Chapter 25

The doorbell rang and Emma came running out of the kitchen. "I got it!" She opened up the door and saw Liz and Epiphany standing there. "Come in."

The two nurses walked in and were surprised to see chairs set up, a runner on the floor and flowers everywhere. Liz looked at Epiphany in surprise. "Did you know…"

"No, I did not." Epiphany looked down at the little girl she helped deliver seven years ago. "Emma, what is going on?"

"It's a wedding!" The little girl giggled happily as she told them the news. "Mommy and Daddy are getting married."

"That's wonderful!" Liz was thrilled her friends had found their way back to each other.

"Yes it is." Patrick walked into the room and smiled at his daughter. "I think Maxie needs your help in the kitchen."

"Yes Daddy."

Emma ran off towards the kitchen while Patrick gave the women his best smirk. "Ladies, may I take your coats?"

"Don't you look nice Dr. Drake – no tuxedo this time?" Epiphany handed Patrick her coat as she looked him up and down. Patrick was dressed in a simple dress shirt and jacket, no tie.

"We are going a little less formal." He hugged the older woman. "Thank you for coming."

"I haven't missed any of your weddings yet." Epiphany laughed. "Now where is the beautiful wife-to-be of yours?"

"She is in our room and I know she would love to see you." Patrick pointed to the stairs. "Upstairs, door at the end of the hall."

Epiphany didn't need to be told twice. "Then I better go check on Dr. Scorpio. Are you coming Liz?"

Liz handed Patrick her coat and shook her head. "I'll be up in a minute – I want to talk to Patrick first."

Epiphany nodded her head in understanding. While Patrick and Robin had been finding their way back to each other, Liz had lost her fiancée. Sam had figured out that Liz knew all along that Jake was Jason and had exposed the nurse. Jason couldn't forgive her betrayal, the fact that she had kept him from his family, and had left her.

Liz waited until Epiphany was headed up the stairs before she spoke again. "First of all, congratulations to you and Robin both. Not only on the marriage but also on the new jobs."

"Thank you." Patrick took a step forward. "I heard about you and Jason – I'm sorry."

"No, I'm the one who's sorry." Liz took a deep breath and began her apology. "Patrick, I need you to know that if I thought for even a second that Jason was connected to Robin staying away…"

"I know Liz." Despite everything the woman had done recently, she was still one of his first friends when he came to Port Charles. Her support through the years, especially when he thought Robin was dead, was something he would never forget. "That is why I invited you today. If I thought for even one second that you knew about what was going on with Robin, I would never forgive you."

"And I would understand completely. It would be the least that I deserved." Tears came to Liz's eyes. "I knew that Nikolas knew the truth but I didn't even suspect that it involved Robin. And I shouldn't have encouraged you to propose to Sam – that was my own insecurity pushing you to do something you clearly weren't ready for."

"Look, in the end I made the decision to propose on my own. Would I have proposed if I had known Jason was alive – absolutely not. The only thing that bothers me is how you could let Emma get close to Sam when you knew that she was going to leave me once the truth came out." Patrick was glad Emma had her mom back but she had gotten close to Sam and now, like Sabrina, Sam was out of her life. "Emma didn't deserve that Liz."

Liz's tears spilled over onto her cheeks. "No, she is amazing little girl and I should have never let that happen. I should have told the truth the moment I found out but you and Sam seemed so happy and I truly thought that Robin was happy in Paris, I guess I let myself be convinced that it was the right decision."

Patrick knew Liz well enough to know that she often made bad choices for what she thought were the right reasons. Besides, he knew she was already paying a high price for her deception. Jason had left her and most of the town hated her for her participation in the cover up. He changed the subject. "How is Jake doing?"

Liz smiled at him. "Adjusting – I have arranged for him to start seeing a therapist and I am getting me and the boys into family counseling. I even talked to Lucky the other night and he is going to come home so that he can attend some sessions with us. I am doing what I should have been doing instead of trying to hang on to a man that wasn't mine to begin with – taking care of my boys."

"That's great Liz." Both of them were surprised to hear Jason's voice come from the kitchen doorway.

Patrick leaned over and hugged Liz. "I have to check on Robin." He turned to Jason and shook his hand. "Thank you for coming – it means a lot to Robin to have you here."

"I owe her – she saved my life." He put his hands in his pockets and looked around the room. "The place looks nice."

"Yeah, Emma and Maxie did a great job." Patrick heard the door. "I need to get that but please have a seat – we will start in a few minutes."

Patrick opened the front door to let in Mac and Felicia while Jason talked to Liz for a minute. "How are the boys doing?"

"Okay – we are figuring it out. How is Danny?"

"He is great." His smile filled his face. "Sam and I took him to the zoo the other day and he absolutely loved the penguins."

Liz tried not to sound upset. "You and Sam?"

"Yes, we thought it would be good for Danny to have some time with both of his parents." Jason still didn't have his memories back but there was something comfortable about being with Sam and Danny.

"That's great." Liz sighed. "I'm going to go check on the bride – see if she needs anything. I'll see you around."

Jason nodded his head. "I'll see if Maxie needs me to run any last minute errands. See you Liz."