EPISODE FIFTEEN
Written By Aaron D. Mullins
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Previously On
SCENE ONE – “Cancer.” The
word hung in the air like a bad smell.
Will’s mouth went dry and he felt a little dizzy as he tried to wrap
his head around the concept. “When…
how…” “Will… just let me explain the whole
story, and then I promise I’ll answer whatever questions you have.”
Diana spoke softly; she was aware, on some
level, of what this news was doing to him.
Their marriage might be over, but they’d known each other since they
were teens and this was going to hurt. She continued pacing the room, nervously
picking at her nail polish… ‘Confucius Say Coral’ was the color, she
remembered with a smile. What an odd
thing to remember at such a time. “I
found a lump in my breast a few weeks before I left “I made an appointment with Dr.
Sanchez,” she continued. “You always
said she was the best. If she hadn’t
retired in the time since I’d left, I would have…” She was rambling. “Anyway, Dr. Sanchez did a biopsy and I
found out it was malignant. I was
devastated. It all sunk in, all at
once. I felt like, for the first time,
that I was really going to die. I was
here, at the hospital, and could barely stand. Dr. Sanchez asked me if I wanted to have
you paged… I told her no, I’d just go to your office…” “Oh God,” he gasped, knowing what was
coming next. “After a few moments, I pulled myself
together long enough to make my way down to this office,” she said, gazing
around the room as though she were seeing it for the first time. “All that I wanted at that moment was to
feel your arms around me, to hear you say it was going to be all right. Our lives, our marriage… it had grown so
distant by that time, but I needed you so much…” The tears began to fall, in spite of her
best efforts. “Diana… I…” “Elyse was off
that day, so there was no one in the lobby.
Of course, I know now that you had planned it that way… I stumbled
toward the door, feeling like I’d run a marathon, when I heard it… the
laughter. Feminine laughter.” She
closed her eyes, trying to fight back the urge to scream. After all of this time, it was still so
painful to talk about. “I found the
strength to throw open the door and… there you were,” she pointed to his
desk. “Sprawled out on top of yet
another in a long line of bimbos.” “God, Diana…” he gasped, trying to find
the words, any words, that would make the past go
away. She stopped talking for a moment, taking
long, deep breaths and dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. “Okay… as I said, I’m not here to rehash
the past,” she said, a confident tone returning to her voice. “We both know what happened after that. Long story short, I shut down… it was all
too much to take… the cancer… your affair… it was all just… too much. So I went to the only place I could think
of where I could process… “No!” Will gasped. “Oh, Di… I’m so
sorry.” “And that’s about it.” She exhaled loudly, taking her seat. “The rest you know. I started working in law again, tried to
deal with the recovery… all until a few weeks ago. I found another lump, this time in my
remaining breast. But things were
different now, I had… processed the
other issues, and I felt like I needed to be with the children again. I came back, started seeing Dr. Bennett
and… here we are.” Another silence filled the room. Will removed his glasses and rubbed the
bridge of his nose. “I just… I can’t
believe that this all happened and you never told me.” “Oh, Will,” she said with a slightly
bitter laugh. “Come on…” “I deserved to know, Diana!” His tone
caught even himself off guard. “The
children! They deserved to know!” “Will, weren’t you listening to me? I wasn’t going to sit back and put
Ross,
Emily and
Wendy through the pain… the torture
of watching me fight cancer and die slowly.
I went through that! You were there!
You know what losing my
mother and sister did to me! I’d
rather have them thinking of me as a selfish, absentee mother and know that
they were, at least, living their lives, then to have them suffer through
this disease.” “Oh my God!” he yelled, slapping the table. “You… you ran away! You played the martyr and deprived your
grown children the chance to deal with this with you… to help you!” “Don’t you dare…” “What?
Tell the truth? Oh, Diana, you
can be mad at me for the hellacious timing of that ridiculous affair… God
knows I’ve got it coming… but don’t stand there and expect me to understand
how you could have kept something like this…
from…” his voice broke into sobs.
“Damn it!” He looked at his hands, which were shaking nearly
uncontrollably. “All of these years… I
thought that it was me, it was my mistake that made
you abandon the children… when that was only part of it. Most of it was your damned pride!” “This was a mistake,” she said, jumping
to her feet. “I should have known that
this would turn into the same old argument… I should have known you wouldn’t
understand…” “Wait!” he barked. “Don’t you leave now! Don’t you walk out on me again! You stay there… you tell me what happens
next!” Will felt his face flush and tears slide down his hot cheeks. “This new lump… is it…” “I don’t know!” she yelled. “I… I don’t…” she put her face in her
hands. “God, Will, I just don’t know…
All I know is that I missed my children so much… I just want to make up for
the terrible mistakes I’ve made… God, Will… you’re right… I shouldn’t have…
Emily and Ross… they needed me and… I needed them… oh God…” she fell to her
knees and began to sob loudly. Without a second thought, Will rushed to
her side and pulled her into his arms.
“Shhh,” he whispered, stroking her
hair. “It’s okay… I’m sorry I yelled
at you… sorry I betrayed you… so sorry for so much…” “Will…” “No more words right now,” he said,
holding her tight. “No more words…” SCENE TWO – GYPSY GRILLE – ALICIA SINCLAIR’S ROOM She had been biting her fingernails
again;
Alicia hadn’t done that since the sixth grade, when she was asked to
perform a solo in the school choir.
She was laying on her bed, staring at the
cell phone on her dresser that was taunting her like a box of Godiva chocolates. “It’s silly,” she whispered to herself, picking
up an emory board and running it across her nails. “God, what is this, high school? You
want to call him, just call him.
You’re both adults.”
Nonetheless, she remained on the bed. What was
it about
Michael Drummond that distracted her so much? He was cute, rich and available (as far as
she knew) but so was
Kyle… more or less.
And yet, she couldn’t get him out of her head. “This is ridiculous,” she sighed,
jogging across the room and grabbing her phone. “He’s probably not even home. Probably off with a sherpa
climbing the She got his voicemail. “Hey Michael, it’s
Alicia. I was just calling to say hi
and to see if you might be interested in… I don’t know, grabbing a movie and
dinner or something this weekend? I’ve
got some time off for a change and I’d like to catch up. You know… if you don’t already have plans
or whatever…” She was beginning to ramble.
“Anyway, call me. The number’s
555-6542. Thanks.” Alicia clicked her phone shut and held
it to her chin. What is this? She wondered.
Friendship? A flirtation? Something else? Her feelings for Michael were so… different than what she had with Kyle,
but not quite the same as what she’d had with her ex-boyfriend Danny. Danny. Her eyes narrowed at the memory of
him. He’d broken her heart, and she’d
vowed never to let that happen again.
So, whatever this was with Michael, it was not going to turn into love.
She’d see to that. As she was about to place the phone back
on the dresser, she noticed the red message light blinking. Michael?
She thought? That fast? She pressed the button to access her messages. “Hey, kiddo, it’s me, your big
bothersome sister.”
Karen.
“Listen, I wanted to apologize again for being so snarky
at lunch today. I’m in a mood. Regardless, though, I still think it’s a
good idea for you to make an appointment to see Dr. Douglas. She’s good, Alicia, I promise you’ll like
her. And you need to talk to someone about
what happened to you at the Lighthouse.
Call her.” Maybe
that’s it, Alicia realized. Maybe
Karen’s right and I do need to talk about that night. But not to some whack job head shrinker. No…
maybe that’s why I’ve been thinking so much about Michael. I mean, he was there, right? Who better to… Just then, her thoughts were interrupted
by a knock at the door. She was
greeted by a bouquet of flowers. “What
the…” “Shh!” came a voice from behind the flowers. “Let me in before someone sees me out
here!”
Kyle. She
pulled him in, shutting the door closed behind him. “Are those for me?” she asked dryly. “Of course.” “How romantic.” Her voice was flat as she accepted the
flowers and laid them in the sink.
“I’ll put them in a vase later.
What brings you by? Did you
leave something here this morning?” “Well!” he exclaimed, pulling her into
his arms. “That’s not a very good
welcome for the man of your dreams!" She chuckled. Oh,
if you only knew how wrong you were, she thought with a smile. “Sorry.
I’ve just got stuff on my mind.
Seriously, why are you here?” “Because you my dear, are a freakin’
genius.” “That goes without saying.” She grinned. “But aside
from that?” “Listen, I gave what you said this
morning a lot of thought. You know,
about how I should just slow down a bit when it comes to
Jason and my
mother
and try to get on her good side and knock Jason off his pedestal?” “Yeah.” “Well, let’s just say I came into some
information that I think might just blow the roof off of Jason’s golden
house.” Now
this was interesting. “Really?
Do tell!” “It’s too soon to say for sure. Let’s just say that if things go as I
expect them too, Jason might be exposing the company to another scandal. And you know
how much Mother hates scandal.” “Oh yes I do…” she surreptitiously
glanced at the air conditioning vent above the bed where she had secretly
placed a digital camera to record she and Kyle’s… encounters. “Olivia Marshak would do anything to avoid a scandal.” “Right.
So… the flowers are my way of saying thank you.” She thought about his gesture for a moment. Finally, a big smile crossed her face. “It’s all you, baby, it’s all you.” She pulled him into a kiss and remembered
how appealing the idea of being a part of his family would be: the wealth,
the power, the influence. Whatever she
had with Michael, it had to be secondary to this. She had plans for Kyle. Big
plans.
“Hey!”
Maggie Whittaker smiled at her
youngest son as he walked through the back door. “Just in time. Sit down and peel some potatoes.” “Man, a few minutes later and I would
have been spared!”
Whit laughed as he pulled up a stool to the kitchen island
and grabbed a spud. “Seriously, thanks
for inviting me to dinner. I’m getting
tired of microwave pizza and whatever the special is at the Gypsy.” He
inhaled deeply. “Your meatloaf smells
delicious.” “Thanks, babe. Well, with your father out of town on
church business, I figured it was a good time to invite you over.” She gave him a knowing glance. “We’ve missed you around here.” “You mean you’ve missed me. I’m sure
Dad couldn’t care less…” “Kenneth!” She clucked her tongue at
him. “Now I didn’t call you over here
to badmouth your father. You know how
I feel about that.” “Yes ma’am,” he responded
sheepishly. “Sorry about that.” “Alright then.” She began snapping beans into a bowl and
cleared her throat. “So, what’s new
and exciting in your life? How’s
school?” “Fine, I guess.” “Just ‘you guess’?” “Yeah.
I don’t know, Mom… I’ve been feeling a little… restless lately. Like I’m just treading water. I don’t know how much I’m learning that I
don’t already know.” “Well, music’s always come naturally to
you, ever since you were a little baby.
I’m not surprised to hear that most of what you know instinctively has
to be taught to others.” She playfully
slapped his arm. “My baby’s gifted!” He laughed. “I don’t know about that.” “Don’t you argue with me, Kenneth Whittaker! You’re
gifted and that’s that.” “You know… you sound more and more like
Granny the older you get.” “You think so?” “Yeah.” “Well, I’ll take that as a compliment,
thank you baby.” She shook her head
gently. “I wish Mama could have lived
long enough to hear you play the piano.” “Or the sax,” he added. “Yes… or that.” He noticed her face harden slightly. “Oh, come on, Mom!” “What?” “That face! It’s the same face Dad gets when I talk
about playing the sax. You both look
like it’s something… shameful or dirty!
Like an instrument could be either of those things…” “Oh, honey, it’s not that…” “Then what?” “It’s… the places you play. The
bars. They’re all so seedy and
dangerous.” He laughed. “Come on, how would you know? Neither of you have ever come to see me
play.” “Kenny, we just don’t understand why you
can’t just play piano or something nice like that. You know your father would love to have you
play for the choir at the church and…” “And that’s sure to bring me fame and fortune, playing piano for some random
choir in some random small town.” Maggie sighed deeply and gave him a
stern look. “Is that what it’s all
about, then? Fame and fortune?” “You know what I mean…” “No, maybe I don’t. Maybe you should tell me. Because I
always thought your musical skills were a gift from God, and where better to
express thanks for those gifts than ‘some random church.’” “Mom…” “Don’t ‘mom’ me, Kenneth. Listen
to me for a change. Now, I appreciate
that you have different goals for yourself than your father and I might have
chosen… that’s fine. But I’d
appreciate it if you didn’t belittle us in the process.” He nodded. “You’re right, Mom. I apologize. I’m being unfair. You’ve
been great about my music, and I’ll always appreciate that support.” “Honey, I wish you’d give your father a
chance. You should come over more…
talk to him about it more. Maybe
he’d…” “What?
Encourage me? The way he
encourages Rachel and Terry? Yeah
right.” “That’s different, Kenny, you know
that. Rachel’s a lawyer and…” “I know, I know, and Terry’s a doctor
and I’m just the family disappointment, the starry eyed kid who dreams of
being a musician. What a burden that
must be on a father…” “Kenny…” “Can we change the subject?” She started to speak, but stopped
herself. She nodded her
agreement. They’d had this same
discussion a dozen or more times and nothing ever changed. Maggie would much rather just enjoy his
company than rehash old debates. “Speaking of Rachel,” he said, cutting
the potatoes into small chunks, “have you heard from her lately?” “Just the other day, as a matter of
fact. She’s doing very well for
herself. Still no sign of a husband, though.” “Oh, that’s
important,” he mumbled. She pretended
not to hear him. “Mom, let me ask you
a question. When Rachel was dating
Jason Marshak… was he good to her?” She chuckled. “Well, now, that’s ancient history, why are
you bringing that all up now?” “Because I found out that Jason is
dating
Wendy now and…” “Oh, that explains it.” She smiled slyly and brought the bowl of
beans over to the sink and ran cold water over them. “Oh, honey, I’m sorry about that. I know you’ve had a crush on Wendy for…” “Not a crush exactly,” he corrected
her. “We’re friends and I’ve grown… fond of her over the years. I just don’t want her to get hurt.” “I think I understand. Well, you don’t need to worry about
Jason. He’s a good man.” “You can say that after what happened
between him and Rachel?” Maggie frowned. “Honey, what exactly do you think happened
between your sister and Jason?” “Well, he… dumped her.” She laughed. “Well, I wouldn’t use a phrase like that
exactly… besides, from what Rachel told me, it was mostly her choice to end
things with Jason.” “Really?” He was genuinely
surprised. “I just assumed…” “Your sister’s never put a high value on
romance, Kenny. She’s always been
focused on her career, but I think Jason wanted things to be a little more
serious than they were. So they parted
as friends.” “Wow...” He considered this for a
moment. “I might owe Jason an apology,
then.” “For what?” “I said some… things to him that were out of line.” “Then I think you are right, an apology
sounds like it might be in order.” She
wiped her hands on a nearby dish towel.
“But for now, go wash your hands, it’s time to eat.” “About time!” he smiled, kissing her on
the cheek as he made his way to the powder room. SCENE FOUR – SOMEWHERE OVER THE
Katie Marshak
gazed out the window of the small private plane and squinted toward the
horizon, hoping to see the twinkling lights of “Tell me again what she said to you.” The voice startled Katie and she smiled
at her companion. “Who? Maggie?” “Yes.” “She told me that my…
father had started drinking again and
that he was blaming himself for… well… you know.” “I see.
How do you feel about that?” “I don’t know. I’d like to say I’ve had the time to
process everything, but the truth is… I haven’t. There’s a part of me that still blames him
for…” Just then, a voice came over the
intercom. “Sorry to interrupt, this is
the pilot. I just wanted to let you
know we’ll be landing in Katie pressed the button on her seat
cushion to activate the two-way feature of the intercom. “No, thank you, Martin. We’ll just have a cab drive us to “Yes ma’am.” “So,” her companion continued, “she
didn’t say anything about
Ross? Just
your father?” “Yes.” “And you’re sure that Ross doesn’t know
about….” “No,”
she answered sharply. “I don’t
know how long I’ll be in “Good,” her companion said. “You know I’ll do whatever I can to help
you, Katherine. You just need to say
the word.” A soft smile crossed her face as she
gazed at the diamond on her left hand.
“I think it’s safe to say you’ve done enough.” Don't miss an episode! Join our episode notification list by clicking below... What did you think of this episode? Join us on the message board to discuss! Next On
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