On Concrete Shelves | Welcome back to Stone Creek |

Scene One

Now Town; Stone Creek Memorial Hospital

 

The hospital room feels less imposing than the silence between herself and her best friend, Cassie Lakhani Briggs. Her dark auburn hair hangs to one side as she tries to figure out a new conversation to have with Cassie. If she has to describe how she feels one more time, Marina Thurlow Bauer may scream. If she screams in this hospital room then it would echo into the halls and any more people wondering about her sanity would make her lose it even more.

 

She was never the type of woman to feel like ‘losing her grip’ would be a term she’d use to describe herself. Marina has helped women who described themselves in that way and they looked nothing like her. They have always been fragile, lost. Marina takes a deep sigh, instinctively she knows the sigh was louder than she wanted it to be. So she looks up to catch the eye of her best friend.

 

“You okay, there?” Cassie asks.

 

There’s a very unfamiliar tension between the two of them. This is the part that Marina has hated ever since the two reunited. This awkward situation where she feels she has to hide a part of herself from Cassie. It’s territory that they have never charted.

 

Marina tries to pull a smile on her face. “I will be when we get this check-up over with.”

 

“You’re not anxious over it, are you?” Cassie asks, matter-of-fact.

 

Marina mulls the thought over in her head as she thinks of a response. She knows that Cassie isn’t the villain here — actually, nobody that has expressed any sort of concern for her should be considered a villain. Her senses began to zone in on the overwhelming smell of disinfectant in the room. The alcohol makes her feel lightheaded as she tries to stay focused on the question at hand.

 

“Marina?” Her best friend echoes in the distance.

 

She moves her head to focus on Cassie, her wavy locks of hair move slowly along with her. Marina smiles, but because she doesn’t respond she knows that red alerts must be going off in Cassie’s head so she tries to muster up the words to calm her friend down, but they’re not coming and she begins to freak out inside.

 

Cassie furrows her brow, and Marina notices. “Marina, are you okay?”

 

Marina shakes her head and pushes herself off the exam table. 

 

“Marina?” A new voice says.

 

This voice is able to snap her out of her slow motion daze. Marina now feels her feet on the cold lamented floor. She looks up to see her doctor standing in the doorway with an eager blue-eyed brunette behind her.

 

“Everything okay here?” Dr. Dizzy Roberts asks, she moves out of the way for the other woman to step into the room.

 

Marina shakes her head. “Yeah, everything is fine. I—” she makes sure to choose her words wisely as all three women stare at her. “I was feeling sort of restless, I have been feeling it a lot lately. I think it’s just the baby.”

 

Dr. Roberts seems to take the bait. “That is normal. I’ll go ahead and examine everything and make sure all of our levels are good and then I can have my intern talk you through a few exercises you can do for restlessness.”

 

“Exercises?” Cassie asks, scrunching her nose. “Is that necessary?”

 

“It can help increase blood flow and actually help oxygen levels for Mrs. Bauer.” The second woman says, the excitement in her voice makes Marina feel as if she’s more eager to get Dr. Robert's attention is to actually calm Marina’s anxiousness. But the information feels like it makes sense and if they focus on something other than the freak out she was just having. Marina would rather go with it.

 

“Right.” Dr. Roberts says, “I think on that note we should continue the examination. Now, tell me Marina is there anything else that may be of concern that I should know about?”

 

The question stings. Marina feels as if she has been harboring a secret that Dizzy is now looking for. She takes one more gulp before she locks eyes with Dr. Roberts. “No, everything is fine. It’s just the restlessness.”

 

She pulls her gaze away from Dr. Roberts and tries to look forward but has to tear her eyes away from her best friend who is glaring daggers into her soul. The awkwardness in the room has only started to increase the longer she is in the room with the three women.

 

Scene Two

Now Town; Thurlow Industries

 

Ryan Bauer stands a couple inches away from the door frame, he feels the pit of his stomach fill with dread as he finally lays eyes on the people in the room. Most of whom are his wife’s family members. Immediately after speaking he felt overwhelmed. Ryan looks at his father-in-law, James Thurlow, in hopes that the man will call the rest of the family off and send them out of the room so they can discuss their business alone.

 

“You know what,” A familiar voice starts, it belongs to Shannon Thurlow Stout, she gathers her things and seems to take Ryan’s cue, “we should be heading out, we have a few things to take care of before today is over.”

 

She moves over to Ryan and gives him a squeeze on the shoulder and turns back to the room. “Izzy, Emm, I think we should all be heading out.”

 

Ryan reminds himself to thank Shannon later when he gets the chance, he watches as the others begin to make their way out of the room. Frank Nelson makes his way out first, and then Isabelle Wilkinson Rhodes right after him.

 

“Wait, what?” Emmet asks, he stands between Ryan and James and doesn’t seem to be moving any time soon.

 

“Emm,” Shannon says, but the rest of the sentence seems to stop right there.

 

Ryan watches James come up behind his son and startles him. “I think you should follow your aunt outside, Emmet.” 

 

“And she gets to stay!” He says, calling attention to his grandmother in the corner of the room. “With all due respect, father, I need to be here for this conversation and you know that I am right.”

 

Emmet turns to Ryan. “Sorry Ryan.”

 

As long as Ryan has known Emmet Thurlow, he has always been the dramatic one in the family. His wildebeest expression on his face none-the-difference. “None Taken.” Ryan looks at James in confusion. “What was going on here before I came in? What were you all talking about?”

 

“We are leaving.” Shannon announces she waits for Emmet to join her but nods her head when her nephew stays in place. She closes the door and leaves the four people in the room alone.

 

“What is going on here?” Ryan asks once more. “Does this have anything to do with why Gideon was at the mill earlier?”

 

“Gideon was at the lumber mill?” James asks.

 

The confusion in James’ voice answers that question. Ryan tries to hold it all in, but a deep cackle erupts through his frustration. “So you’re telling me that you have no idea why the chief of police is sniffing around at the lumber mill asking me questions about my friendship with Derek?”

 

“Perhaps,” Anita Thurlow says, her words give Ryan the chills as she moves from the corner of the room. “Perhaps he was just checking in, making sure that you’re okay? After all, what you saw was very, very dramatizing.”

 

“He’s not dead.” Ryan replies. “I think it would have been even worse if Derek were dead. But, he’s not dead. So I am okay… besides, that’s not what Gideon was there for.”

 

“How would you know?” Anita snips.

 

Ryan jerks his head to focus on Anita and they way her words felt so cold towards him, completely different than her normal tone.

 

“What my mother means,” his father-in-law steps in, “is that Gideon is a good man and he only wants what is best for everyone involved, including Derek Cotta. If you need anything Ryan, we are all here for you.”

 

Ryan knows that James is only trying to diffuse the situation. He had bore witness to the tone in James’ voice before where he had to keep a distributor at bay. Although it does work, it also makes him hesitant to trust James right now. “What I need is for things to go back to how they were.”

 

“That’s not going to be the easiest thing.” Emmet says, pulling the tension out of the room. “Especially with what Derek said about you.”

 

“For someone so eager to protect his father, you really do like to open up cans, don’t you?” Anita snipped.

 

Ryan furrows his brow. “What the hell is going on here with all of you?”

 

James clears his throat. “When Derek was revived by the paramedics, before he went into shock and ended up in a coma, he gave your name to the officers on the scene.”

 

“What does that even prove?” Ryan says harshly.

 

“They asked what happened, what he had taken before the overdose and it was your name that he said. Nothing else. No one else.” Anita states. She now stands between Ryan and her family. “So, excuse me if I seem paranoid, but I don’t think the questions are going to stop there, Ryan.”

 

Scene Three

Now Town; Willa’s Diner

 

Helen Tyree stares at her watch for another minute hoping that somehow a superpower will form and she can start willing people to appear in a blink of an eye. Preferably her granddaughter, Megan, whom she was supposed to be meeting with thirty minutes ago. She assumes that Megan must’ve acquired the Sutton gene of being late to everything as opposed to Kirsten’s annoying ‘early is late’ mantra she learnt from James. 

 

She waves a waiter over to their table where she sits with Natalia Marlowe and begins ordering appetizers for the table. 

 

“Shouldn’t we wait for Megan?” Natalie pipes in. 

 

Helen waves her off. “I’d rather just enjoy the day before I start to get hungry. By that point nothing can cheer me up again. It’s basically a wash of the day.”

 

“Unless you have wine.” Helen notes, mulling over the thought of ordering a bottle of whatever they have. But their waiter is already fluttering off to a new table and she sees the opportunity to call him over again as mutt. 

 

Helen turns her attention back to Natalie. “So, while we wait for my little wordsmith, what was that idea you had on the way over here?”

 

She notices Natalie shift in her chair. “Okay, you have to come at this with an open mind.”

 

“I’m the most open minded person I know!” Helen says, she’s appalled that Natalie would suggest otherwise. Then she recalls years ago how she staged a fall down the stairs at a cabin to call more attention to herself over Daphne Wilkinson. Then she remembers how both were pregnant together and being stalked by Daphne’s ex. lover. A shudder rolls down her spine as she shakes the memory and returns to her conversation. 

 

“Okay, fine,” she says, “I guess a trip down memory lane proves your point. Fine. I will be open minded to whatever this idea is as long as it’s a good one.”

 

The waiter makes his way back to the group with their drinks and a bottle of wine before moving out of the way to reveal a very apologetic Megan Sutton. 

 

“Well, she has your flare.” Natalie says, moving over to make room for Megan at their table. 

 

Helen laughs. “It’s like you read my mind!”

 

“I’m just so sorry that I am late.” Megan says, she sits between the two women and places her crossbody bag on the post of the chair before refocusing her attention. “I was at the cafe and stuck in the middle of Dylan and Adrian fighting. I don’t know what’s going on between those two, but it’s not looking good.”

 

Natalie perks. “Maybe an interview for the paper?”

 

“We are not some trashy magazine where we air out petty drama for ratings.” Helen says, she thinks it over for a second then concludes. “Someone should phone Seth Keeler, his newspaper is trashy enough for an exclusive.”

 

Megan waves a shaming finger at her grandmother. “Shame on you for even thinking that. I’ve known Mr. Keeler my entire life, and he has saved our family from a whole lot of grief. He runs an authentic newspaper, Helen.”

 

“Still calling me Helen, huh?” She says, seemingly only catching her name from the sentence. “I can work with that.”

 

Megan’s eyes grow wide. “If you spent more time watching me as opposed to slinging me around from meeting-to-meeting you’d earn a better title.”

 

“What?” Natalie asks but she’s clearly ignored as the two continue their debate. 

 

“I did not ‘sling’ you, you imaginative child!” Helen scolds. “I was simply trying to introduce you to the life of a business woman and what you could have when you grew older.”

 

“I was seven years old!” Megan snapped. 

 

“I want Megan to be one of our models!” Natalie says, exasperated, she looks from Helen to Megan with bulging eyes. “I want Megan to be one of our models.” She says once more with a softer, gentler tone. 

 

At this point both women are staring at Natalie. “Yes, we heard you.” Helen’s boisterous voice replies. 

 

Natalie wrings her neck and tries to keep her calm. “I didn't think I would be able to get a word in otherwise. I just had to scream over the two of you. We need Megan to be the new face of the model house and possibly the magazine, altogether.”

 

“I think that’s a great idea.” Helen seconds. 

 

Although, Megan seems to be left speechless. But she finally regains her composure and shakes her head definitively. “The answer is no. I will not go work for Helen and be reduced to some object to look at!”

 

Scene Four

Sage Gardens; Stone Creek Community Park

 

Corey Wilkinson comes to a stop, he hasn’t run this trail in a long time — thinking about it, he can’t remember the last time he ran. Corey takes a minute to look at his Apple Watch and then turns to see where his wife has gone. Moving back to Stone Creek has always been at the back of his mind. When he was younger he imagined living nowhere else and then when he woke up from the coma Corey felt like he was chained to Stone Creek and all the bad memories.

 

“There you are!” Ramona says, the Puerto Rican woman moves to her husband's side and squeezes. “I thought I lost you on that third trail and then, BAM! You zoomed right past me. Is everything alright?”

 

He nods his head with a thin smile. “Yeah. I guess I just caught a second wind back there. But, I’m feeling winded now.”

 

“Gassed out?” She says.

 

Corey looks at his wife who he adores greatly. There’s something about Mona that just calms him down, even after all those years her kind eyes and bright smile make him feel secure. “I guess I’m starting to wear down.”

 

Ramona clicks her tongue. “Don’t you start breaking down on me now! You ain’t an old man just yet Mister Wilkinson. I still need you for when our daughter graduates and meets the man of her dreams.”

 

“That’s not going to happen.” Corey replies, “The man of her dreams thing. Our daughter is way too young to be thinking about marriage.”

 

“Our baby isn’t a baby anymore, Corey,” She takes a sip of from her water pack and then offers her husband some, which he denies. “You’re going to have to get used to that.”

 

Corey knows his wife is right about Jane. How she has grown so fast, he can’t put a finger on it. When they left Stone Creek behind, he felt this overwhelming sense of relief. Like the chains had finally been lifted off of him and he was able to live without everyone looking at him and seeing the teenager who spent so much time in a coma. Corey takes her into his arms and kisses her.

 

“I still don’t understand why you carry the water pack.” 

 

Ramona chuckles. “You’re changing the subject. But I already told you, the best thing to do is stay hydrated at all times. The body needs water, it’s a waterproof plan.” She winks.

 

Corey watches a young family race to the swing suit opposite them in the park. He remembers back when Jane was a child and how her favorite thing in the park was the slide. How she would stumble up all the way to the top and scream down for Corey to watch her slide down. Her laughter engraved in the back of his mind.

 

“Corey, baby, everything alright?” Ramona says, she snaps him out of his gaze and he focuses back on his wife. “Where were you just now?”

 

“I— ” He stops himself. “I was just thinking about when Jane was that age.” 

 

There’s something that has been eating him alive ever since they toured the house with his niece Greta. He knows he has to bring it up to Mona. They haven’t kept secrets from each other since the accident. “Let’s actually take a seat over there.”

 

He points to a lone bench near the path leading to the play area.

 

“I was just thinking about what Greta told us about Jacks.” He says, Corey watches his wife’s face as she processes the sentence. She takes a seat across from him and scrunches her face in confusion. “How he has also returned to Stone Creek.”

 

“I’ve thought about it too.” Ramona admits.

 

He knows she has. Corey could feel the thoughts as she maneuvered around town and how she constantly looked over her shoulder. “How do you feel about having him in Stone Creek?”

 

Ramona shrugs. “There’s this overwhelming feeling that the moment I— we bump into him somewhere, the supermarket, a restaurant… part of me wants to knock him flat on his ass.”

 

The two share a chuckle. “The other part of me wants to forgive him. Does that sound so crazy? I don’t know. Corey, there’s something I haven’t shared with you about the years after that accident. When I came to and Jacks convinced me that you were driving the boat when we crashed, I was so relieved. I was so scared.”

 

“Honey, we’ve talked about this. Jacks lied to cover his own ass and when I woke up and when I was able to remember that he was driving… he fled town.” Corey says, careful not to reopen the wound too much. “You have nothing to be scared about.”

 

Ramona nods her head. “Yeah, I know. When I heard that it was Jacks driving I felt this overwhelming sense of guilt, you know? Like I let you down that entire time. I could have remembered but I blocked it away.”

 

He takes her hands in his and notes how cold they felt. “Don’t ever feel guilty about that day, Mona. When we reunited, that was the happiest day of my life; now we have an amazing daughter that I love with all my heart. When we do see Jacks in town, where ever it is,”

 

Corey looks his wife in the eyes, the brown honeydew color of her eyes give him strength. “When we see him in town, we won't do a damned thing. He means nothing to us, okay?”

 

Ramona shakes her head and leans into her husband's embrace.

 

Scene Five

Boulstridge Mountain; Lakeside Inn — Chantal

 

On mornings like today, Charlene Nelson Calbourne finds herself a little moment of peace by pulling over and parking her car on a hillside opposite the Lakeside Inn. She turns the engine off and just looks out at the view, the mountains and the morning sun as it sits upon the Inn as if it were straight out of the movies. Always, just like this moment, it takes her breath away.

 

This moment she will hold tight for the day. Hold it as tight as she is able to and let little bits of sunshine and joy spurt throughout the exhausting day ahead of her. Charlene turns the ignition on and prepares to continue with her day of paint samples and re-wiring.

 

“Mother!” Charlie Sutton calls from the check-in desk in the lobby.

 

Charlene notices the twinkle in her son’s eye as she steps into the building. Her life path has led her down some very dark corridors, ones that Charlene wouldn’t bring up if her life depended on it. But she has always been thankful for her children’s forgiveness for them feeling abandoned by her when they were younger. 

 

She gives Charlie a hug and releases him gently. “It’s so nice to see you, Charlie.” 

 

“I’m glad I was able to stop you before you went upstairs.” He says. “I have been meaning to ask you a few things but for some odd reason I keep missing you, and Reichen as well.”

 

Her husband’s name sounds so odd coming from someone else’s lips other than her own as of late. But she shakes off the feeling and smiles through it. “Is everything alright?”

 

“Everything is going according to plan and the contractor says the restaurant will be meeting its deadline just like we planned for it to, just as long as there aren’t any hidden obstacles.” Charlie holds his hands up. “But I am confident that there won't be any obstacles.”

 

“Good.” Charlene says, the duo move out of the way of the busy bodies running through the lobby. “Would you like to join me for a walk to the restaurant? I sure can use the company these days.”

 

“I’m getting the sense that something’s going on?”

 

Charlene could kick herself for adding that last bit. She feels the heat rise in her body and a red tint emerge on her face. There’s not much she can do to back-track and she’s never been a good liar when it came to Charlie.

 

So she starts, “I haven’t seen much of Reichen lately.”

 

“Trouble in paradise?”

 

“God no.” She chortles, “I just meant that he went to visit family in Wolf’s Creek a few weeks again and I haven’t heard back from him much. It’s nothing, Charlie, so you don’t have to get worked up over it.”

 

Charlene avoids making eye contact with her son in hopes that he won’t entertain the conversation for too much longer. They make their way to the elevators and eagerly Charlene punches the button with the up arrow.

 

“He doesn’t speak much about his family there, does he?”

 

Charlene shakes her head. “There was a lot of bad blood between Reichen and his family for so long. I guess the wounds were just so fresh for the family he would rather just not speak about it.”

 

“I guess we aren’t too unfamiliar with family feuds ourselves.” Charlie says, he carries a smirk so similar to his father, Patrick, that it takes her back a few years into her past. “How are you doing-- and I mean, how are you really doing?”

 

She sighs heavily, the ding of the elevator breaks the silence and she thanks the gods that the elevator is empty for the two to carry the conversation in private. Stepping in, Charlene turns to her son who punches the button for the floor for the restaurant, Chantel. 

 

“I’m fine.” Charlene says.

 

Charlie takes a beat before he continues. “When I first took on the challenge of the Lakeside Inn it was not a walk in the park, trust me. I know that we have made tremendous roads as of late, but back then I had the Thurlow family at my side helping me every step of the way.”

 

“I am so sorry about that.”

 

Charlie shakes his head. “We are way past that, mother. We are in a better place now and that’s all that I could ask for. So don’t you ever feel sorry about it. But when it came to Lakeside Inn there were so many moments when I wanted to quit and just do something else.”

 

“That’s not how we raised you.” Charlene reminds him.

 

“So,” Charlie says, he turns to his mother. “Tell me what is going on? I know that something is bothering you, does it have anything to do with Reichen? Has he hurt you in any way, mother?”

 

“There’s nothing that Reichen can do to ever hurt me, Charlie,” Charlene says, “he is a good man. He treats me far better than your father ever did.”

 

​

Scene Six

Sage Gardens; Alice's Haven Cafe

 

Adrian makes small talk with Cranky Joe, a man well into his sixties and on his third cup of coffee. Or, at least what the man thinks is coffee. It took Adrian three years before he realized that he can substitute decaf for the actual thing and Joe wouldn’t notice. He pats Joe on the shoulder and excuses himself as he notices his wife walk through the doors of the cafe with both of their daughters in a double-wide stroller.

 

She takes note of him and points to a table nearest the door.

 

It wasn’t unusual for Gail to stop by the cafe before his shift was over. Especially on days when Gail had the van for that day, just like today. Adrian maneuvers around the counter and pours a couple more cups of coffee for some patrons, hoping that Kirsten would be in soon.

 

Kirsten wasn’t one to be so late, especially on days when she closed and Arian opened. There’s a tinge of guilt that fills his stomach, but he shakes it away as he knows Gail can pick-up on any sort of uneasiness. It was as if she had some sort of sixth sense over him.

 

Adrian looks up to see Dylan Tyree approaching Gail and the girls. That’s when his stomach completely falters and he feels a hot sensation take over his body. For some reason, Dylan was on a warpath today as he witnessed with Megan earlier. So he places the pot of coffee back on the counter and rushes towards them.

 

“I think they’re adorable.” Dylan says, almost too callously as Adrian approaches the two of them. She turns to him. “They look just like their father, don’t you think, Adrian?”

 

He clears his throat. “I think they look as lovely as their mother.”

 

Gail smiles sweetly.

 

Adrian licks his lips and tries to remain calm. “What’s going on here? I thought you were waiting around for Kirsten, Dylan?”

 

“Well I was, but it looks like my cousin is taking her sweet time today, and then I saw an old friend walk through those doors and I just had to come say hello.” Dylan locks eyes with Adrian. “Especially to these two adorable little girls.”

 

Adrian watches as Gail leans back with a look of bemusement on her face. He knows this look so well that he wants to be the first person to speak, but is stopped by Gail leaning forward.

 

“We aren’t that close of friends, Dylan.” Gail says, she folds her arms. “Especially since the last time we spoke you accused my husband of having an affair with your cousin. Don’t you remember that fiasco? Or should I jog your memory?”

 

“I mean, they are having an affair. It’s not my fault that you won’t open your eyes to it.” Dylan scoffs.

 

Gail shifts in her shoes. “Why would I believe a liar like you?”

 

“Why would I need to lie about this?!” Dylan says.

 

Gail is getting heated now, Adrian can see it in her features. “It’s not like you have the best track record with staying on the horse, Dylan. Maybe if you stayed away from drunkenly falling off stages, more people would believe you?”

 

“Says the woman who faked a pregnancy in order to keep Adrian away from—“

 

“That’s enough!” Adrian snaps.

 

The trio go quiet as the entire cafe is looking at them from their respective tables. Adrian clears his throat. “That is enough. Dylan. I understand that you’re waiting for your cousin, but I think it is time that you left and leave my family alone.”

 

“I think that’s a good idea.” Caitlyn Thurlow says from a few tables down. She moves over to the trio with her bag in hand, she smiles at Adrian and Gail and then turns to Dylan Tyree. “These folks don’t need to be ridiculed by you in front of all these people, Dylan. I don’t know what you want from them, but this is definitely not the way to get. Do you understand me?”

 

Dylan smacks her lips. “I’m not trying to do anything, to anyone.”

 

“You could have fooled me.” Gail snaps from her booth with the girls. She holds their youngest in her arms as their oldest, Violet, draws on a napkin.

 

“I’m just here— ”

 

Caitlyn clears her throat. “You can see her another day.”

 

The door chimes as a woman enters the building in a hurry, Adrian looks up to see Kirsten Thurlow Sutton at the door. “What’s going on in here?” She asks with all eyes on her. “Did somebody die?”

 

“Kirsten.” Dylan says, she steps forward.

 

But Caitlyn stands between the two of them. “I think you’ve caused enough trouble for today, Dylan. Like I said, I think you should leave.”

 

“I second that.” Adrian says, stone faced. He thanks God for Caitlyn’s will to intervene between them before things got heated, he has no idea if he would have been able to control himself otherwise.

 

He watches as Dylan turns on her heel and moves past her cousin, Kirsten, and straight out the door of the cafe. It takes a few beats before everything starts to return to normal. The patrons of the cafe turned back to their conversations as if nothing had occurred before them. He can’t bring himself to look either his wife or Kirsten in the eyes after Dylan’s outburst.

 

But he knows, without a doubt, that Gail’s eyes were burning imaginary holes into him. He knows that he is nowhere out of the clear here, he now just wants to get the girls back home so they can enjoy the rest of their day and then so Gail can have it out with him behind closed doors.

 

Scene Seven

Granger Grove Gated Community; Thurlow Home

 

After the conversation he witnessed between his father and Ryan, Emmet Thurlow was in need of a distraction. So he was relieved to come home to find that his wife, Iris had ordered take out from his favorite Thai restaurant. So he slipped into something comfortable after a quick shower and stumbled down the stairs just in time for the food to arrive.

 

He notes that his wife has been more quiet than not, which wasn’t too much of a difference as Iris has always taken more to herself than necessary. However, he also notes the wrinkle above her nose that means something troubling is on her mind. Emmet moves closer to Iris and gives her a little nudge.

 

“What was that for?” Iris asks, a chuckle escaping her lips.

 

Emmet gives her a goofy grin. “That’s something that I should be asking you. You’ve been quiet all evening and I know you have something to say about the noodles.” He says, dramatically.

 

Iris gives him a look.

 

“Alright, alright,” Emmet scoots away. “I know when something is bothering you, is all that I am saying and if you want to not discuss it you know that I am all for that. But,” he stops, gives her a signature pout, “if you want to talk about it with me, I am all ears.”

 

A sound escapes Iris’ mouth that sounds like a forced sigh of relief. “I don’t even know where I would begin, to tell you the truth.”

 

“Does this have anything to do with your parents? Your real parents?” Emmet asks, knowing that he is skating on thin ice.

 

Iris plays it over in her head. He can tell that she wants to talk about it but can’t find the words to say anything.

 

“Iris. Listen to me when I say this, okay?” Emmet says. “You’re the most important thing in the world to me. So if we have to explore this conversation about your real parents, then let’s do it.”

 

“It’s not like I’m trying to force it on you.” Iris replies, defensively.

 

Emmet hates his wording immediately. “Didn’t mean it that way. I am so sorry. That isn’t how I meant to say it.”

 

Iris softens. “I just wish that I could reach out to them, you know? I know where they are, where they live and who I am. But they don’t want anything to do with me. In fact, the only two people who want anything to do with me from my family are Diem and Olivia, and they’re not even immediate relatives.”

 

“They’re good people. That’s why.”

 

Emmet hates this. He hates the fact that the Joplin family secretly abandoned Iris as a baby and turned their back on her entirely because of her parents' mistakes.  Emmet hates the fact that his wife feels like a part of her is missing. He looks at her and wants nothing but to fill the emptiness that she feels inside.

 

Emmet gets up from the couch and asks for her hand.

 

“What are you doing?” Iris asks.

 

“I’m not saying that we can figure out the answer to all of your questions today, Iris. I can’t even be certain we can figure them out tomorrow. But as long as I am with you I will make you feel as wanted, and as loved as you should feel.”

 

Iris begins to tear up.

 

After she takes his hands he begins to recite their first dance at their wedding, the salsa dance they spent months learning. He tries to concentrate on the movements as it has been a long time since they married — especially since he screwed it up the first time around at the wedding. They dance together as one, with the sound of their first dance in their minds and he feels like he is actually getting the steps down right up until the point that he feels the twist.

 

BAM! 

 

They both fall to the ground in a heap of sweat and laughter. After everything they have been through, laying there on the ground just felt right. The entire world finally felt like it was standing still so that they can both enjoy each other’s company. He tries to put the pain of his ankle in the back of his mind but the expression on his face gives it away.

 

“That bad?” Iris asks.

 

Emmet nods furiously. “I think I’m dying.”

 

Iris rolls her eyes. “You’re such a big baby, let me get you some ice.”

 

“Yes, please!”

 

Scene Eight

Boulestridge Mountain; Calbourne Cottage

 

After her conversation with her son, Charlene Nelson had spent the rest of the day thinking of his words and how he so easily slipped into protector mode over her, just as he did throughout the years. It made Charlene feel uneasy, as if she weren’t able to trust her own instincts. To say she was distracted from her work at the construction site would be an understatement so she spent as little time at the restaurant as possible and decided to head home early. Maybe find herself something to eat on the way home and settle in with something on Netflix.

 

Charlene spent the majority of her life under the spell of her ex. Husband, Patrick Sutton. She knew early on that she was never the love of Patrick’s life, that honor went to Shannon Thurlow. However, Charlene was never used to the lavish lifestyle that Patrick had provided her with, so she let it slide.

 

She let him whimper her name at night in his sleep. Charlene would let Patrick call her by Shannon’s name when he was in a drunken stupor. Some would say that it was insulting to herself to have stayed with him for so long. But these people never grew up poor like Charlene and her brother, Frank, had.

 

Then the babies came and everything changed.

 

Finally, after so long, Charlene had something to focus her time on. She had two loving children to spend her time with while he was gone on business trips. Those were the longest nights of her life.

 

Taking a deep breath, she maneuvered the car into the driveway of the house that she shared with Reichen. He was a different type of man than Patrick had been all those years ago. He was kind, and so concerned with her well being. It took some time to adjust to his embrace, but she did.

 

Charlene grabs her food and her bag from the car and spends too much time trying to grab her house keys out of the bag to notice the figure slumped up against her front door. Once she finds her keys does she take notice of the figure which makes her jump out of her skin.

 

Her food now on the floor in a defeated mess. 

 

“Oh! My god,” Charlene says, she moves closer and as she does so her eyes bulge out of her sockets. “Reichen? What the hell happened to you?”

 

In seconds she is on her knees, pulling the man to face her but his slumped face and rolled eyes cause her some concern. Unknowing what to do next, she slaps him in the face as the smell of bourbon emits from his pores. 

 

He comes to. “Char?”

 

Charlene can feel her heart sink as the doubts from before take hold and she feels overwhelmed by the situation before her. It is obvious that Reichen is drunk right now and it angers her to her core. He has been sober for so, so many years. She has no idea what he has got himself into, or even, how long it’s been going on.

 

Quickly she gets him to his feet and into the house. The food on the front porch would have to wait now that she has her husband to take care of.

 

Scene Nine

Sage Gardens; Alice's Haven Cafe

 

Dylan Tyree watches herself in the reflection of some cliche store front. Having had the confrontation with Adrian and Gail and then having someone like meek, old, Caitlyn Thurlow kicking her out of the cafe — Dylan felt pathetic. She looks at herself, her crooked nose, her too long fingers… she scoffs at the mental struggle she is having with herself.

 

Then it hits her. She never meant for things to get out of hand like they did, mostly, that is. So she spent a couple hours wandering through the shops and the paths through the main square of Sage Gardens before making her way back to her cousin’s cafe. Dylan takes one last look at herself in the glass and then tears herself away from it and heads towards the cafe.

 

She passes Cuttlebone Community Park on her way there. Dylan remembers a time when she met Jacks on the swing set after he was closing up the hardware store and they talked for hours. Now, the swing set was empty and very tempting. But she knows that Kirsten must be alone at the cafe by now and pleads with the man upstairs that Caitlyn has left her perch.

 

Dylan looks through the glass window before she heads into Alice’s Haven Cafe and straight to her cousin at the counter.

 

“Didn’t you get kicked out of here?” Kirsten asks, wary of her younger cousin.

 

Dylan turns away. “I’m sorry.” She murmurs.

 

Kirsten furrows her brow. “What?”

 

“I’m sorry.” Dylan snaps, she turns to face Kirsten through troubled eyes. “I don’t know what got into me earlier, okay? Maybe it was the Holy Ghost or the ghost from the kissing bridge.”

 

Kirsten smirks. “Who have you been kissing at the kissing bridge?”

 

Dylan scoffs. “Nobody.”

 

“Look, I’m not going to lie and say that I am completely excited that you’re back in Stone Creek, Dylan. It’s obvious that we have some sort of complicated relationship after what happened the last time you were here. I know that in your own, weird way, you are only looking out for me.”

 

Dylan looks up. This small talk is what has always made her uncomfortable, but atlas, this is why she came back to the cafe to speak with her cousin, so she lets Kirsten continue.

 

“I guess, the question I have is what are you doing back in Stone Creek after being away for so long?” Kirsten asks.

 

Dylan shrugs. “Maybe I came back to make amends?”

 

“After what Caitlyn explained I don’t think you’re going about it the right way, dear cousin.”

 

The words sting. But Dylan knew that Caitlyn would tell Kirsten about the conversation she overheard. It was exactly something that Caitlyn Thurlow would do. So she shrugs and tries to think of a reason for her behavior but nothing suffices. So she makes up her own. “I came back because Jacks asked me to.”

 

“So,” Kirsten says, “it is someone you’ve been kissing after all.”

 

“I guess so.” Dylan sighs.

 

Kirsten takes a deep breath, this Dylan notes, as she lets it out. “I am sure you don’t need me to say this, but I wouldn’t feel good by not warning you about that man, Dylan. You know about his past in this town.”

 

The words sting. Dylan raises her brow. “I, also, know about your past in this town, Kirsten.”

 

“Fine.” Kirsten says, she shakes her head. “Do what you please.”

 

“I just don’t understand how you can sit there and place judgement on someone like Jacks Hannigan but you won’t even judge yourself for what you did to your husband. It’s like you’re the poster child for hypocrisy!”

 

“Keep your voice down.” Kirsten seethed.

 

Dylan shakes her head. “I’m through being nice with you. I won’t bother you anymore, okay? What skeletons you have in your closet… those are your skeletons. I don’t want anything to do with the mess you’re going to create when your secrets come out and your lies come undone.”

 

She lifts herself up off the counter. “I’m done here.”

 

Scene Ten

Granger Grove Gated Community; Bauer Home

 

Setting down his keys in the wooden dish near the entrance to their home, Ryan Bauer moves into the kitchen. He takes note that Marina is in the middle of making dinner for the two of them. Ryan does a quick look around to see if Cassie is around the house before he moves closer into the room.

 

Ryan watches as his wife stands near the stove, she moves her head in his direction which makes Ryan aware that she is aware of his presence. This makes him smirk, as he knows Marina has always had this sixth sense about his presence. It’s the excitement of their connection that makes him love her more and more each day. She looks ravishing as she maneuvers around making dinner.

 

“I was wondering when you would be home.” Marina says, her voice is full and soft.

 

Ryan nods his head. “I have had a very long day today.”

 

“Anything you’d like to talk about?”

 

He notes how she stands against the granger green kitchen walls. There’s a hesitation in her stance that worries him, but after what happened last time he is hesitant to say anything. So instead he bites his lip about mentioning her family's decision to distance themselves from Ryan altogether.

 

Ryan knows that it’s not forever and that he will be able to rejoin the company once all of this blows over. But he also knows that Marina doesn’t need anymore stress so he pretends that nothing is bothering him and plasters a smile on his face.

 

“Nothing worth bringing up.” Ryan states. “I swung by the hospital to check-in on Derek, but everything seems to be the same.”

 

“No changes?” Marina asks, she turns to face Ryan.

 

He shakes his head. “I wish that I could have stopped him, or even, wish that I would have known he had relapsed. I keep thinking about when I found Derek on the floor in his apartment.”

 

“That must have been awful.” Marina says.

 

“It was.” Ryan admits. He watches his wife as she turns the stove off and lingers in the kitchen. “But you know what I keep thinking about throughout this entire thing? Other than my childhood best friend is in ICU at the hospital.”

 

Marina does this pout that has always caused Ryan to go weak in the knees. “What?”

 

“I wasn’t there for my friend when he needed me most. But I was thinking about how much I have actually been focused on work as of late and that has made it harder to be there for you.” Ryan says he can see Marina tense up. “I hope you don’t hate me for it.”

 

She shakes her head.

 

“Because if there’s anything you want to share with me, Rina, anything that all.” He says, moving closer to her in hopes that he can hold her in his arms once again and feel her comforting warmth. “You know that you can tell me anything. I know how hard this entire pregnancy has been for you.”

 

“I’m fine.” She says quickly.

 

He notes that something is obviously not fine with his wife. 

 

Marina pulls away, which immediately makes Ryan try to close the gap between the two of them. That’s when it happens. There’s a flinch in her stature that causes Ryan to react as fast as he can. Marina tumbles to the ground and he catches her in his arms, just like he had wanted but with so much more concern.

 

Frantically, Ryan scans the area for her phone.