Edmund sat in a chair by the fireplace, a drink in one hand and his
head in the other. He watched the flames flicker bright yellows and
oranges, almost putting him in a trance, only to be interrupted by a hand
on his shoulder.
"Edmund jumped. "Did I scare you?" Maria said. "I'm sorry." Edmund reached over and took her hand. "The kids are asking for you to tuck them in." Edmund took a sip of his drink as Maria sat herself on the arm of the chair. "What's bothering you?" Edmund shook his head. Maria walked around to face him. "I might not remember much, Edmund, but I do know when something's on your mind. You've been quiet all night."
"Brooke..." Edmund said. "Is thinking of pulling the plug on Tempo."
"Why?" Maria asked. "You two worked together for..."
"Eleven years," Edmund said. "And then all of a sudden this afternoon, it seemed like she didn't even want to know that the magazine even existed."
"Well..." Maria said. "Maybe she was having a bad day or something. I don't know."
"We're doing so well. We even got nominated for another award. But if Tempo doesn't last the rest of the year, we'll be taken off the ballot."
"Doesn't Brooke know that?"
"Of course," Edmund stood and began pacing the room. "Of course... she knows. She's been doing this since the magazine came to Pine Valley. Tempo came here because of Brooke."
"Well, maybe you should talk to her," Maria said. "I mean, there's got to be a reason, right? Why don't you call her?"
Edmund checked his wristwatch. "She's probably in bed."
"At eight o'clock?"
"Yeah... she took the afternoon off, thought she was coming down with something."
"Nothing serious I hope."
"Probably just the flu."
"Maybe whatever it is she's got has made her..."
"Go completely crazy?"
Maria tilted her head to the side. "Call her, Edmund," she said. "Will you just call her."
"Daddy?" a tiny voice came from the doorway. Maria and Edmund looked over and saw Maddie standing there in her pajamas and bare feet, holding a teddy bear. "Aren't you going to tuck us in?"
Edmund walked over and scooped the little girl up in his arms. "What are you doing down here, huh?" he said playfully.
"Mommy said you'd come," Maddie said. "And we waited and waited so I came to get you."
"OK, sweetheart," Edmund said, putting her back down on the ground. "I'm all yours." He smiled as Maddie took his hand, wrapping her small fingers around two of his. Edmund shrugged, looking back at Maria. "In the morning," he said.
Maria smiled, trying to contain her laughter as Maddie led Edmund away.
Jamie Martin stood in the backyard, dribbling the soccer ball between his feet. The white of the ball was just about all that could be seen in the darkness.
"Are you going to take a shot sometime tonight?" Tad asked as he stood by the fence, his knees bent, waiting for Jamie to kick the ball. "My legs are starting to fall asleep over here."
Jamie sent the ball flying across the yard as the porch light went on. Tad was caught off guard, turning his head toward the house and away from the soccer ball. That split second was all it took.
"Dad." Jamie said, running to his side. Tad was keeled over, his hand up to his right eye. "Are you alright?"
"Tad." Brooke ran out of the house and down to him. "Oh my God are you OK?" she asked. "Let's get you inside and get some ice on that."
Tad, Jamie and Brooke made their way back into the house and Tad took a seat at the kitchen table as Brooke took a cold compress out of the freezer. She took a seat beside him, placing it on his eye.
"I'm really sorry, Dad," Jamie said.
"It's alright." Tad cringed a bit as the cold ice touched his face. "It was a good shot. I just got caught off guard," he said as the phone rang.
"I got it," Jamie said as he ran out of the room.
Brooke removed the ice for a moment and looked at his eye. "Ca you see out of it?" she asked.
"Does it look that bad?" Tad asked.
"the ice should keep the swelling down a little , but you're still going to have a nice black eye." Brooke placed the ice back on his eye. She paused a minute. "Jamie! Who's on the phone?"
"JR!" Jamie called back.
"Those two call eachother at all hours," Tad said. "Oww."
"Sorry." Brooke paused. "It serves you right, you know."
"And why is that?" Tad asked.
"What prompted you to help Jamie at nine o'clock when it's pitch black outside?"
"If I remember correctly, the afternoon was for homework, no?"
"Yes, you remember correctly." Brooke smiled. "The least you could have done was turn the back light on."
"I know, I know," Tad laughed. "Someone could have put an eye out. I'll keep that in mind next time."
"Would you, please?" Brooke smiled. "Or at least warn me so I can have the ice ready."
"Deal," Tad said. "Can you just do me one favor? Take the ice." Tad lightly pushed her hand away from his eye.
"Wow, that's going to look wonderful tomorrow morning." Brooke shook her head. "It's starting to swell up now. Are you sure you're going to be alright driving home?"
"Should be," Tad said. "At least I still have one good eye left, right?"
"Unless you decide to go back out there and try for the other eye."
"Very funny," Tad said standing. "Are we on for the movies tomorrow?"
"I really don't know, Tad."
"Hey, I could microwave buttered popcorn with the best of them," he said.
"I thought you had plans with Jamie."
"He's a teenager. His plans changed. He's going to go spend some time with JR tomorrow night." Tad paused. "True Confessions of the Heart is on at eight. It's a little old, but I saw it when it first came out... right up your alley."
"And who had to twist your arm to get you to watch that one?" Brooke laughed.
"Greenlee." Brooke raised her eyebrows. "Don't ask. I stopped by the loft to talk to Jake, the movie was starting when Jake got paged... she asked me to stay... and she practically had a full course meal set out, so I sat through it."
"How noble of you."
"Come on, Brooke. What do you say? I'll pick up the take out. We'll call it a party. It's got to be better than both of us sitting home alone all night."
Brooke thought for a moment. "OK." She gave in. "True Confessions of the Heart it is. I'll have the popcorn ready and waiting."
"See?" Tad said as he started towards the front door. "You're just like me, Brooke. Deep down, you really can't stand Friday nights at home alone."
"I don't think anyone's quite like you, Tad." She said following him. Tad just smiled at her. "Just do me a favor and be careful driving home with that eye."
"Will do," Tad said. "I'll call you tomorrow." Tad looked over at Jamie who was still on the phone. "James."
"Night Dad," he said, putting his hand over the receiver.
"Night," Tad said and then exited the house.
Brooke walked over to the phone and looked at Jamie. "Good night, JR," she hinted at her son.
"Look, JR, I got to go..." Jamie said. "Right."
"I'm going to bed," Brooke told him.
"But it's not even ten o'clock." Jamie said.
"Some of us have to get up for work in the morning," she said. "And some of us... have a math test if I'm not mistaken."
"Yeah. I'm just going to watch TV for a little while and then I'll go to bed."
"Alright," Brooke said. "Not too long though." Jamie nodded. "I'll see you in the morning."
"Goodnight mom," Jamie said. Brooke started upstairs and Jamie walked over to watch some television. He flipped through the channels for about twenty minutes before finding something interesting. He placed the remote control down beside him, and it didn't take long before his eyes began to grow heavy and Jamie fell asleep.
"Edmund jumped. "Did I scare you?" Maria said. "I'm sorry." Edmund reached over and took her hand. "The kids are asking for you to tuck them in." Edmund took a sip of his drink as Maria sat herself on the arm of the chair. "What's bothering you?" Edmund shook his head. Maria walked around to face him. "I might not remember much, Edmund, but I do know when something's on your mind. You've been quiet all night."
"Brooke..." Edmund said. "Is thinking of pulling the plug on Tempo."
"Why?" Maria asked. "You two worked together for..."
"Eleven years," Edmund said. "And then all of a sudden this afternoon, it seemed like she didn't even want to know that the magazine even existed."
"Well..." Maria said. "Maybe she was having a bad day or something. I don't know."
"We're doing so well. We even got nominated for another award. But if Tempo doesn't last the rest of the year, we'll be taken off the ballot."
"Doesn't Brooke know that?"
"Of course," Edmund stood and began pacing the room. "Of course... she knows. She's been doing this since the magazine came to Pine Valley. Tempo came here because of Brooke."
"Well, maybe you should talk to her," Maria said. "I mean, there's got to be a reason, right? Why don't you call her?"
Edmund checked his wristwatch. "She's probably in bed."
"At eight o'clock?"
"Yeah... she took the afternoon off, thought she was coming down with something."
"Nothing serious I hope."
"Probably just the flu."
"Maybe whatever it is she's got has made her..."
"Go completely crazy?"
Maria tilted her head to the side. "Call her, Edmund," she said. "Will you just call her."
"Daddy?" a tiny voice came from the doorway. Maria and Edmund looked over and saw Maddie standing there in her pajamas and bare feet, holding a teddy bear. "Aren't you going to tuck us in?"
Edmund walked over and scooped the little girl up in his arms. "What are you doing down here, huh?" he said playfully.
"Mommy said you'd come," Maddie said. "And we waited and waited so I came to get you."
"OK, sweetheart," Edmund said, putting her back down on the ground. "I'm all yours." He smiled as Maddie took his hand, wrapping her small fingers around two of his. Edmund shrugged, looking back at Maria. "In the morning," he said.
Maria smiled, trying to contain her laughter as Maddie led Edmund away.
Jamie Martin stood in the backyard, dribbling the soccer ball between his feet. The white of the ball was just about all that could be seen in the darkness.
"Are you going to take a shot sometime tonight?" Tad asked as he stood by the fence, his knees bent, waiting for Jamie to kick the ball. "My legs are starting to fall asleep over here."
Jamie sent the ball flying across the yard as the porch light went on. Tad was caught off guard, turning his head toward the house and away from the soccer ball. That split second was all it took.
"Dad." Jamie said, running to his side. Tad was keeled over, his hand up to his right eye. "Are you alright?"
"Tad." Brooke ran out of the house and down to him. "Oh my God are you OK?" she asked. "Let's get you inside and get some ice on that."
Tad, Jamie and Brooke made their way back into the house and Tad took a seat at the kitchen table as Brooke took a cold compress out of the freezer. She took a seat beside him, placing it on his eye.
"I'm really sorry, Dad," Jamie said.
"It's alright." Tad cringed a bit as the cold ice touched his face. "It was a good shot. I just got caught off guard," he said as the phone rang.
"I got it," Jamie said as he ran out of the room.
Brooke removed the ice for a moment and looked at his eye. "Ca you see out of it?" she asked.
"Does it look that bad?" Tad asked.
"the ice should keep the swelling down a little , but you're still going to have a nice black eye." Brooke placed the ice back on his eye. She paused a minute. "Jamie! Who's on the phone?"
"JR!" Jamie called back.
"Those two call eachother at all hours," Tad said. "Oww."
"Sorry." Brooke paused. "It serves you right, you know."
"And why is that?" Tad asked.
"What prompted you to help Jamie at nine o'clock when it's pitch black outside?"
"If I remember correctly, the afternoon was for homework, no?"
"Yes, you remember correctly." Brooke smiled. "The least you could have done was turn the back light on."
"I know, I know," Tad laughed. "Someone could have put an eye out. I'll keep that in mind next time."
"Would you, please?" Brooke smiled. "Or at least warn me so I can have the ice ready."
"Deal," Tad said. "Can you just do me one favor? Take the ice." Tad lightly pushed her hand away from his eye.
"Wow, that's going to look wonderful tomorrow morning." Brooke shook her head. "It's starting to swell up now. Are you sure you're going to be alright driving home?"
"Should be," Tad said. "At least I still have one good eye left, right?"
"Unless you decide to go back out there and try for the other eye."
"Very funny," Tad said standing. "Are we on for the movies tomorrow?"
"I really don't know, Tad."
"Hey, I could microwave buttered popcorn with the best of them," he said.
"I thought you had plans with Jamie."
"He's a teenager. His plans changed. He's going to go spend some time with JR tomorrow night." Tad paused. "True Confessions of the Heart is on at eight. It's a little old, but I saw it when it first came out... right up your alley."
"And who had to twist your arm to get you to watch that one?" Brooke laughed.
"Greenlee." Brooke raised her eyebrows. "Don't ask. I stopped by the loft to talk to Jake, the movie was starting when Jake got paged... she asked me to stay... and she practically had a full course meal set out, so I sat through it."
"How noble of you."
"Come on, Brooke. What do you say? I'll pick up the take out. We'll call it a party. It's got to be better than both of us sitting home alone all night."
Brooke thought for a moment. "OK." She gave in. "True Confessions of the Heart it is. I'll have the popcorn ready and waiting."
"See?" Tad said as he started towards the front door. "You're just like me, Brooke. Deep down, you really can't stand Friday nights at home alone."
"I don't think anyone's quite like you, Tad." She said following him. Tad just smiled at her. "Just do me a favor and be careful driving home with that eye."
"Will do," Tad said. "I'll call you tomorrow." Tad looked over at Jamie who was still on the phone. "James."
"Night Dad," he said, putting his hand over the receiver.
"Night," Tad said and then exited the house.
Brooke walked over to the phone and looked at Jamie. "Good night, JR," she hinted at her son.
"Look, JR, I got to go..." Jamie said. "Right."
"I'm going to bed," Brooke told him.
"But it's not even ten o'clock." Jamie said.
"Some of us have to get up for work in the morning," she said. "And some of us... have a math test if I'm not mistaken."
"Yeah. I'm just going to watch TV for a little while and then I'll go to bed."
"Alright," Brooke said. "Not too long though." Jamie nodded. "I'll see you in the morning."
"Goodnight mom," Jamie said. Brooke started upstairs and Jamie walked over to watch some television. He flipped through the channels for about twenty minutes before finding something interesting. He placed the remote control down beside him, and it didn't take long before his eyes began to grow heavy and Jamie fell asleep.