*
"Excuse us, Colleen," Eve said politely as she put her hand on
Chris's shoulder. She led him away from the desk so she coud speak to him
in private.
"What are you talking about, go find Julie?Chris, I mean, I know none
of us wants to think about it, but," she lowered her voice before
continuing, "Julie's dead," she finished.
"C'mon, Eve! How do we know that for sure?" Chris protested happily.
"Chris! Think about it! Why would she have given Christina to Lucy? You know how much Julie loved that little girl! And no offense, but Julie wasn't exactly......thinking straight all the time. She may very well have been trying to get attention. Besides, if she was alive, where is she, and why isn't she here with you and Christina?" said Eve. "That, Lambert, is what I am going to find out," Chris remarked. Eve brushed her hair out of her face and sighed. She put her hand on one hip, and looked at Chris sympathetically. Poor guy , she thought. He's been through so many awful relationships, he's regressing to his dead first love! It was a terribly sad scenario. Maybe this vacation thing wasn't such a bad idea for Ramsey after all. "But, Chris, think about this logically. Where would you start? And, if by some odd twist of fate you do find Julie, what are you going to do?" she asked. "I don't know," Chris answered honestly. "What I know is that I'll never be at peace with what happened to Julie until I know. This is just something I should have done a long time ago, and I'll feel better once I've got a little closure." With that, Chris walked away. I hope so, Ramsey. I just hope you find what you're looking for, whatever it is. Eve said to herself.
*
"Mom?" Livvie's heart skipped a beat when she heard her son's voice. She jumped, and then smiled reassuringly at Eli. "What is it, Eli?" she asked, trying to smooth over her tone. "Uh, Alison's here," he said, pointing toward the front porch before passing Livvie to get to his room. Livvie was bathed with relief. She hurried to the door to let in her best friend. "Hi, hon," Alison crooned, smoothing Livvie's hair as she came through the door. Livvie closed it behind them and led Alison into the quaint living room where the two of them sat down on the plush black sofa. "You look rough," Alison said softly as she held Livvie's face in her hands. Livvie was holding back tears. "Gee, thanks," she said, forcing a little laughter. "No, Livvie, I just meant that you look tired. Like something's bothering you. Is it Jack?" Alison asked. Livvie shook her head and looked up at Alison with tears in her eyes. She quickly looked away when she felt a tear slide down her cheek. "Livvie? What's the matter? C'mon, you can tell me!" Alison insisted gently as she took Livvie's hands. Livvie carefully tugged one of her hands out of Alison's girp so she could brush away her tears. She replaced it afterwards, though. She looked Alison in the eyes, and took a deep breath. "Alison," she said intensely, "Caleb's back."
* Christina paced impatiently across her bedroom floor, keeping one eye on the window, waiting for Raven to come and rescue her. She just hoped she'd get there in time. She didn't have to worry long, though, because within ten minutes of hanging up with her, Raven faithfully showed. "Christina! Raven's here! Make sure you don't take too long, we're already late to meet your sister!" Lucy called up the stairs. "Kay!" Christina called as she bounded down the steps, clad in a pink and gray striped polo tee shirt and white pants. "Hey," Christina said sorrowfully, pouring on the drama. Raven was good. She had smeared eyeliner and everything. She sniffed loudly, and hugged Christina just as Kevin came into view. "Daddy," Christina began pitifully, rubbing a now - sobbing Raven. "She's been having a really rough time lately. I can't just abandon my best friend when she needs me so much." "Christina-" Kevin said, with a warning in his tone. He was starting to protest. Christina couldn't let this happen. "Dad! I can eat breakfast with Serena anytime. Raven needs me now. Please tell my sister and JR that I'm sorry, but I can't do it today," she said, leading a tearful Raven upstairs, secretly Yes! ing inside. Kevin sighed and threw up his hands. "All right, then. Have it your way. Lucy, come on." Once Christina had watched her parents' car pull out of view, she flopped down on her bed and grimaced at Raven, who was seated at the foot of the bed. "So what's the big deal? I thought you liked seeing Serena," Raven interrogated. " I do. I just had to do something else today, and I needed you. To get me out of Commitment Number One, and to help me with Commitment Number Two," Christina said with a quivering voice. "Christina? What's the matter? What's your other 'commitment?' And why are you so upset?" Raven asked seriously, putting her hand over Christina's. "This cannot leave this room," Christina said tersely. Raven crossed her heart with her fingers. "Okay," Christina sighed, then took a deep breath. "I think I might be pregnant."
"Chris! Think about it! Why would she have given Christina to Lucy? You know how much Julie loved that little girl! And no offense, but Julie wasn't exactly......thinking straight all the time. She may very well have been trying to get attention. Besides, if she was alive, where is she, and why isn't she here with you and Christina?" said Eve. "That, Lambert, is what I am going to find out," Chris remarked. Eve brushed her hair out of her face and sighed. She put her hand on one hip, and looked at Chris sympathetically. Poor guy , she thought. He's been through so many awful relationships, he's regressing to his dead first love! It was a terribly sad scenario. Maybe this vacation thing wasn't such a bad idea for Ramsey after all. "But, Chris, think about this logically. Where would you start? And, if by some odd twist of fate you do find Julie, what are you going to do?" she asked. "I don't know," Chris answered honestly. "What I know is that I'll never be at peace with what happened to Julie until I know. This is just something I should have done a long time ago, and I'll feel better once I've got a little closure." With that, Chris walked away. I hope so, Ramsey. I just hope you find what you're looking for, whatever it is. Eve said to herself.
*
"Mom?" Livvie's heart skipped a beat when she heard her son's voice. She jumped, and then smiled reassuringly at Eli. "What is it, Eli?" she asked, trying to smooth over her tone. "Uh, Alison's here," he said, pointing toward the front porch before passing Livvie to get to his room. Livvie was bathed with relief. She hurried to the door to let in her best friend. "Hi, hon," Alison crooned, smoothing Livvie's hair as she came through the door. Livvie closed it behind them and led Alison into the quaint living room where the two of them sat down on the plush black sofa. "You look rough," Alison said softly as she held Livvie's face in her hands. Livvie was holding back tears. "Gee, thanks," she said, forcing a little laughter. "No, Livvie, I just meant that you look tired. Like something's bothering you. Is it Jack?" Alison asked. Livvie shook her head and looked up at Alison with tears in her eyes. She quickly looked away when she felt a tear slide down her cheek. "Livvie? What's the matter? C'mon, you can tell me!" Alison insisted gently as she took Livvie's hands. Livvie carefully tugged one of her hands out of Alison's girp so she could brush away her tears. She replaced it afterwards, though. She looked Alison in the eyes, and took a deep breath. "Alison," she said intensely, "Caleb's back."
* Christina paced impatiently across her bedroom floor, keeping one eye on the window, waiting for Raven to come and rescue her. She just hoped she'd get there in time. She didn't have to worry long, though, because within ten minutes of hanging up with her, Raven faithfully showed. "Christina! Raven's here! Make sure you don't take too long, we're already late to meet your sister!" Lucy called up the stairs. "Kay!" Christina called as she bounded down the steps, clad in a pink and gray striped polo tee shirt and white pants. "Hey," Christina said sorrowfully, pouring on the drama. Raven was good. She had smeared eyeliner and everything. She sniffed loudly, and hugged Christina just as Kevin came into view. "Daddy," Christina began pitifully, rubbing a now - sobbing Raven. "She's been having a really rough time lately. I can't just abandon my best friend when she needs me so much." "Christina-" Kevin said, with a warning in his tone. He was starting to protest. Christina couldn't let this happen. "Dad! I can eat breakfast with Serena anytime. Raven needs me now. Please tell my sister and JR that I'm sorry, but I can't do it today," she said, leading a tearful Raven upstairs, secretly Yes! ing inside. Kevin sighed and threw up his hands. "All right, then. Have it your way. Lucy, come on." Once Christina had watched her parents' car pull out of view, she flopped down on her bed and grimaced at Raven, who was seated at the foot of the bed. "So what's the big deal? I thought you liked seeing Serena," Raven interrogated. " I do. I just had to do something else today, and I needed you. To get me out of Commitment Number One, and to help me with Commitment Number Two," Christina said with a quivering voice. "Christina? What's the matter? What's your other 'commitment?' And why are you so upset?" Raven asked seriously, putting her hand over Christina's. "This cannot leave this room," Christina said tersely. Raven crossed her heart with her fingers. "Okay," Christina sighed, then took a deep breath. "I think I might be pregnant."