This Love…
Season 1 Episode 1: Man in the Mirror
It was summertime in Salem—Early June to be exact. It was an unusually breezy, chilly June. The warm weather hadn't quite caught up to the summer season quite yet. Even so, Aiden Jennings didn't feel the cold—at least, not on the outside. On the inside, it was an entirely different story.
It had been over a year and a half since he had last been in Salem. Well, that wasn't entirely true. He had been back a handful of times before, but never for long. He had always come back just to check on Hope. It always came back to Hope. No matter how hard he tried to forget about her, he could never seem to move on. She was always there, a whisper in the wind, or a little TV screen in the back of his mind that replayed the times had had with her over and over; and yes, even the bad times had played.
Aiden coughed, and rubbed his arms as the wind picked up. It wasn't really all that cold, he supposed. He guessed he had just gotten too used to the warm, west coast weather in Oregon.
He walked through the park near the Town Square. He had never thought he'd be living in Salem again, but he couldn't go back to Portland—not anymore. The bad memories there outweighed the bad memories here. He knew he could have moved anywhere other than Salem, but he wanted to be here. It was familiar. He didn't want to once again start all over in a town where he knew no one—even if most everyone here did hate him. Anyway, Chase was here. Portland had only brought back bad, horrible memories that were better off left far behind. Though, some things he knew, could never be left behind—especially now that he would be living in Salem again. Hope Brady was a prime example. Well, it was Hope Hernandez now.
Aiden sat on a bench as he remembered looking at the Salem news article Online just over a year ago.
Two of Salem's Finest to Wed…
The headline alone had shattered his heart into a million pieces. It had made him think back to his and Hope's wedding day. Oh what a glorious day it would have been if only he hadn't…
Go ahead. Say it. If only you hadn't planned to kill her that night. If only you hadn't made love to your wife and then gone down stairs in attempt to try to strangle her to death. Sure you ended up backing out of it, and sure it was because your sons' life was in danger, but is that really any excuse? You loved her. It was your job to protect both your son and Hope. You should have gone to her. You should have gone to Roman or Rafe. You should have done anything but agree to kill her.
"Don't you think I know that?" Aiden snapped at his own thoughts. "Don't you know how hard I still beat myself up over that every day of my life?"
A couple with their arms around each other had been walking by. Aiden had been so lost in his own thoughts that he hadn't even noticed them. However, he noticed them now as they shot him weird looks and hurried on past him as if he was some lunatic bum.
Maybe I am, he thought to himself.
He got up off the bench. He had to continue to his destination.
As he walked, he remembered seeing Hope and Rafe running out, smiling and kissing each other, so in love and so happy to be just married.
Aiden sighed. Seeing Hope that day had taken his breath away. She was so incredibly beautiful. He had fallen in love with her all over again—not that he had ever fallen out of love with her. She was still the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. He knew she deserved better than him, which is why, as much as he still loved Hope, and as much as the selfish part of him still wanted to be with her, he could be at peace. Hope was with someone now who would love and protect her. She deserved to be happy, and all he himself had ever seemed to do was hurt her. If Rafe could make her happy in ways that he never could before, then so be it.
Aiden was so ashamed of the way he had treated Hope. She was the love of his life and hadn't deserved any of the horrible things he had done to her.
He shook his head. The thing is, he wasn't that same man anymore that had done all those horrible things to Hope. He had gotten professional help, and he was a changed man. He knew a lot of people claimed to be a changed and weren't, but that wasn't the case with him. He really was changed. He could be the man Hope wanted him to be. He could! However, it was too late now. He knew that. Hope was happily married to Rafe, and she and Rafe had twins—a boy and a girl. Rafe Jr, or "RJ" as they called him, and Faith. They were cute little things; five-months old.
Aiden sighed yet again. He knew he would never get Hope back. She had a family now; a family that he could have had, but lost. He knew he only had himself to blame.
Even though he was happy to see Hope happy, seeing her so in love with Rafe and married to him had felt like a jackhammer to his heart. He hadn't even wanted to go to the wedding, but he had waited outside to get a glimpse of her. He just had to see her. That's why he had come back to Salem that handful of times. Even though he knew it was over between him and Hope, he simply could not bear to go without ever seeing her in person again.
He had never gone up to her of course. He didn't want to upset her any more than he already had. Still, it made his heart swell seeing her beautiful smile in person. He also loved the way her eyebrow would raise when she was talking to someone, or the way she sometimes bit her bottom lip when on the phone.
Aiden shook the thoughts from his mind. He didn't know why he tortured himself. She was never going to be his again. He just couldn't help himself!
He decided to head into the square and get a coffee to warm himself up. He wasn't quite ready to head to his destination. Then again, he didn't know if he'd ever be truly ready.
~*came back to me.*~
"Does it really matter what we buy for the twins? We could put potato sacks on them and they wouldn't care," Rafe said as he and Hope held hands in the Town Square.
Hope gently nudged him. "Oh, stop! What kind of parents would we look like if we just put potato sacks on them?"
"They'd be just as cute," Rafe said with a shrug.
"True. In fact, they'd probably be even cuter!" Hope said, smiling up at Rafe, and latching onto his arm now.
Rafe grinned. "So potato sacks it is then? I'm sure Caroline has some at the pub we can have for free!"
Hope laughed. "Will you stop? We're getting them new clothes—cute clothes—that will make every parent jealous that their children aren't as stylish as ours."
"They aren't going to a fashion show, but whatever," Rafe said with a goofy grin on his face.
Hope rolled her eyes. "Men! They just don't get it. Come on! This store looks cute," she said, pointing to a shop called Baby Love that had baby clothes in the window.
"So we're going in to buy our babies' love, right?" Rafe asked.
Hope laughed. "Haha..," She playfully swatted him then walked into the store ahead of him as he held the door open for her.
Rafe followed in right after her.
Aiden stood in the distance, sadly watching them as he sipped his coffee, but nether Rafe, nor Hope had noticed him. He finished his coffee and dumped his cup into the trash bin. Then, he went into Well-Dressed Man, which was a store that carried men's dress clothes. He still wasn't quite ready to head to his destination, and after witnessing what he had just witnessed, he needed the distraction.
~*came back to me.*~
"Well, I think we've done all the shopping we need to do," Rafe said as they exited the store. "The twins have enough clothes to last them until they turn three."
Hope smirked. "They will be grown out of them in a few months."
Rafe rolled his eyes. "Which is exactly why it's not wise to spend so much money on clothes that they aren't even going to be able to wear for that long."
"Typical man, not caring about clothes," Hope said, also rolling her eyes.
"I'm just being logical," Rafe said. "We should have just gone to the Salvation Army and gotten them hand-me-downs until they stop growing so fast."
Hope playfully swatted him. "Oh, stop! We're done shopping for them, but I wanted to pick out a few things to wear to work. My work clothes are starting to wear."
Rafe groaned. "I'm tired. Would you mind terribly if I just headed back? We're already running on three hours. There's no use paying the babysitter any more than we have to if one of us is able to go home."
Hope shot him a look, giving him her infamous eyebrow raise. "Since when did you become so tight on money?"
"Since the twins came into our lives and I realized how expensive raising a family could be. We still have college funds to pay for, you know," Rafe replied.
Hope smirked. "I'm surprised you're not going to make them pay for their own college funds when they get older in order to teach them responsibility."
Rafe's eyes got big, and he smiled. "You know what? I like the way you think!"
Hope laughed, and playfully pushed him. "Stop it! We can afford to spoil our children, so why not spoil them?"
Rafe raised an eyebrow. "Remember how Ciara used to be before she hit her teenage years?"
Hope nodded. "Good point! We'll spoil them without going over the top with it. But a few clothes and helping them out with college isn't going to spoil them rotten."
"I know. I just like teasing you." Rafe kissed her cheek. "Here. I'll take the bags. You go enjoy the rest of your shopping, and I will see you when you get home. Just don't be too long, all right?"
"Just a little while longer, I promise." She kissed him softly on the lips. She then smiled at him, and handed him her bags. "Thank you!"
He took her bags from her. "See you soon. Just don't buy something you're going to grow out of soon. I've seen the way you've been packing in those Oreos lately," he teased.
Hope gasped. "Rafael you're going to pay for that when I get home!" She said trying to swat him.
He laughed, and quickly ran ahead, dodging her swat. "I'll count on it!" he said.
Hope watched him leave and rolled her eyes. However, she smiled as she turned back around to finish shopping.
She walked into Beauty and Brains just as Aiden came out of Well-Dressed Man. She didn't see Aiden, and he didn't see her.
~*came back to me.*~
Aiden was finished shopping, but now he wanted a snack. He knew he couldn't put this off forever, but just for ten more minutes, he told himself. Ten more minutes and then he would go.
He went to the square's café, and sat down. When the waitress arrived, he ordered another coffee, and a slice of chocolate cheesecake.
As he waited for his food, he thought about his life these past two years.
He had been practicing law in Portland. He wasn't too fond of his colleagues. It seemed in Portland to be all work and no play. His fellow lawyers all just wanted to do their jobs then get home to their families. No one was interested in being friends. Everyone just kept to themselves and did the job at hand.
The Portland DA was nice enough, but he was an older gentleman, near retirement. Word had it they were looking for someone to replace him soon. Aiden supposed he could have stayed and fought for the job, but really, he didn't wat to be the DA. Sure it meant a higher pay roll, but he didn't really want that much responsibility. Besides, the last time he had been the DA, he had abused his power. He had learned the hard way that being put in into too much power wasn't good for him. He had been going to a psychiatrist the past year and a half, and the last thing he wanted to do was tempt himself into reverting back to his old ways.
"Here's your coffee and your pumpkin cheesecake, Sir," the waitress said, setting down his order on the table in front of him. "Just let me know if you need anything else." She gave him a flirty smile accompanied with an even flirtier wink.
Aiden smiled back at her. She was cute enough with short blonde hair and an upturned nose. She had beautiful blue eyes and long lashes as well as a nice little figure. However, she did look to be a good ten years younger than him. "Thank you so much! Please, call me Aiden."
She grinned brightly. "Okay, Aiden. I'll be back soon to check on you."
"Thank you," he said, returning her smile and winking at her.
She grinned even brighter, then left.
Aiden sighed. He had tried dating for Chase's sake over the past year and a half. Chase wanted him to try to get over Hope, and wanted him to be happy.
Aiden had tried. Oh how he had tried, but his dates had never made it past the first date, and he hadn't slept with anyone since Hope. He couldn't help it. He knew that things were beyond over with him and Hope, and yet, he just couldn't find a woman that could even come close to her. Hope had been the one, and he had just let her slip right through his fingers.
Aiden finished up his dessert, and when he asked the waitress for the check, she waved him off.
"It's on the house," she said. "I own this café, so I can do that."
"You own this place?" Aiden asked; impressed.
She nodded. "Uh huh! It was a graduation present from my parents. I got my business master in college, and to reward me, they brought me my first business. I'm Amy by the way." She held out her hand to him. "I'm only waitressing tonight because we're short-staffed."
He shook it. "Hello, Amy. It's nice to meet you. I really appreciate the free meal, but really there's no need to make it on the house." He dug into his wallet.
"You look like you're having a rough night. Trust me, my business isn't going to go bankrupt over one slice of cheesecake and a cup of coffee." She winked at him.
"Well, at least let me tip you." He handed her a five-dollar bill. "Thank you for making my night a little bit better."
"Thank you. And any time you need a pick me up, you know where to find me." She smiled and winked at him again.
Aiden smiled and her, and politely nodded. "Will do." He wasn't sure if she was flirting with him, or just being friendly. Actually, he was pretty sure she was flirting with him. He just felt awkward knowing that she was. "See you later."
"I hope so!" she said as he left.
He smiled. Definitely flirting, he determined. He still wasn't ready to date, but he had to admit that, as award as it felt, it also felt kind of good knowing that, if he were ready to start dating again, he still had it.
He then sighed, and finally headed to his destination. It was getting late. There was no more putting if off.
~*came back to me.*~
Hope came out of Beauty and Brains, her arms laden with shopping bags, and was about to head home when she saw the back of someone who looked just like Aiden.
"Aiden?" she said quietly to herself. She knew she should just head home, but a part of her was curious. She hadn't seen Aiden in nearly two years. If that was Aiden, what was he doing back in Salem now?
She followed the mysterious figure. She had to find out if it was Aiden. If it wasn't him, she could be rest assured that he hadn't come back to cause more trouble for her. If it was him, she had to find out why he was back. Was he back to cause trouble, or was he just back here for work?
She followed him into the park. He kept walking, and she followed him in the shadows, feeling like a stalker.
He walked for a good five minutes, and she almost gave up and left for home. Then, he stopped. She walked a little closer. He had entered into the cemetery.
Suddenly, he turned toward her direction. "Who's there?" he called out. He looked directly at her, though she was still in the shadows and a few feet away from him, so she wasn't sure if he saw who she was yet.
She could tell by the voice, it was definitely Aiden.
Slowly, she stepped out of the shadows, and walked closer to him so that she was right in front of him.
He looked at her in surprise. "Hope."
"Hello, Aiden," she said quietly. "What brings you back to Salem?"
"I had to get away from Portland. Too many bad memories," he said. "I wanted to come back here. I needed the familiarity."
"You don't exactly have good memories here either," Hope said quietly.
"I have the good times I spent with you," Aiden corrected her, though, his tone was sad.
"Aiden, Rafe and I are married with twins now. If you think—"
Aiden cut her off. "Don't worry. You're not the reason I'm moving back. I know it's more than over between us."
Hope looked to the ground. That was a relief. At least he was still admitting it was over. "Okay, so what about Chase? I know you would never leave him. Is he here too?"
Aiden nodded. "That's why I'm here." He motioned around the cemetery.
Hope scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. "What do you mean?"
Aiden suddenly felt the tears well up in his eyes as he realized it was finally time to face what he had trying to avoid all night. "My son is dead, Hope. Chase is gone, and he's never coming back." He motioned to the grave in front of him.
Hope looked down at the gravestone he was motioning to. Her eyes got big and her heart sank as she read the gravestone.
Chase Jennings
February 17th, 1998 – May 7th, 2018.
Shocked, Hope looked at Aiden, who had now collapsed down onto his knees in front of Chase's gravestone, sobbing, with his face buried in his hands.