money, but... Papa... No, I had to stay in a hotel. I thought George would offer to let me stay, but... Papa, please... Just enough until I can... Please, I... Yes. Goodbye."
Tina ended the call and almost threw her phone in her purse. Her fists clenched, she leaned over her lap and was about to cry when a tall figure appeared before her.
"Long time, no see, Tina."
She jumped at the sound of Ross's voice and hesitated before looking up.
"Ross." Her voice was empty, devoid of familiarity or feeling.
"May I sit?"
He sat before waiting for her response.
"I heard you were back in town. Are you staying long? Is Becky with you?"
"Becky is here, and I'll probably stay a while."
"That's great. You two should come have dinner with me and Laidey. Did you know I'd married Laidey Flynn?"
"I think I'd heard."
"And our daughter Alison, Sunny, she's five now."
"A regular happy family."
Tina's tone verged on sarcasm, but Ross ignored it.
"You were missed at our twenty year reunion," Ross continued. "All the guys were asking for you. Burke was giving regular conferences on what you'd been up to, but he didn't know much about the past few years."
"I didn't keep in contact with anyone here. Any information he had came from Becky."
"Well, you were still missed. We had some great times. You were always the life of the party. And of course we're all still wondering who Becky's father is."
Tina glared at Ross for a moment, the first time she'd made eye contact with him since he appeared, then jumped to her feet.
"That's none of your goddamn business, Ross."
She strode off as quickly and as confidently as she could in three-inch heals and a tight short skirt, both welcoming and resenting the knowledge that Ross would be staring after her, taking an appreciative look at the stunning figure her body still cast as she neared forty.
Scene 3
"How's Aunt Grace doing?"
Burke asked Arlie the question while gliding up alongside her as they kayaked down the Gorge waterway.
"I saw her this morning. She claims to feel fine, but she's very weak. The doctors say she doesn't have much time left."
"I'm sorry."
"Yeah... she was almost eighty when I met her, but... she's had such a full life, and she makes an impact on everyone she meets. She just always seemed... immortal."
"I've known her as long as I can remember—not as well, of course, but I feel the same way."
There was a long, awkward silence. Both Arlie and Burke pretended to be interested in the scenery until the silence became unbearable.
"It's not going to work, is it?"
Burke stared straight ahead as he said, and paused before turning to look at Arlie, who wasn't looking at him.
"No," she replied. "Not right now, anyway."
"Why?"
"I've invested too much into my marriage to give up just when there's a chance it can be saved. Pierce wants me to spend the weekend with him on Regent Island. I know he's going for business, but it's a step for him. He's never wanted me on business trips before. I... I just want to see."
"I understand."
"I hope so. I really do care for you, and if—and I'm not saying you should sit around waiting—if things don't work out, out I'd like to try it out again, you and me."
"I'd like that."
"And you're not angry?"
"Angry? No... disappointed, maybe. But it might be for the best. I'm really going to concentrate on looking for my birth mother. If I do... well, a relationship like ours might complicate things, or it might complicate our relationship. I don't know what I'll find."
"Well, whatever it is, I hope it satisfies you." Arlie reached over and rested her hand on Burke's arm.
"Likewise for you. I mean that."
Scene 4
Flynn was cautious as she approached the door to Andrew's apartment.
"I really did forget to return these keys, Andy," she mumbled, working the lock and pushing the door open. She locked the door behind her and went straight to the bathroom, removing her backpack from her shoulders as she went.
Flynn locked the bathroom door, too, then rummaged through her backpack and pulled the plastic drug store bag from it. With nervous hands, she opened the home pregnancy test and began reading the instructions.
Several minutes later, she sat on the couch in the main room, nervously biting her nails and checking the clock several times a minute. She jumped in her seat when the dead bolt on the front door slid open, but remained frozen as Andrew entered.
"Flynn? What are you doing here?"
"I, uh... forgot to return your keys."
"Yeah, I knew you still had them, but what are you doing here?"
Flynn was silent. The longer she thought of an answer the harder it was to find one.
"Bathroom," she finally blurted out. "I needed to use the bathroom. But I thought you had a class."
"Cancelled. Stick around and I'll make us something to eat. I just need to use the bathroom."
"No!"
Flynn's response surprised them both. Her face flushed as she got to her feet.
"I'm sorry, you... you can't. Not yet."
Andrew frowned and continued moving toward the bathroom door. Flynn followed him, taking his arm and holding him back.
"What?" He turned, confused. "Flynn, I really gotta use the can."
"Let me go in first. I... I made a mess."
"I've seen your messes before. I think I'll live."
Flynn could think of no more excuses and sunk to the wall in defeat as Andrew entered the bathroom. She vaguely heard him mumble an expletive, and he emerged moments later to envelop her in a comforting hug.
Scene 5
Each step Sara took up to her front door was a bigger struggle than the last. Walking home from her first day of work seemed like a good idea when she set out—it had been a great day and she was still riding high from it when work ended. By the time she reached her house she was cursing herself for skipping lunch and wearing long pants on such a hot day.
Sara collapsed against the door when she reached it and had difficulty negotiating the lock and knob. Her mother, alerted by the clamor Sara had already made, was waiting just inside when Sara stumbled in.
"Sarala?" Madhuri was confused, and started toward her daughter with an outstretched hand.
Sara made eye contact briefly, then fainted to the floor.
* * *
Sara was awake when the doctor came to see her in the emergency room, but she was still feeling faint and vague. Both her mother and father were with her, and she was as nervous about their presence as she was about her medical condition, avoiding eye contact with either of them.
"Now, Sara," the doctor began, "before we can treat you we'll need to know about any allergies, prescriptions, or pre-existing medical conditions you might have."
"She has none." Patel Kumar's response was confident, authoritative. It made Sara cringe.
The doctor nodded in acknowledgement, but looked again at Sara.
"You're not on the pill, or pregnant?"
Sara didn't answer and made no motion of response. Her parents looked to the doctor, waiting for him to act as if he knew, as they did, that the answer was no.
"Sara?" the doctor prodded.
Still she did not respond.
"What are you waiting for?" Patel finally blurted out. "You are just embarrassing her with those ridiculous questions. Sarala is eighteen."
"I'm sorry, sir, but the questions must be asked. The medication we give her could render birth control ineffective or harm a fetus. But if neither applies, I'll order the treatment now."
The doctor started leaving the room. Sara closed her eyes, and the doctor was almost gone when she finally spoke.
"I am," she whispered.
The doctor stopped at the door and turned around. "I'm sorry, Sara, did you say something?"
"I am," she repeated, only slightly louder. "Pregnant."
It took several seconds before the word registered in her parents minds. Tears sprung to Madhuri's eyes, and she rested a comforting hand on Sara's shoulder. Sara finally forced herself to look at her father, but she found his eyes distant and cold as he stared at a blank spot on the wall.
"Dad..."
Sara weakly raised an arm to reach for his hand, but he took a step back to avoid her touch. A brief moment later he turned his back and left the room. Confused, Madhuri looked from her daughter to the doctor to the door for several seconds. Finally, painfully, she patted Sara's shoulder and lightly brushed the hair from her forehead before following Patel out the door. The doctor, stunned, looked after her for a moment. When he returned his attention to his patient, she had again passed out.
Before you go, kindly leave your comments:
Coming up in Episode 7:
- Sara must choose between Michael and her parents when her father presents her with just one difficult option.
- Jack realizes the difficulties he'll have caring for Gemma as they travel to their new home.
- Flynn reads the test results.
- Burke finds a new love interest in an unlikely place just as he receives the news he's been looking for.