Becca rolled over onto her stomach, trying to get comfortable. Sleep was her only escape from this nightmare. It wasn't as if sleeping was peaceful and comforting. In fact, it was anything but. However, it was the only thing that kept her from thinking about the secrets she kept, the wedge is drove between she and her husband, the awful fights and the effect they had on their daughter, the miscarriage itself, and how the loss has been intensified by Madeline's disappearance.
Rebecca rolled over again, throwing off the covers. She knew it was no use. She was done sleeping, for now. She almost chuckled in spite of herself, realizing that when she woke up, she was more tired than she was before she fell asleep. Her eyes fell on Ike's side of the bed, and Becca bit her quivering bottom lip. Her hand fell on his pillow, and she squeezed her eyes, which were rapidly filling with tears, shut. The two had always joked about who was on who's side of the bed. That wasn't an issue anymore, though, since Ike hadn't slept in it since he confronted Becca about the miscarriage. Now, the bed felt as large as the Atlantic Ocean, as if it could swallow her whole.
She sat up, taking deep breaths, desperately trying to control her emotions. That is, after all, how the game is played, isn't it? Be strong for everyone else. Don't show how much you're hurting. Keep it inside for those you love. A good smile can hide it all.
Becca walked into the adjoining bathroom, and splashed cold water over her face. She looked in the mirror, and made a sour face at her reflection, sick of looking at her puffy, red eyes.
"Kaitlyn!" she called, stepping out into the hallway.
"In my room, Mommy!"
She softly knocked on the door, and entered. "What are you doing, Sweetie?"
"Coloring. Daddy said Uncle Taylor and Aunt Laura are sad. Maybe this will make them feel better. What do you think?" Kaitlyn held up the book so her mother could see what she was working on.
Rebecca held back tears. "It's very pretty, Sweetie."
"Thank you. Do you want me to color one for you, so you feel better, Mommy?"
"I'd like that very much," Becca said softly.
"Don't be sad, Mommy." Kaitlyn stood up and hugged her mother's legs.
"I'm trying not to be." She picked up her daughter, embracing her tightly.
"Mommy?"
"Yes, Sweetie?"
"Are you and Daddy mad at me, like you are at each other?"
"No, Honey, we're not mad. We love you very much, and could NEVER be mad at you." Becca's voice broke as she spoke. It felt as if she'd been stabbed in the heart, to think that Kaitlyn thought her parents were angry with her.
"Then, do you and Daddy not love each other? 'Cause you yell a lot."
"We do yell a lot, don't we?" Becca's voice was soft and gentle.
Kaitlyn nodded her head in agreement.
She swallowed hard. "I know this is scary for you, Daddy and I yelling like we do. I'm sorry for scaring you. But remember, I love BOTH you AND your father very, VERY much." She hugged her daughter tightly again.
Hearing a throat being cleared, Becca turned around to find Isaac standing in the doorway. She set her daughter down and watched as the little girl embraced her father. "Daddy!" she squealed with delight.
Isaac closed his eyes as he hugged his daughter tightly. It was as if all the pain he'd been feeling could be alleviated through the simple act of hugging his daughter. But there was something else in his embrace. It was fear, fear that his daughter would disappear, like Madeline did.
Kaitlyn, sensing her father's fear, said, "Daddy, don't worry. I won't leave."
"I know. And I love you, Sweetie." He planted a kiss on his daughter's cheek.
"I love you, too, Daddy," she said, giving him an Eskimo kiss.
"I need to talk to Mommy. Okay?" He set his daughter down.
"Okay. I need to finish my picture for Uncle Taylor and Aunt Laura." Kaitlyn eagerly sat down in front of her coloring book, determined to complete her masterpiece. "And then I'm gonna make one for Mommy, and I'll make one for you, Daddy."
"Thank you, Sweetie. Your Mom and I are going downstairs."
"Alright," Kaitlyn said without looking at her parents. She was busy deciding which shade of blue to use.
The two parents descended the stairs to the first floor of the house. They entered the kitchen, which was in disarray. The radio they sang along to during breakfast was on. The sink was filled with dirty pots. The dishwasher was open, and filled with clean dishes that failed to make it into the cabinets. It was as if the room was a metaphor for their marriage: It was in shambles.
Ike shifted his weight from one foot to the other as Becca leaned over the sink, and began scrubbing a dirty pot. She softly hummed along to the radio. Ike cleared his throat.
"If you have something to say, say it already."
"I'm hiring a bodyguard."
"What for?"
"What do you mean 'what for'? This whole thing with Maddy has me scared shitless, and... And I'm hiring a bodyguard. That's it. Why am I explaining this to you? Why did I even bother to come here?"
Becca threw the pot she was holding into the sink. She quickly turned around, eyes flashing. "Good question. So, tell me, what the hell ARE you doing here?" Her voice was rising
"Well, I THOUGHT I should show you some RESPECT and TELL YOU what was going on. APPARENTLY, I was wrong. I should have NOT said anything at all. Isn't that the way it's done? I mean, it worked for YOU, right?" Ike's voice was now rising, as well.
"What a surprise! This is all about me." Her tone was sarcastic. "Well, you're on a roll, so keep it coming. Come on, let's have it. Get it all off your chest." Becca's voice became self-defensive, so it could shield herself from the sting of the words Ike was about to say. But there was something else, too. Her eyes, they were pleading him to lash out at her. She knew he was filled with anger, and needed release.
Ike opened his mouth, but a knock on the back door stopped the machine gun-like firing of his words before it started. The door opened, and AJ and Zac walked into the kitchen, hand-in-hand. Zac took one look at his brother and sister-in-law, and knew he got there just in time. "I'm taking Kaitlyn to Mom and Dad's. She's staying there with us." There was no mistaking the authority in Zac's voice.
He and AJ climbed the stairs and headed towards Kaitlyn's room. He knocked softly on the door. "Kaitlyn? Can I come in?"
"Uncle Zac?"
He opened the door. "Yup, it's me."
"Uncle Zac!" Kaitlyn ran to him and jumped into his arms. She wanted him to make the yelling stop.
"Hey, what do you say we have a sleep over at Grandma and Grandpa's tonight, you, me, and AJ?" he asked his niece.
Kaitlyn nodded her head. She pulled her overnight bag out from underneath her bed. She threw pajamas, a clean change of clothes, and the teddy bear her Grandma Maggie and Grandpa Roger gave her inside. Zac and AJ looked on as the young girl picked up her coloring book and crayons, and dumped them into the bag as well. "Done," she announced.
AJ picked up the bag and Zac picked up his niece. The three went down the stairs. When they reached the bottom, Kaitlyn sadly whispered to her uncle, "I don't want to say goodbye to Mommy and Daddy."
Zac nodded his head, his niece's words breaking his heart. The three left the house through the front door.
Upon hearing the door close, the tension that had consumed Isaac and Rebecca's bodies was immediately replaced with remorse. They hated the effect their fighting was having on their daughter.
"I suppose that's my fault, too?" Becca said, referring to Zac and AJ's exit with Kaitlyn, egging on her husband. Now he could yell without the fear of upsetting his daughter.
"Why are you doing this to me!?! Christ, Bec! You're making me fucking crazy!" Despite his anger, there were tears behind his eyes.
"Maybe I AM fucking crazy!"
"You forgot selfish and inconsiderate!"
"Fuck you!"
"What? That's the best you can do? God-forbid you APOLOGIZE!"
"Like that's really going to change anything. Apologies are just words that don't mean a God- damnd thing!"
Isaac shook his head. Who was this woman standing in front of him? It most certainly was not the one he married. "Becca, what is WRONG with you?" The volume of his voice had returned to normal.
"I'm a fucking, psycho bitch." Her expression was stoic and her voice hallow.
Her response agitated him to no end. "Shit, Rebecca! Why the hell do you always push me away? Just tell me what your problem is."
Becca swallowed hard, batting her eyes, trying to keep it all inside. It wasn't working. Here she had been trying to get Isaac to release his feelings, and what she needed was a release of her own. All of her anger, hurt, and fear rose up from her feet, consuming her entire body. She quickly snatched a glass from the dishwasher, and hurled it across the kitchen. As the glass hit the wall and shattered, Becca dropped to the floor, the rest of her emotions fleeing her body in the form of sobs.
Isaac stood in shock. How had it all reached this point, where Becca would actually throw something? And as his wife curled up into the fetal position, her body shaking with each sob, he wondered if they reached the point of no return. As he watched her cry, he couldn't help thinking she looked more like a little girl than a grown woman. Isaac knelt down on the floor. He wanted to reach out and help her, but something stopped him.
I know you have a little life in you yet... I know you have a lot of strength left... I know you have a little life in you yet... I know you have a lot of strength left...
"Becca?" he asked softly.
She sniffed. "I don't want this." Her voice was barely audible. "I... I can't... do this."
"Do what, Sweetie?"
Becca sat up, and backed herself up against the cabinet as far as she could. She brought her knees to her chest. Isaac reached out to stroke her hair, and she slammed her back into the cabinet. It was obvious she didn't want him to touch her, and he let his hand fall to his side. There was an emptiness behind her eyes as she cried, and he swallowed hard. He wanted so much -- for things to be like they were before, to have his wife back, to have her reach out for him.
Give me these moments back... Give them back to me... Give me that little kiss... Give me your hand...
"Please," he begged. "Talk to me." His voice was soft and gentle, but there was no mistaking the desperation in it, either.
"It's... it's all my... my fault," she whispered, bottom lip quivering.
"No. It was my fault, too. You didn't do this alone." His eyes rapidly filled with tears.
"Not... not that."
"What?" Ike was confused. What was she talking about?
"It's... all my... fault."
"No."
"Yes. It is. I... I did... something... wrong. Why, Ike? Why did it die?"
As Becca dropped her head into her knees and began to cry again, realization finally sunk in for Isaac. Rebecca blamed herself for the miscarriage. He had be so blinded by his anger, and she hid it so well, carrying this all alone.
I should be crying but I just can't let it show... I should be hoping but I can't stop thinking... Of all the things we should've said... That were never said...
He swallowed hard, trying to get rid of the lump in his throat. "Rebecca Hanson, listen to me. It is NOT your fault."
"But it IS," she insisted. She looked up at her husband's tear-stained face. "At... at first... I didn't... I didn't want... But then... Then I... I found out... And I wanted... wanted to..." She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them. "I wanted to give you a baby," she whispered.
All the things that you needed from me... All the things that you wanted for me... All the things I should've given... But I didn't...
"It's okay." His voice was soothing.
Becca vigorously shook her head. She quickly got up and ran into the bathroom, slamming the door shut and locking it. She leaned up against the door for a few seconds, before collapsing to the floor, sobbing, once again.
Out in the kitchen, Isaac sat on the floor, head in his hands, crying.
Oh, darling, make it go away... Just make it go away now...
"Coming!" Zoe shouted as she jogged down the stairs to answer the doorbell. "Coming!" She jumped the last two steps, and raced to the front door. She opened it and said, "I told you I was coming."
"I'’m sorry, AuntZoeë," Kaitlyn apologized, hugging the teenager's legs. "I rang the doorbell."
"It's okay, Sweetie," Zoe said, picking up her niece and kissing her cheek. "It's a nice surprise to see you here," she said, ruffling the little girl's hair.
"Kaitlyn's spending the night here," Zac told his youngest sister. He walked through the front door, carrying his niece's suitcase. AJ followed him and Zoe, still carrying her niece, brought up the rear.
"Hey, Kiddo. How would you like to spend the night with me?" Zoe asked Kaitlyn.
"Can I, Uncle Zac? Can I? Please? Pretty please?" Kaitlyn clasped her hands in front of her chest as she begged.
Zac chuckled. "Of course you can, Sweetheart! You can stay wherever you like."
Zoe set her niece down. "Get your suitcase, and let's go upstairs. We have all sorts of girl things to do tonight." The teenager giggled, and Kaitlyn took the suitcase from her uncle. Hand in hand, the two girls climbed the stairs to the second floor.
AJ turned to Zac. "I guess we should bring in our bags, too, huh?"
"Stay here. Sit. I'll get them." Zac went out to the rental car, brought the bags in and left them next to the couch. "This has been one hell of a day."
"You can say that again," AJ said, snuggling up next to her boyfriend.
"This has been one hell of a day."
She giggled. "You know, despite all that's going on, it figures you'd be the one to make me smile." She sighed. "I have something to tell you, Zac, and you're not going to like it."
"Oh, no. Please, you didn't." He immediately knew what AJ was talking about.
"Zac, I did. I had to. Please, try to understand." She faced him, her cheeks slowly turning red, as they always did when she became emotional.
"AJ, I thought we agreed to stay out of this. It wasn't your place to call and tell Rick what's going on." Zac placed his hands over hers, which were folded in her lap. "We're not doing anyone any favors by getting involved, Sweetie."
"Is that so?" AJ pulled her hands away from Zac's and crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"Yes, it is," he stated calmly. He wasn't in the mood for an argument, and he felt his niece had been a witness to enough fighting for one day.
"Then would you mind telling me why we brought Kaitlyn here?" AJ raised an eyebrow.
Zac groaned. "AJ, that's different…" He rolled his eyes in frustration. front of her chest.
"Really? How so? The way I see it, what goes on between Ike and Becca doesn't concern us. But with Rick, it's different. We owe him."
"So can'’t we just take him out to dinner? And my brother, sister-in-law and niece are MOST CERTAINLY my business. I don't know how you could say otherwise." Zac slid back a few inches on the couch. Suddenly, he didn't want to be sitting so close to AJ anymore.
"Well, Madeline is my niece. I was there when she was born. I owe this to her. I'm giving her something I never got." With that last statement, AJ's voice cracked with emotion, and tears sprung to her eyes. She sighed. "I never told you this..."
"Told me what?" Zac didn't know if he should wipe away his girlfriend's tears, or brace himself for some earth-shattering news.
AJ sighed again. "I never knew my biological father, Zac. He left us when I was just a baby. Jack adopted us when he married my mom, and he's raised me since I was two. He's been a father to me. But you know me, always off on some mission. I was convinced that if my real dad knew all I've accomplished, he'd be proud of me. When I found out I was valedictorian of my high school class, I went out looking for my father. It wasn't easy, but I found him. I never told my mom, or my brother or sister. I just went. He said he had no interest in coming to graduation, or starting a relationship with me, for that matter. He did congratulate me, though, and thank me for telling him what was going on. But he also said he left for a reason, and then asked me nicely to leave."
"Oh, Honey, I'm so sorry." Zac pulled AJ into a warm embrace.
She pulled away. "Don't be. I'm not, not for one second." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "The point is, even though my dad had no interest in building a relationship with me, he WAS happy that I turned out okay. He deserved to know that I wasn't dead in a gutter somewhere. The same goes for Rick. Maddy is missing, and he has a right to know. If it was you, wouldn't you want to know?"
"Of course I would. And I know you're right." Zac sighed. "This whole situation is just a little awkward..." He ran a shaky had through his hair, and sighed again.
"Because of Taylor, huh?" She stroked her boyfriend's cheek gently.
"Well, wouldn't you feel awkward?"
"I do now. And I know someone is going to be unhappy, mainly Laura, but I have to do what my heart tells me to. Because when this is all over, I'll have to live with myself and what I've done." AJ smiled weakly.
"You made a telephone call, AJ. It's not liked you killed someone. Stop being so dramatic." He leaned in and gently pressed his lips against her forehead. "You did what you had to do. I respect that. It doesn't mean I have to like it, though..." His voice trailed off, and he cast his eyes downward.
"I know..." AJ's voice was soft, and she sniffed.
An awkward silence followed, and then someone came thundering down the stairs. "AJ! Uncle Zac! Wanna play beauty parlor with me?" Kaitlyn ran into the living room.
"Beauty parlor? Hmmm... I don't think so..." He couldn't bring himself to say no outright. He pained him to say no to his first niece. But, unlike his brothers, Zac couldn't bring himself to cut with his long tresses. And if he didn't let AJ mess with his hair, there was no way he could allow his five-year-old niece to take a comb, or anything else for that matter, to it.
"Awww.... Come on, Uncle Zac..." Kaitlyn began to whine. She knew it would make her uncle cave.
"Yeah, come on..." AJ joined in, and began to whine too. She also gave him puppy dog eyes for good measure.
Zac look back and forth from his girlfriend to his niece, and back again. "I hate it when you gang up on me like that!" He looked back and forth again a few more times before totally caving in. "All right! All right! Just be careful with my hair, okay?"
"Thank you, Uncle Zac!" Kaitlyn gave him a bear hug. "I'll do your hair, and AJ, you do mine."
"You got it, Sport." AJ sat down on the floor behind her niece, who was standing behind her uncle. "How would you like your hair done?"
"You can do it however you want, as long as it's cute. Uncle Zac, can I braid your hair?" Kaitlyn began to comb her uncle's hair.
"I don't know..."
"Please?" She whimpered.
He sighed. "All right." His niece resumed combing his hair, and a smile slowly spread across his face. "You know, it's been YEARS since I've had my hair braided."
"Did Aunt Zoe, Aunt Avery, and Aunt Jessie play beauty parlor with you?" Kaitlyn began to braid a chunk of hair.
"No, they had no interest in that. My mom used to braid my hair..."
"Grandma? You mean, you wanted her to?"
"Yeah. I wore my hair in braids quite a bit for concerts and early TV appearances." Zac found himself smiling at the memory of all the times his mother pulled his hair. She warned him every time they sat down to braid it that if he didn't hold still, he'd end up bald. Maybe that was part of the reason he'd kept his hair long all this years. He wanted to prove her wrong.
"Uncle Zac?"
"Yes, Sweetie?"
"Why do my parents fight?" Kaitlyn fingers slowed down, and the braid she was working on slowly began to unravel. Tears welled up her eyes, and she made no effort to keep from crying.
"Oh, Honey..." Zac turned around and hugged his niece. "I know this is hard for you to understand. And I'll be honest, I don't really understand it all myself. They're just trying to work some things out. Adults, for some reason, think they have to yell to work things out. But that doesn't mean, not for one second that they don't love you. They love you more than anything."
"That's what Mommy said..." Kaitlyn looked down at the carpet.
"And she meant it. I know she did. I've known your mother a long time, so let me tell you, when she says something, she means it." Zac sat on the couch and pulled his niece into his lap. "Here, sit." He patted the cushin next to him, indicating for AJ to sit next to him. She did, and he put one arm around her, pulling her close. His other arm was around his niece. "There. I have my two favorite women with me." He kissed each one on the top of their heads.
"Daddy sings me to sleep? How am I going to get to sleep tonight if he doesn't sing to me?" Kaitlyn sighed, and leaned back against her uncle.
"Kaitlyn?"
"Yeah, AJ?" She turned to look at her uncle's girlfriend.
"If it's okay with you, I could sing to you. I know it's not the same thing, but I'd like to, if you'll let me." She began to gently stroke the young girl's hair.
"Can I stay down here with you two? Sing to me here? I don't want to go upstairs..." She let her voice trail off, and again, she looked at the carpet. Everyone keeps telling her what a big girl she is. But if the truth must be known, Kaitlyn would rather be a baby right now. Being a big girl isn't all it's crack up to be.
"Sure, Sweetie. You can stay wherever you like." AJ continued to stroke the young girl's hair, and began to sing softly. "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine... You make me happy when skies are gray... You'll never know, dear, how much I love you... Please don't take my sunshine away..."
"I can't eat. I can't sleep. There's this big whole inside my heart. I might as well be dead." Laura slouched down into the couch, her face pale and a lifeless look behind her eyes.
"But you can't be dead. I need you." Taylor sat down next to his wife, resting his head on her shoulder.
"You don't need me. Besides, you'd me better off without me." Laura picked her husband's head off her shoulder, and stood up. She walked over to the mantle adorned with family pictures, and stared at the family portrait taken only two months after Jennifer was born.
"That, MOST CERTAINLY, is not true. I remember what my life was like without you in it. I remember it like it was yesterday. You were always in my thoughts and dreams." Taylor stood and walked over to his wife. "I'm... I'm not like my brothers. I'm not independent, like Ike. I'm not fearless, like Zac. I'm just an ordinary man who doesn't know what he'd do without his wife," he said, his voice low and raspy. He cupped Laura's chin, and stared into her eyes. "You can't ever leave me," he whispered, eyes brimming with tears.
"I... I don't want to," she whispered. Her shoulders shook slightly with the threat of oncoming tears. "It's just..." She sighed. "It's just... Sometimes I feel like our relationship has just been a string of disasters, one after the other. I left you, then I got pregnant. I didn't see you for years... Why can't I do anything right?" A few tears trickled down Laura's pale face.
"You do plenty right, Sweetheart." Taylor gently pressed his lips against his wife's forehead. "You came back to Tulsa. You brought Madeline into my life. You said 'yes' when I asked you to be my wife. You made me the father of two beautiful girls when you gave birth to Jenn. Honey, to me, you will ALWAYS do everything right." The corners of Taylor's mouth turned up slightly, and his forehead touched Laura's. "Do you remember when we were in school, and I took you roller blading? I think I only knew you a week then..."
"Uh-huh... And I told you I couldn't do it. But you kept insisting that I could. I had to sprain my ankle and break my wrist to prove you wrong." Laura chuckled at the memory. "You were all worried that my father was gonna kill you."
"Well, he was less than thrilled when I called to tell him you were in the hospital, to say the least. I think whether or not he was going to kill me was a legitimate concern." Taylor's smile was now full-fledged, and he chuckled.
"Well, he didn't think you were so bad once we got back to school, and you waited on me hand and foot. You were so sweet. At least, that's what my parents thought. I knew better. You sat and watched 'General Hospital' with me every day. You were obviously so guilt-ridden." Laura smiled, and then kissed the tip of her husband's nose. "You were so cute, too."
"Oh, and I'm not cute now?"
"No. You're handsome now." She smiled flirtatiously. "It was just cute the way you made fun of soap operas, but got so wrapped up in the storylines. That's when I knew that you were a loyal person.' Laura left a trail of kisses down from Taylor's nose to his neck.
"It had nothing to do with loyalty. That Carly was a babe, that's all." He shrugged his shoulders.
Laura quickly pulled away. "Oh? A babe, huh?" She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms in front of her chest, with the hint of a smile playing on the corners of her mouth.
"Yeah, a babe. Well, a body, really. But you should thank Carly, actually," Taylor said, stepping closer to his wife, his voice low.
"Thank her? Why?"
"Because, if it hadn't been for her, I wouldn't have spent all that time with you. And if I hadn't spent all that time with you, it would've taken me that much longer to fall in love with you." Taylor gently pressed his lips against Laura's.
She ran her fingers through her husband's hair. "You were in love with me all the way back then?"
"Don't sound so surprised. Although, I have to be honest, when it first happened, I wasn't quite sure what it was. All I knew was that I was happiest when I was around you. Ike's actually the one who told me that I was in love," Taylor admitted sheepishly, cheeks blushing.
"Ike, huh?" Laura circled her arms around Taylor's neck. "You know, I think I remember someone in your family saying he was the smarter one..." She grinned devilishly.
"You wanna know what he said to me?"
"Sure."
"He said that it was so obvious I was head-over-heels in love with you. I told him it couldn't be that, because you were like my best friend. Then he said for me to look at him, head-over-heels in love with Becca, HIS best friend. He also said that I wouldn't find anyone who appreciated my faults as well as my good points, like you." Taylor smiled. "Now that I think about it, I'm surprised he didn't whip out that Shakespeare sonnet." His expression became serious. "Back then, all I knew was that you brought feelings in me that I didn't know I had. I didn't know I was capable of feeling things like love, expect when it came to my family, of course. I don't know... All those years of being in the spotlight made me guarded. Somehow, you broke through that. And I didn't even put up a fight. I just loved the way you made me feel." Taylor unclasped his wife's hands from behind his neck, brought them around to his mouth, and gently kissed the back of them. "Still do."
Laura's bottom lip quivered, and a few stray tears slid down her cheeks. "All this time, and you never said anything..." she whispered.
"You know I was never really the outspoken type..." he said, running his fingers through her long, silky blonde hair. "I felt... I don't know... almost like I would jinx our relationship if I ever said anything. And in the beginning, I was afraid you didn't feel the same way about me, and if I told you how I felt, it would ruin our friendship."
"Please, if anyone was ever in danger of ruining our friendship, it was me. I screwed up so many times..." Laura shook her head, a smile slowly forming on her lips. "Remember our first date?"
"Do I ever!" Taylor said, laughing. "You yelled at me for holding the car door open for you. Said your arms weren't broken, and you could do it yourself."
"I didn't yell," Laura said, a defensive expression on her face.
"Oh, you most certainly did!" Taylor's laughter slowly subsided. "But it ended rather well." A devilish grin worked its way onto his face.
"I even managed to screw that up!" Laura said. She laughed and buried her head in her husband's shoulder.
"It all worked out, thanks to me. You know, I bet you don't even remember it all."
"The hell I don't!"
"Oh, so, you could reenact the whole thing, then?" Taylor raised his eyebrows up and down suggestively.
"Is that a challenge?" Laura smiled.
"Yep."
"Well, let's see..." Laura walked over to the couch and sat down. "We were sitting on the bench by the pond outside my house." She patted the seat next to her, and indication for Taylor to sit down. "You tried to put your arm around me, and I stood up and walked to the edge of the pond..."
Taylor put his arm behind Laura. She stood up, walked towards the mantle. He stood up and walked towards her. He stood behind her, snaked his arms around her waist, and rested his chin on her right shoulder. "I came up behind you, and did this," he said, he hands finding their way under her shirt.
"Then I asked you what you were doing," Laura said, her voice quivering, just like it did that night. However, instead of her quivering voice being a result of nerves, it was from feeling Taylor's touch. His touch had always made her shiver with delight, ever since that night.
"I told you it was one of the things I wanted to do for a long time." Taylor's voice became low and raspy. With his fingers he drew concentric circles around his wife's bellybutton.
"I took a few steps forward to get away from you, and ended up in the pond." Laura giggled. "Then my knight in shining armor came in after me, literally sweeping me off my feet."
He picked her up, cradling her. "You know, you've gotten a bit heavier since the last time I did this."
"Hey! You didn't say that!" She giggled again.
"Sorry. Anyway, where were we? Oh, yeah. Sweeping you off your feet… I told you I wouldn't drop you back into the water on one condition: that you'd kiss me." Taylor smiled at the memory.
"I thought you were totally off your rocker. But you kept insisting that was the only way I'd get out without going under. So I figured I'd just go along with it. I'd be out of the water, and find out if you were a good kisser." Laura pressed her forehead against her husband's.
"How did I rate?"
"You seemed tentative at first, but ended up scoring much higher once you put your tongue in my mouth." Teasingly, she gently brushed her lips against his, barely making contact.
Slowly, Taylor set Laura's feet on the ground. "Is that so?"
"Uh-huh... Come on, Honey. Kiss me."
"My, aren't we the demanding one?" Taylor said before fulfilling his wife's request. When they pulled apart, they smiled at one another. "I think our first date ended something like that."
"Yeah, it did." Laura rested her head against her husband's chest, once again looking at the pictures adorning the mantle. "Taylor?"
"Yeah, Sweetie?" he said, gently stroking her hair.
"Did you ever think we'd be here? Worried out of our minds because our eldest child was missing?" she asked, whispering.
"No, Laura," he replied, staring off into space.
She looked up at Taylor. "I want her home," she said, eyes brimming with tears.
"Me, too."
Rick gripped the steering wheel of the rental car, his knuckles turning white. His nerves were making his body tingle, and butterflies swam through his stomach. He had already pulled over three times, thinking he was going to vomit. A quick glance at himself in the rearview mirror left him thinking he even looked a little green.
He swore to himself that he'd stay out of it. He played AJ's message over and over again, but he told himself he'd stay in New York. After all, he made a promise to AJ to stay out of Oklahoma. And he really didn't want to break that promise, either. But last night's events changed all that. He had to break the promise. He HAD to, for Madeline's sake. He was left with no other choice.
(Flashback)
"Hello?" Rick answered his cell phone.
"We have her."
He froze. Having gotten AJ's message, Rick was panic-stricken all day. He was hoping the phone would ring, but that it would be AJ on the other end with an update. Instead, it was his worst nightmare. "Have who?" he asked, playing dumb.
"You know who."
There was some rustling in the background. "Take it," the sinister male voice said to someone. "Daddy?" asked the soft voice of a young girl. Rick gasped.
"Now you know how it feels."
CLICK.
(End Flashback)
"I have to tell them. They have to know she's okay. Besides, I know who has her, and they need to know, too," Rick said to himself, attempting to rationalize why he was parked outside Laura's house. He shook his head. Had AJ not given him Laura's address, he would've stayed in New York. He would've called AJ with this information from the safety of his couch. And he still could've done that. However, he knows what these assholes want. They want him. And that's why he urgently knocked on the front door three times.
Walker answered the front door. "May I help you?" he asked the stranger.
"Um... is Laura home?"
"Yes." Walker stared at the man. With everything that was going on, there was no way in hell he was letting this stranger into the house.
"Can I talk to her, please?" Rick shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Being scrutinized by this man was making him more nervous than he already was.
"Laura! Taylor!" Walker shouted, not even bothering to turn around. He wasn't letting this man out of his sight.
Husband and wife came to the door. "Rick?" Taylor asked in disbelief. What was he doing here? Laura stood frozen, wide eyes not believing for a second what she was seeing. It was her worst nightmare come true.
"Laura, I... I know where she is," Rick said softly, unable to look the woman in the eyes.
"She?" Taylor asked, although he had a pretty good idea that Rick was referring to Madeline, which left him feeling scared. He looked at his wife, who was still frozen. She didn't even bat an eyelash. "Laura." He nudged his wife with his elbow.
The poke brought Laura to life. Her nostrils flared and her eyes flashed. She clenched her fists so tight her fingernails left imprints on the palms of her hands. "Bastard!" she yelled. Then in one quick motion, her right fist connected with Rick's left eye. Rick dropped to the ground in pain, his hands covering his eye. Laura doubled-over in pain, her fist throbbing.
"What the hell is going on here?" Taylor's voice boomed. He was confused, and wanted answers. He looked at his wife, one eyebrow raised.
Laura picked up her head and shook her fist, trying to rid herself of the pain. "Taylor, meet Maddy's biological father."
"What the hell do you think gives you the right to come here?" Laura shouted at Rick, who was sitting at her kitchen table with ice pack over his left eye. She hopped onto the counter, and Taylor placed an ice pack on her swelling knuckles. "You think you can not give a damn for nine years, and then just drop in whenever it suits you?"
"I DID give a damn for nine years. That's why I stayed out of your life." Rick sighed in frustration. He knew this was going to be hard, but not THIS hard.
"Oh, you're so full of shit!"
"This is ridiculous! This isn't what I came here for!" Rick took the ice pack off his eye, and glared at Laura. He was beginning to lose control of his temper.
Seeing that this bickering was getting them nowhere, Taylor intervened. He sat down at the table across from Rick. "You said you know where Madeline is. Where is she, Rick?"
"He doesn't know where she is. He's lying. What makes you think she's even missing?" Laura hopped off the counter and walked towards Rick.
"AJ called me." Rick looked directly at Laura. He wasn't backing down. That's not why he came here.
"Why would AJ tell you?" Her voice was hard, but the expression on her face began to soften. Like it or not, Rick was here and involved.
He sighed. "Because she knows, Laura. She found out by accident. But that's not even the point. Can we just call the police? I have information that can help get her back." He put the ice pack back on his eye, and winced in pain. "That's some punch you throw."
"Yeah, well, you deserved it," Laura said, taking her husband's seat as he got up to phone the police.
"The police are on their way," Taylor said. He hung up on the phone, and sat down next to his wife. "So, Rick, what are we dealing with, here? I want to hear this before the police show up."
"Yeah, me too," Laura chimed in.
Rick took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Years ago, I witnessed a crime. My testimony put the two guys, Frankie and Waldo, in jail. When the verdict was announced, Frankie turned to me in the courtroom and said he'd get me for this." He swallowed, while Taylor and Laura stared at him with wide eyes. "You see, Frankie had a baby boy, but once he was arrested, his girlfriend denied him rights to see his son." He glanced at Laura from the corner of his good eye. "Frankie swore he'd get ME. I didn't think he'd go after anyone else. I don't even know how he found out about Madeline, but he did. I got a call on my cell phone last night. The guy on the other line said he had 'her.' I played dumb, but then a girl got on the phone. All she said was 'Daddy,' but it had to be Madeline. Who else would it be? So I called a buddy of mine at the phone company, and got him to trace the call, instead of waiting for the police. The call was made from Tulsa, so I hopped on the first flight out of New York." Rick shrugged his shoulders, an indication that he was done. He looked back and forth from Taylor to Laura, waiting for some sort of a reaction.
After a few moments of silence, Laura spoke up. "You mean to tell me," she said through gritted teeth, "that because you put this asshole in jail he felt the need to take MY DAUGHTER!" She jumped into a standing position, knocking the chair over. She leaned over the table, and glared at Rick. "This is ALL YOUR FAULT!"
"I know it is, damn it!" Rick shouted, jumping out of his chair and knocking it over. "That's why I'm here. I wanna make this right. I know what these two bastards look like, and I'm the one they want. I'm here to get Madeline back." Rick paused, panting slightly from his little outburst. "Please, let me help you," he said, his voice returning to a normal level.
"Help? Help! Are you out of your mind!?! You have done MORE than enough! I want you out of my house, and out of Tulsa! I never want to see your sorry face again!" Laura's face became red with anger. First Rick showed up on her doorstep, then he said he was the reason Maddy was kidnapped. Asking if he could help was the final straw.
"You need my help! Stop being so stubborn and do it for Madeline! Okay, I'm sorry. I know I screwed up. I know I deserted you, and left you to raise a baby on your own. But I'm here now, offering to help! Please, let me!" Rick was standing once again. For some strange reason, he wasn't expecting this much resistance from Laura. Now, he doesn't know what the hell he was thinking.
Taylor gripped the end of the table, his knuckles turning white. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. This wasn't about who left who, and who did what. It was supposed to be about getting Maddy back. Not able to take any more, he stood up quickly, all patience gone. "That's it! That's enough! No more! Yes, Rick, we accept your help. Laura, deal with it. This isn't about him screwing you and leaving you. It's about getting our daughter back, and we need all the help we can get!"
Laura stood in shock, looking at her husband in disbelief. But it only took a few seconds for her to realize that her husband was right. She sighed in defeat and turned to Rick. "All right. You can help."
Taylor sat on the front porch, his elbows resting on his knees and his head in his hands. He was tired, not having slept since this whole nightmare began. He also felt sick to his stomach. And knowing that Maddy's kidnapping was just an act of revenge filled him with rage. How DARE someone do this! Taylor lifted his head when he heard the screen door open.
Rick sat down next to him. "I know I'm the last person you want to see right now..."
"No... It's okay."
"No, it's not. I just want to apologize... for everything. I had no business showing up here, especially unannounced. I just should've called AJ. But... I know I'm responsible for this, and I'm gonna do everything I can to make it right." Rick's voice shook with emotion.
"You're not... You're not responsible for this. I don't blame you. Honestly." Taylor added that last bit when he saw the look of doubt on Rick's face. "You know, before you showed up here, I blamed MYSELF. The police led me to believe that this was some stunt to get my money. I thought if I was someone else, none of this would've happened. Point is, this is out of our control." Taylor ran a shaky hand through his hair. To say he was slightly uncomfortable would be an understatement. Sitting next to him was the man who helped Zac and AJ. But he's also Madeline's biological father. Definitely not a typical situation...
"Let's face it, Taylor. I AM partially responsible for this, at the very least. And I'm also sorry for what went on earlier in the kitchen. I... I..." Rick swallowed as he tried to find the right words to convey what he was feeling. "I was young and stupid back then. I never meant to hurt anyone, though." He sighed. "The bottom line is, I wasn't ready to be a father, and for that reason alone, I had no business having sex with Laura. And had I known that you were here back home waiting for her... Oh, what's the use? What's done is done. But I want you to know that I'm not going interfere. As far as I'm concerned, Taylor, you're Madeline's father." Rick quickly turned his head so Taylor wouldn't see him wipe a few stray tears from his eyes.
"I... I don't know what to say..." Taylor voice cracked as he became overwhelmed with emotion. He certainly wasn't expecting this sort of proclamation.
"Just say you'll continue to take good care of her when we get her back." Rick stood up and took the keys to the rental car out of his pocket. "I should be going..." his voice trailed off.
"You COULD stay," Taylor spoke up, after a brief moment of silence.
"No. I don't belong here. Besides, I got reservations," Rick said, failing to make eye contact.
"Well... Come over for breakfast, then. That way we'll all be together if we hear anything from the police. Any time is good. We'll be up." Taylor nervously licked his lips.
"Okay. Breakfast. See you tomorrow then." He began to walk towards the rental car.
"Rick!" Taylor shouted, standing up.
"Yeah?" He kept his back facing Taylor.
"Thanks."
Rick looked down at the driveway for a few seconds. He picked up his head and took a deep breath. "You're welcome," he replied. Then he got in the car, and drove away.