E – Endure

Following her father's funeral, Gwen opted to stay at the Harmony Cemetery and visit the grave of her little Sarah instead of being forced to endure an awkward wake.

She touched Sarah's headstone. This was all she had left of her baby. How she missed the little girl who had never so much as taken her first breath. How she missed her father Jonathan too, despite all their many differences. She had lost so much. Had it all been her fault as everyone said it was, or had fate – that damned word – just turned against her?

"I love you, Sarah, always," she whispered. She pressed a kiss into the palm of her gloved hand before pressing it to the chilled granite. "I hope wherever you are, you're wonderfully happy."

XoXoxoo

Gwen stayed at the cemetery for over two hours. When she returned to her father's house it was evening time and everyone was gone but her mother who was sidled up to the family's longtime lawyer Grayson.

"Are you sure, Grayson? Absolutely sure that my dear, sweet husband left nothing to me?" Rebecca asked as she touched Grayson's sloping shoulder, giving it a gentle massage. Gwen rolled her eyes and started in the opposite direction.

"I'm sure," she overheard Grayson say. "Your daughter inherited everything."

Gwen paused in her steps for a moment. Wait a moment there. Jonathan had actually left Gwen all of his assets? That made no sense. He hadn't once visited her while she was in prison. So why leave her so much as a penny?

She shook her head and slipped into the kitchen. Tons of food remained sitting out and she plucked a piece of Swiss cheese off of a silver tray. She wasn't very hungry but knew she had to eat sometime.

Gwen predicted that at any moment her mother was going to come running in there. Sure enough, not one minute later, Rebecca came skidding into the kitchen on her red high heels. No basic funeral-black for her.

"Gwennie!" Rebecca crowed. "You're never going to believe what Grayson told me!"

"Regal me, Mother," Gwen said sardonically.

Rebecca either ignored or failed to notice her sarcasm. She grabbed Gwen enthusiastically by her thin arms. "You inherited everything, Gwen! Absolutely everything that Jonathan ever owned or stole – the house, the cars, the money. Lots and lots of money! He accepted kickbacks you know, when he was in office, and he invested the inheritance that he squirreled away from me very well and –"

"I don't want it."

Rebecca peered at her closely. "Gwennie, did you just say-"

"You heard me. I don't want a penny of his money. You can have everything."

"Gwen, please be serious now. This is our ticket back into the world of the Harmony elite. We can use the money to somehow send Tacosita back to the barrio where she belongs. You can have Ethan back and –"

"Stop!"

"Gwen…"

"Stop it, I said," Gwen snapped, rubbing her forehead. "I don't want anything to do with any of that, Mother. Chasing Ethan and trying to best Theresa cost me everything and I'm just done with that life. If I wasn't sure about that before, sitting beside my daughter's grave drove the point right home. This place is bad for me and I'm bad for it."

"But, Gwen, it's your legacy."

"Well I reject that legacy. I am sorry if that hurts you but I'm not sticking around here a second longer than I have to."

"Where are you going to go – back to that Podunk little nowheresville town ... What was it called again?"

"Salem. And yes I am going back there."

"Why?"

"Because it's the perfect place to start over… And I sort of made a friend there."

"A male friend?" Rebecca's eyes twinkled. "Is he-?"

"He's not rich, Mother," Gwen said. "Not that I can tell anyway and even if he was, I'm not interested in him like that. It's just nice to have someone look at me and not see a monster."

"Does he know that you were in prison?"

Gwen shook her head. "No."

"And if he rejects you because of your shall we say, colorful history?"

"Then I'll move on. I'll be okay, Mom. No one can ever hurt me worse than I have myself. So please, take the cars, the jewels, the dresses, the money. It's all yours."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Rebecca touched her daughter's soft cheek. "I'm proud of you, Gwen. You've done the one thing I never have – had the courage to move on."

"You could come with me, you know."

"I'm not ready yet," Rebecca admitted. "Maybe someday, but not yet. But you go out there and be fabulous, alright?"

"Alright…"

"Oh and you must keep in touch. I want to know about any and all developments with your 'friend'."

"He really is just a friend. More like an acquaintance, actually."

"I never met a man who could resist our feminine charms."

"Mother..."

"Oh okay, never mind." Rebecca smiled. "I know I didn't say it much but I love you, Gwennie."

"I love you too, Mother. I do. Take care okay?"

"You too, Gwennie, you too."