Author's Note: I know this story is really late for Allie (Allison Lindsay)'s birthday, but I hope the wait was worth it! I've always wondered what Dorothy and Lucas said to each other as they left Miami. I watched the finale again, and this resulted. Please do R&R! :)
Dorothy couldn't help wiping a tear as the plane began to taxi down the runway. Almost immediately, she felt Lucas' hand covering hers. "Everything all right?"
"Yes. It's just….I miss Rose and Blanche. And Ma. As crazy as she can make me, I love her. After seven years with the three of them, it's hard to let go."
"I know this isn't easy for you, Dorothy. But don't think of what you're leaving behind. Think about what's ahead. We can do anything we want. If you want to try teaching again, I'll support you. But it isn't necessary." He smiled knowingly. "That would leave more time for…...Freddy Peterson."
Dorothy kissed him. 'Freddy Peterson' was the nickname they'd given to their lovemaking. "Well, that is a lovely idea, but I think I'd like to find a bit more to do with my time than that. I'm not Blanche, you know."
"Oh, I know. I'd never look at my niece the way I'm looking at you now."
It was still hard to believe that she and Lucas were here. Was it really just a few months ago that she had gone out on a blind date with Lucas? If it hadn't been for Blanche setting the two of them up, and their desire to get back at her, none of this would've happened. But it had, and now Dorothy was really, truly happy. "I'm so lucky," she thought out loud.
"Why's that?" Lucas asked. "Is it because I'm so handsome?"
Dorothy laughed. "No. I mean, you are, of course. But I can't believe I'm so happy. God, I remember when I married Stan. It was a horrible time. Ma was angry, Pop was angry, and even Stan wasn't very happy. Of course, I was also dealing with morning sickness at the time, so that didn't help." Lucas smiled at that. "But this time it's different. In so many ways."
"Yes," Lucas said. "Stanley Zbornak is in the past. You don't ever have to think of him again."
He was right, of course. Dorothy knew that. And the last thing she wanted to do was start her marriage off by thinking of her ex. But still, there was that conversation she'd had with Stan in the limo. Try as she might, she knew she could never forget it.
Lucas could see that Dorothy's mind was elsewhere. "I'm sorry if I upset you. I know you have unpleasant memories with that man."
Dorothy sighed. "I do. And as much as I'd like to pretend he never existed, I can't do that. I mean, I have kids with him. He'll always be a part of me."
"You're right," Lucas said, wanting this conversation to be over. He kissed her. "Let's not talk about that now."
For a moment, Dorothy agreed. She turned to the window again. They were now flying. Everything looked so small. But still, Dorothy couldn't help looking back again, wishing she could see Blanche's house. The seven years she'd spent living in that house were something special. She'd learned many things along the way. For example, that life can always take a surprising turn, no matter one's age. And that friends come in all kinds, no matter how different they may be. But, most importantly, she learned that there was no problem so great it couldn't be solved over cheesecake. If Lucas only knew the conversations the four of them had around their kitchen table.
As memories of the past several years played in her mind, Dorothy couldn't help remembering Stan, and the many times she'd slammed the door in his face. That, once again, led her to think about the limo ride to the wedding. She decided, if she and Lucas weren't going to have secrets, she needed to tell him about this. She turned to him, "You know, Stan was at our wedding."
Lucas was startled. He'd been lost in thought as well. "Oh, was he? I don't think I saw him. I was too busy looking at you."
Dorothy smiled, touched by his compliment. "He was driving a limo. He gave me a ride to the church. I thought he wanted to stop the wedding by kidnapping me."
"Well, obviously, his plan failed," Lucas said. "That's not important now."
"I know you don't want to hear about Stanley," Dorothy admitted. "And I understand that. But I do think I should tell you about the conversation he and I had."
"Okay….," Lucas said, not sure where this was going.
"He said he still loves me, in spite of all of our problems. He made most of the mistakes in our marriage. God knows I let him know that plenty of times over the years. But….the crazy part is….I think part of me still loves him. Probably always will."
"Oh." Lucas hadn't expected to hear her say that, especially not hours after their wedding.
"No, Lucas, I don't mean it like that." Dorothy took his hands in hers, wanting him to understand. "I love you. I can't wait to start our life together. I'm just telling you how I feel. I can't just forget him. I hope you can accept that."
"I….suppose I can. I've been married before, too. But my wife passed away. I guess I thought it was different with you, because your marriage ended so badly."
"But there were good years in between," Dorothy said. But, even as she said it, she could remember all of the screaming and the fighting. Things their children witnessed. But she reminded herself that was all in the past. Lucas would never cheat on her. Of that she was certain. "Well, I just wanted to be honest with you. I promise you, Stanley Zbornak will never come between us again."
"Good," Lucas said. Looking at her now, it wasn't hard to see how he'd fallen in love with her. "Because I want our marriage to start out right. With just the two of us. And of course Freddy Peterson. We can't forget him, now, can we?"
Dorothy kissed Lucas for a long moment. It erased her ex-husband from her mind, at least for the time being. "No, we can't." Suddenly, she realized that when they landed in Atlanta, the next chapter of her life would begin. She could hardly wait.
The End