"Rosie, where is your other shoe?" Brenda asked the little blond haired, green eyed 4 and a half year old who was running around the house.
"I don't know." she smiled playing with her dolls in her room.
"Come on Rosie. We have to go. Mommy's gonna be late for work." she called out looking around the apartment. When she found the shoe she chased after the girl and put on her shoe.
"I don't want you to go to work. I want you to stay here with me." she smiled looking over at her.
"Sweetie, you know I have to go to work. Now come on, get your dolly and let's go." she said before picking her up and leaving the apartment.
"What did the little lady do to you this morning?" a young woman asked as Brenda handed her the child.
"Lost her shoe. Again. You would think she would come up with new material." she laughed handing her friend the girl's bag.
"You are one mischievous little girl." she laughed looking at the little girl who was smiling ear to ear.
"You are definitely your father's daughter." Brenda smiled leaning in to kiss her daughters head.
"Roger was a trouble maker?" the woman asked looking over at Brenda.
"Yeah, you can say that." she smiled thinking about Roger.
"When are you gonna call him?" she asked looking over at her.
"Not now Chelse. I have to go to work." she said looking over at her.
"Come on Bren. You've been talking about calling him for as long as I've known you. How long are you gonna wait?" she asked letting Rose down so she can go in the house.
"I can't Chelse. Not the way I left. He probably hates me." she said looking over at her.
"Honey, I'm sure he doesn't hate you. A love like yours isn't gonna die just because you ran away." Chelsea smiled looking over at her.
"Yeah well, I can't talk about this right now. I'm gonna be late for work. Bye my girl. Don't give Aunt Chelsea a hard time, OK?" she smiled looking into the house before rushing off to work.
"Bren, are you OK?" Chelsea asked approaching Brenda's bedroom upon hearing her crying.
"Yeah, I'm sorry. I didn't hear you come in." she said wiping her face. "Where's my little girl?" she asked sitting up in the bed.
"I sent her to her room. It's Roger again, Isn't it?" she asked as Brenda nodded before crying again. "Honey, you should call him and tell him about Rose. He's her father. He needs to know about her." she said leaning over to hug her.
"It's been almost 5 years Chelse. How am I gonna tell him?" she asked looking over at her.
"You know, it's not gonna matter how much time went by. He loves you and he's always gonna love you. And he's gonna love that little girl too. She is the spitting image of him." she smiled wiping her friends face.
"Chelse, when I left him, I was so scared that Rose wasn't his. I didn't want him to hate me. I was gonna put her up for adoption until I saw her. She looked just like Roger. Just like our son. I couldn't let her go the way I let him go." she cried looking up at her.
"I know honey. But you should call him and at least tell him you're OK and that he has a daughter. I'm sure he's worried about you. He's still your husband." she told her holding her again.
"He probably moved on by now." she said looking up at her.
"I'm sure he hasn't. Not the way he loves you." she said looking down at her.
"I'll think about it. " Brenda said wiping her eyes.
"OK sweetie. I'm gonna get Rose and take her to my place, OK? You could use some time alone." she said looking down at her.
"Thanks Chelse. I really appreciate it. Just tell her I'll be by later to pick her up, OK?" she said looking up at her.
"No rush sweetie. She'll be fine at my place. You just sort out what you need to sort out, OK?" she smiled getting up from the bed.
"OK. Thanks Chelse." she smiled looking up at her as she left the room to get Rose from her room. As she looked around her bedroom, she looked at all the pictures she had of Roger. When she left nearly 5 years ago, she was pregnant and feared that the baby wasn't his. She got on a bus at Grand Central and left on the first bus leaving out. It was going to Florida. When she found out she was pregnant, she didn't know how to tell Roger. She was drugged and raped on the same night she and Roger made love. When Rose was born she knew right away that Roger was her father. She wanted to take her home to him, but she didn't know how. She knew she must have hurt him when she left, but she didn't know what else to do. She didn't even know if Roger still lived it the loft. She had picked up the phone many times to call him, but chickened out. Now their daughter was 4 and a half years old and she was starting to ask about her father. She missed Roger so much and wanted her to know him. Even if he had moved on, he still deserved to meet his daughter. She reached over to the night stand for one of the pictures of Roger. It was only taken 6 years earlier, but it seemed like another lifetime ago. She took a deep breath and picked up the phone. As she dialed the number to the loft, her heart pounded in her chest. The phone rang and she became more anxious.
"Hello." a male voice said as Brenda took another deep breath.
"Um...hi, is Roger Davis there?" she asked looking at the pictures in her bedroom.
"Sure, who's calling?" he asked happily.
"Um... it's Brenda." she said as the voice silenced.
"One second." he said putting the phone down. She could hear the footsteps on the hard wood floors. She heard voices and then another set of footsteps rushing to the phone.
"Bren? Bren, is that you?" he asked frantically.
"Yeah Roger. It's me." she answered quietly as tears rose to her eyes when she heard his voice.
"How are you? Where are you? Baby, where have you been?" he asked sitting on the chair by the phone.
"I'm in Florida Roger. I'm so sorry." she cried looking down at the last picture taken of her and Roger before she left. Collins had taken it at one of their shows.
"Brenda, come home, OK? Please." he asked quietly holding back his own tears.
"I can't Roger. Not yet. Can you come down here? I have something I need to tell you and I can't tell you over the phone." she said wiping her eyes.
"Of course. Bren, I'll go anywhere. Just tell me when and where and I'll be there." he said turning around to get a pen and a piece of paper.
"I live in Fort Lauderdale. Make the arrangements and let me know. I'll pick you up at the airport." she said starting to smile.
"OK Baby. Give me your phone number and I'll call you right back." he said looking around .
"OK. It's 954-555-5645." she said looking around her room.
"I'll call you right back Baby. I promise." he told her standing up from the chair.
"OK, I'll talk to you in a little while." she said quietly looking down at her feet.
"Bye Baby." he said hanging up thte phone.
"Oh man." she yelled crying as she laid back down on her bed.
"Mommy, are you OK?" Rose asked running into the bedroom.
"Hey my girl. What are you doing here?" she asked wiping her eyes.
"Sorry, she forgot her doll. Rosie sweetie, why don't you go get your dolly. I'll meet you in the living room." Chelsea smiled looking down at Rose.
"OK." the 4 and a half year old answered looking up before running into her room.
"I called him. He's coming down." Brenda cried looking up at her.
"Honey, that's great. That means he still loves you." Chelsea smiled leaning into hug her.
"Yeah, but how am I gonna tell him about Rose? Hi Baby, guess what? As she sits in the back seat when I pick him up from the airport." she asked looking up at her.
"Sweetie, don't think so much. You know that's never good for you. Just play it by ear." Chelsea smiled as the phone rang.
"Oh my God, that's him." Brenda said looking at the phone.
"So answer it sweetie." Chelsea smiled as Brenda reached for the phone.
"Hello." a little girls voice said as Brenda picked up the phone.
"Um... I must have the wrong number. I'm looking for Brenda Davis." he asked confused.
"That's my mommy's name." she smiled surprising Roger.