Their son. Will can't blow it off, and something deep inside him mourns. But he can't voice it, not with a heavy heart and head.
Will throws himself back into the crowds, the music, the laughing. This is now, he thinks. Now's what matters.
He's alive, with the warm evening air on his skin, under the white moonlight with the scent of flowers and gardens crowding around him.
Lilies, magnolia, chrysanthemum, and wild chamomile.
Roses. His favorite had always been the lavender rose. He keeps them, always, whenever he could get them, in his room. First in the servants' chambers, then their bedroom. Clipped secretly from the family garden.
And for the nursery, there were flowers. Bunches of wildflowers for their little Bill.
Terrified, Will pushes those thoughts, those images, away. Grabbing someone randomly, he charms them into a dance.
Remembering doesn't change anything. The past is dead and gone. He doesn't want it or the future. It's impulsive and cruel more often than not. It's the right now that's meant to be lived in, celebrated. Even manipulated.
So when Sonny's mother offers him dance, Will smiles.
They dance among the other couples, before Will finally says. "Adrienne, you're a wonderful dancer."
"Thank you. Now tell me what's wrong."
Will keeps his cheerful expression on his face. "What could possibly be wrong at a time and place like this?"
"That's the thing, isn't it. Why don't we grab some more champagne, and we can talk about it?"
She doesn't give Will a chance to say no. Like mother, like son, Will thinks as Adrienne leads him to the bar, ordering two flutes, then leading him outside.
"Perfect night." Will says, breathing it in. "Would you look at those gardens? It's hard to believe what they looked like just a few months ago. Did Sonny tell you about his workers?"
"His workers, Eli. Marlena and Abi. About ghosts, and you."
"Almost bit off the whole thing." Will sips his campagne, wandering over. People still dance on the lawn. A group of women sit under one of the white tables under the moon, some holding sleeping babies on their shoulders, some holding children in their laps.
"He was bored in Chicago."
Intrigued, Will looks away, the charm of the lights, and looks at Adrienne. "He was bored?"
"Not happy, climbing the walls, but mostly bored. With his job, his boyfriend, his life in general. The only thing that's given him any real joy was redoing the mansion. I was worried he'd just be getting by, married to the wrong guy, in a job he doesn't love, living life that wasn't nearly satisfying enough. But I should've known better."
Adrienne leans back, looking through the open doors into the ballroom. "His mind and heart were never set on the path his mother and I set out for him. We didn't want to see the truth, so for the longest time, we didn't."
"You just wanted what was best for him. People think what's best for themselves is also for the people they love."
"You're right. It's in Sonny's nature to do whatever he can to make the people he loves happy. He loves you."
When Will doesn't say anything, Adrienne turns to Will. "You called him headstrong, but it's more than that. When Sonny gets it in his mind to do something, to strive for, his mind is dead set on that one track. He's not going to be dissuaded by roadblocks, excuses or halfhearted protests. If you don't love him back, Will, if you don't want to really be with him, break his heart. Break his heart and shatter it to pieces. Then leave."
"I don't want to break his heart. That's the whole problem."
"He honestly thought he was incapable of loving anyone. He told me that when he walked away from Paul. He said he thought he'd loved Paul, he really did, but when Paul turned him down, he realized he didn't. Not like that. Now he does, and he's so much better for it. You've already made such an impact, a significant one. Now you have to either be with him, or walk away from him. To try and have it both ways wouldn't be fair, and you're not a cruel person."
Will reaches up, closing the fingers around the key on its chain, then drops it against the hourglass on his chest. "He's not what I had in mind. I wasn't actively seeking him out."
She smiles politely, patting Will's hand. "Life is like that, isn't it? Some are a real kick in the pants."
Then she leans over to kiss his cheek. "I'll see you around." she says, leaving him by himself.
