Chapter Three

Anna opens the door with a bottle of brandy. Felicia walks passed her without a word.

"Are you sure you should be drinking brandy girlfriend, "Felicia asks. "Didn't you and Robert like to drink that together?"

Anna grimaces and sets the bottle down. "Not just brandy Felicia, but you do make a good point. Maybe I should try something new."

"Maybe you should stop getting drunk."

An uncomfortable silence settles over them as they take a seat on Anna's couch.

"Why are you here," Anna finally asks. "You don't hate me too?"

Felicia reaches for Anna's hand and smiles. "Robert does not hate you Anna. You broke his heart. There's a difference. And no, I don't hate you. I never could."

"Felicia I…"

"Just listen okay. I am here because I want you to know two things. First, you really hurt Robert. I am not talking just flesh wound hurt…I am talking take a bullet for you hurt. Second, even after all of that, the man is still hopelessly in love with you. You might not want to hear this Anna but he does not want to feel like this. Do you have any idea how hard it was for him to cut the cord? He feels betrayed by the person he trusts the most in this world. For over Forty years, he has been there for you…sacrificing his own happiness for yours. He was willing to do that when he thought that you would still have his back… but now…Anna, I love you but you cannot say that you did not hurt him. You have to give him time to heal."

"How do you know so much about my ex-husband, "Anna quips?

"I'm married to his brother…and he's my friend. I saw him a couple minutes ago when I dropped Mac and Emma off. He looks like he has not slept in weeks."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you are my best friend and I love you. I want you to realize that just because you think you are doing the right thing does not necessarily mean that it is. "

"Why can't they just realize that this is my decision and leave it at that?"

Because it isn't just your decision Anna. It upsets your whole family. I am not going to tell you what to do but I will tell you this. At the end of the day, you are going to have to ask yourself if your choices are worth losing your family. If they are worth losing Robert.

"I love Finn now," Anna rationalizes.

"Do you…Or are you just settling for the love you think you deserve? Think about that sweetheart. Think about what you would do if Robert walked in here today and told you that he loves you…would Finn still be the one you chose or would it be Robert? You deserve to be happy Anna…but so does he. I do not think either of you would be this upset if It did not matter so much. It only hurts like that when it matters. Think about that."

Felicia gives Anna a quick kiss on her forehead and then tells her she has to get back to her family. Robert's family, Anna thinks. Her family.

As soon as Felicia closes the door, Finn steps through it. He goes to give her a kiss but she surprises herself when she turns her face away from him.

"Well this is a first," he acknowledges.

"I'm sorry okay…I just need to be alone for a little while.

"What happened? Did Scorpio do something to upset you?"

No, I did something to upset him.

"You can't fix this Finn. I know you want to but you can't."

"I just want to help you."

"You can't do that either."

She looks at him as he watches her and a realization hits her. Finn is standing three feet away and she still feels alone. Why did she never notice that before now?

She rises from the couch and grabs her purse. She suddenly feels as if she needs air.

"I'll be back late. Don't Wait up."

She walks passed him and shuts the door. Finn stares at her retreating back and wonders what in the hell just happened.


Robert walks out onto the balcony and looks out into the waterfront. The silence was so loud he could hear his own heart thumping in his chest. There is a chill in the air but he does not feel it through the numbness in his muscles. He wonders if Anna is looking at the same view tonight.

"Bloody Hell, "he curses. "Why am I still thinking of her.

A kaleidoscope of memories flood his mind as he stares out into the night. He does not want to remember how her lips felt on his or the way she used to look at him. He wants to forget how warm she felt in his arms or how turned on he was with a single touch.

"Make it stop," he cries. "Please God, make it stop."

It was as if a dam had opened and once that first tear had fallen, a thousand more were waiting to burst through. He grabbed hold of the railing for support as he sunk down onto the floor.


Anna stands out on the waterfront as a single tear falls from her cheek. She used to spend so much time down here over the years…a lot of it with him. She stares at her phone, almost as if she is willing him to call, knowing that he will not. She cannot help but wonder if he is out there somewhere looking at the same view.

She has known this man for over forty years and somehow every time she thought of her life, he has always been a part of it. The most important memories, included him…the happiest, the saddest…even the ugliest. It was different this time. This time she could not call him. She could not expect him to show up at odd hours with that silly grin and a story. She could not even expect to see him somewhere in town anymore. She knew he would be avoiding all places that they used to frequent.

He wants nothing to do with me, she thinks. Why does that thought bother her? Why does knowing that the legend that is Robert Scorpio is not going to be waiting for her anymore, make her feel like she is mourning the death of a family member.

He is not waiting for you anymore.

"Is that what I was doing," she questions. "Was I really hoping he would wait for me?"

You took him for granted Anna. You just always expected that he would forgive you. That he would always be there. You did not appreciate him when you had him. How can you be surprised that he would give you what you said you wanted eventually?

"But this isn't what I wanted," she cries, answering her own thoughts. "I never wanted him to really leave."

But you said you did...And you certainly acted as if you wanted nothing to do with him.

"I didn't mean it. Dear God,I didn't mean it."

Then fix it Anna. Fix the heart you broke.

"How? How can I ever make things right again. "

You know how.

"There has to be another way. There has to be."

I am Sorry Robert. I am so sorry.


"Why is grandpa crying Mommy," Emma whispers. "He never cries."

Robin holds Emma's hand as they lay on either side of Robert in the bed. Emma had gotten up in the night to get a drink of water and had found her grandpa on the balcony. She had been worried that he hurt himself somehow because he was barely moving. Together she and Robin helped him back to bed and waited for him to fall asleep.

"He is a proud man Emma. It does not mean he does not feel emotions like this. It just means he fights them harder. "

"Is he going to be okay," she asks.

"You and I are going to make sure he is. Go to sleep now sweetheart. I think grandpa wore himself out now. We all just need some sleep. It will look better in the morning."

"Okay mommy," she says, as she wraps an arm around her grandpa and cuddles in closer. Robin looks once more at her daughter and smiles. Emma is wise for her age. She has never been more grateful for that.

"We're here for you daddy," she whispers, as she wraps an arm around his other side, cuddling just as close as Emma does. "We love you."

She closes her eyes then, finally nodding off for the night with memories of when she was a little girl and her father used to hold her just this way. Her father, her hero.