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New York,
November 1989
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CJ sat down on a bench in the back row. She saw Toby on the first row with his head down. His shoulders were slightly shaking and CJ could tell he was crying. She wanted nothing more than to go over to him and put her arm around his shoulders. David was sitting next to Toby and on the other side was a woman. A woman CJ didn't know. She had long red hair and she had her hand on Toby's shoulder. CJ shrugged thinking it must be a cousin or something.
When they carried the casket out of the church CJ made herself as small as possible on the bench. Fortunately, Toby was walking on the other side so he didn't see her. David who was walking on the other side softly smiled at her, silently thanking her for coming.
Later, when they had buried Anna, David and Sarah approached CJ who had been waiting outside the church. She still wasn't sure what to say to Toby.
"Claudia. I'm sorry, CJ," David said and hugged her. "I'm so glad you came. It would have meant a lot to mom."
"She was a wonderful person." CJ regretted saying that immediately because it sounded to cliché.
Sarah gently placed her hand on CJ's arm. "You're coming to the reception, aren't you?"
CJ shifted a bit uncomfortable. "I don't know. It'll probably be weird and."
"Claudia!"
She turned around and smiled when she saw Julie. He was slowly walking towards her with his arms outstretched. She met him halfway and hugged him.
"Julie, I'm so sorry."
"Thanks. It means so much to me that you're here. Do you have your own car?"
"I took a cab."
"Then you're going with us to David and Sarah's." CJ looked uncomfortable and Julie frowned. "Claudia, you are coming to the reception, aren't you?"
After a short moment CJ smiled. "Of course I am."
Julie put his arm around her waist and they slowly walked towards the car.
Toby took Andy's hand in his and they slowly began walking.
"Who's that?" Andy said suddenly.
Toby looked up. "Who?"
"The woman Julie's walking with."
When Toby noticed her he stopped, not believing it. Andy looked worriedly at him.
"Toby? Toby, do you know who that woman is?"
"It's uh. it's." he stammered.
David opened the door and Julie got in the car. Before CJ followed him she turned around and she noticed Toby starring at her. They locked eyes for what seemed like several minutes but for real wasn't even a second. CJ smiled slightly, almost unnoticeable before stepping in to the car.
Andy gently shook Toby's arm. "Toby, who was that?"
"It was. just an old friend."
Andy looked confused at him but decided not to ask any more questions.
Julie took CJ's hand in his and gently squeezed it. CJ closed her eyes and leaned her head back. She had thought she had been prepared to see him, but apparently not. She hadn't thought it would hurt so much but it did. She regretted that she had flied out here. All she wanted to do now was to go home and never think of Toby again.
Sarah turned around and looked sympathetically at her. "CJ, we're so sorry. When David called you we didn't know about Andy."
CJ looked confused at her. "Andy?"
Sarah looked away briefly before taking a deep breath. "It's new, CJ. It probably won't last. They met at work and."
"Is she nice?" CJ interrupted.
Sarah looked confused but then slowly nodded. "Good," CJ said almost inaudible.
Julie and CJ were sitting in the couch looking at pictures that had been taken when CJ and Toby had visited them when they were still married and happy. CJ noticed that Julie, or maybe it had been Anna, had taken away all pictures with Haley. When she thought about her little girl she got tears in her eyes. Julie noticed and gently brushed her cheek.
"Claudia, we haven't forgot her. We just. Anna wanted to take them away for a while and then she got sick."
"It's okay, Julie. I just. I need to get some fresh air."
Julie let her go. CJ quickly walked to the entrance and out on the porch. She put her arms around her body and hugged herself. She hadn't thought of how cold it was in New York in November. Suddenly, she felt someone putting her coat on her shoulders. CJ quickly turned but just as quickly looked away when she saw who it was.
"I thought you might be cold," Toby said and made a weak attempt of smiling.
"Thank you," she said after a short moment. "Um, how are you?"
She had to restrain herself and her body parts to not put her arms around him.
"Well, you know how it is. Your mother passed away and."
She allowed herself to place her hand on his cheek. "I'm so sorry, Toby. Too many people have died from you."
He turned his head a bit and softly began kissing her hand. CJ closed her eyes, cursing herself for not being strong enough to pull away.
"Hey."
Toby quickly turned around and CJ took a step away from him.
"Andy," Toby said.
An awkward silence spread between them.
Toby was the first to speak. "I'm sorry. Andy, this is Claude. ia Jean Cregg. Claudia, this is Andrea Wyatt."
Andy smiled and held out her hand. "Nice to meet you, Claudia."
"Just call me CJ."
CJ pretended not to notice Toby's raised eyebrows.
Andy laughed a little. "And you can call me Andy."
CJ just nodded, wanted to leave or at least Andy to leave.
As Toby had read her mind he said, "Andy, could you just give us a couple of minutes?"
Andy looked suspiciously at them but then she nodded. Before she left she kissed Toby on the cheek.
"I'm sorry about that," Toby said when she had closed the door.
"No, don't be sorry. How long have you two been going out?"
"Just a couple of months."
"Do you like her?"
Toby shrugged but then nodded.
CJ smiled and put her hand on his shoulder. "Well, that's. I'm happy for you."
"I didn't know you were coming. If I had known I hadn't asked Andy to come."
"Why, why not? Toby, you and me, we're." She swallowed. ". over. There is no you and me anymore. I'm just glad that you're moving on with your life."
Toby studied her, trying to tell is she was lying or not. "What about you?" He asked after a while. "Any new man in your life?"
CJ smiled and shook her head. "No, I've been busy working. Does she know? I mean about us."
Toby slowly shook his head and CJ thought he almost looked a bit a shamed.
A moment of silence passed between them. Then Toby took a step closer to her.
"It's nice this, huh? Talking like old friends."
"Yeah."
Toby looked away. "Maybe we can, maybe after today, when you've left, maybe we can stay in touch?"
"I would like that, Toby."
"I've missed you. You're still the best friend I've ever had."
She gently put her hand on his arm. "Same goes for me."
Toby opened his mouth but then closed it again. He shifted uncomfortable.
"Would it be okay if I hugged you?"
"Yeah," she said softly as he put his arms around her.
TBC.
CJ sat down on a bench in the back row. She saw Toby on the first row with his head down. His shoulders were slightly shaking and CJ could tell he was crying. She wanted nothing more than to go over to him and put her arm around his shoulders. David was sitting next to Toby and on the other side was a woman. A woman CJ didn't know. She had long red hair and she had her hand on Toby's shoulder. CJ shrugged thinking it must be a cousin or something.
When they carried the casket out of the church CJ made herself as small as possible on the bench. Fortunately, Toby was walking on the other side so he didn't see her. David who was walking on the other side softly smiled at her, silently thanking her for coming.
Later, when they had buried Anna, David and Sarah approached CJ who had been waiting outside the church. She still wasn't sure what to say to Toby.
"Claudia. I'm sorry, CJ," David said and hugged her. "I'm so glad you came. It would have meant a lot to mom."
"She was a wonderful person." CJ regretted saying that immediately because it sounded to cliché.
Sarah gently placed her hand on CJ's arm. "You're coming to the reception, aren't you?"
CJ shifted a bit uncomfortable. "I don't know. It'll probably be weird and."
"Claudia!"
She turned around and smiled when she saw Julie. He was slowly walking towards her with his arms outstretched. She met him halfway and hugged him.
"Julie, I'm so sorry."
"Thanks. It means so much to me that you're here. Do you have your own car?"
"I took a cab."
"Then you're going with us to David and Sarah's." CJ looked uncomfortable and Julie frowned. "Claudia, you are coming to the reception, aren't you?"
After a short moment CJ smiled. "Of course I am."
Julie put his arm around her waist and they slowly walked towards the car.
Toby took Andy's hand in his and they slowly began walking.
"Who's that?" Andy said suddenly.
Toby looked up. "Who?"
"The woman Julie's walking with."
When Toby noticed her he stopped, not believing it. Andy looked worriedly at him.
"Toby? Toby, do you know who that woman is?"
"It's uh. it's." he stammered.
David opened the door and Julie got in the car. Before CJ followed him she turned around and she noticed Toby starring at her. They locked eyes for what seemed like several minutes but for real wasn't even a second. CJ smiled slightly, almost unnoticeable before stepping in to the car.
Andy gently shook Toby's arm. "Toby, who was that?"
"It was. just an old friend."
Andy looked confused at him but decided not to ask any more questions.
Julie took CJ's hand in his and gently squeezed it. CJ closed her eyes and leaned her head back. She had thought she had been prepared to see him, but apparently not. She hadn't thought it would hurt so much but it did. She regretted that she had flied out here. All she wanted to do now was to go home and never think of Toby again.
Sarah turned around and looked sympathetically at her. "CJ, we're so sorry. When David called you we didn't know about Andy."
CJ looked confused at her. "Andy?"
Sarah looked away briefly before taking a deep breath. "It's new, CJ. It probably won't last. They met at work and."
"Is she nice?" CJ interrupted.
Sarah looked confused but then slowly nodded. "Good," CJ said almost inaudible.
Julie and CJ were sitting in the couch looking at pictures that had been taken when CJ and Toby had visited them when they were still married and happy. CJ noticed that Julie, or maybe it had been Anna, had taken away all pictures with Haley. When she thought about her little girl she got tears in her eyes. Julie noticed and gently brushed her cheek.
"Claudia, we haven't forgot her. We just. Anna wanted to take them away for a while and then she got sick."
"It's okay, Julie. I just. I need to get some fresh air."
Julie let her go. CJ quickly walked to the entrance and out on the porch. She put her arms around her body and hugged herself. She hadn't thought of how cold it was in New York in November. Suddenly, she felt someone putting her coat on her shoulders. CJ quickly turned but just as quickly looked away when she saw who it was.
"I thought you might be cold," Toby said and made a weak attempt of smiling.
"Thank you," she said after a short moment. "Um, how are you?"
She had to restrain herself and her body parts to not put her arms around him.
"Well, you know how it is. Your mother passed away and."
She allowed herself to place her hand on his cheek. "I'm so sorry, Toby. Too many people have died from you."
He turned his head a bit and softly began kissing her hand. CJ closed her eyes, cursing herself for not being strong enough to pull away.
"Hey."
Toby quickly turned around and CJ took a step away from him.
"Andy," Toby said.
An awkward silence spread between them.
Toby was the first to speak. "I'm sorry. Andy, this is Claude. ia Jean Cregg. Claudia, this is Andrea Wyatt."
Andy smiled and held out her hand. "Nice to meet you, Claudia."
"Just call me CJ."
CJ pretended not to notice Toby's raised eyebrows.
Andy laughed a little. "And you can call me Andy."
CJ just nodded, wanted to leave or at least Andy to leave.
As Toby had read her mind he said, "Andy, could you just give us a couple of minutes?"
Andy looked suspiciously at them but then she nodded. Before she left she kissed Toby on the cheek.
"I'm sorry about that," Toby said when she had closed the door.
"No, don't be sorry. How long have you two been going out?"
"Just a couple of months."
"Do you like her?"
Toby shrugged but then nodded.
CJ smiled and put her hand on his shoulder. "Well, that's. I'm happy for you."
"I didn't know you were coming. If I had known I hadn't asked Andy to come."
"Why, why not? Toby, you and me, we're." She swallowed. ". over. There is no you and me anymore. I'm just glad that you're moving on with your life."
Toby studied her, trying to tell is she was lying or not. "What about you?" He asked after a while. "Any new man in your life?"
CJ smiled and shook her head. "No, I've been busy working. Does she know? I mean about us."
Toby slowly shook his head and CJ thought he almost looked a bit a shamed.
A moment of silence passed between them. Then Toby took a step closer to her.
"It's nice this, huh? Talking like old friends."
"Yeah."
Toby looked away. "Maybe we can, maybe after today, when you've left, maybe we can stay in touch?"
"I would like that, Toby."
"I've missed you. You're still the best friend I've ever had."
She gently put her hand on his arm. "Same goes for me."
Toby opened his mouth but then closed it again. He shifted uncomfortable.
"Would it be okay if I hugged you?"
"Yeah," she said softly as he put his arms around her.
TBC.