"You sure about this, James?" JR asked. "I can't talk you into a
movie or something?"
"It's not going to take hours," Jamie said, turning his key in the door. "I just have to bring the book to Joni down at the hospital."
Jamie and JR walked into the house. "How does she find the time to do all this stuff?" JR asked. "She goes to school, she volunteers at the hospital, she watches the Grey's kids."
"Never has time for anything else though." Jamie dug through his backpack. "You know," he said. "It's not here. I bet I left it at my mom's."
"I guess we're going over there now."
"It'll take ten minutes."
"Fine, fine," JR said. "But then we're going to the movies."
"We'll catch the 11:30 down at the cineplex," Jamie said. "Just let me get the book down to Joni first." The boys left the house and headed for JR's car.
Tad rolled over in bed, coming face to face with Brooke. He reached over and pushed her hair back behind her ear. She smiled lightly at him as they propped themselves up, the sheets bunched around their bodies. Brooke took a deep breath. She opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't get a word passed her lips. Tad ran his hands over his face.
"We can't keep doing this," Brooke managed to say as she looked over at Tad.
Tad looked at her. "And your reason behind that statement is... what?"
"Jamie's going to wonder why you didn't come home last night."
"Jamie slept over JR's last night," Tad said. "Or did you forget already?"
Brooke reached over and grabbed a robe, slipping it on and climbing out of bed. She paced the floor, almost nervously. "You know..." she said. "I honestly have to admit that something about this whole thing seems so right." Tad eased out of bed and into his pants. "But at the same time... Dixie hasn't even been gone a year, Tad."
"You sure do have a way of killing the moment." Tad sat down on the edge of the bed. Brooke walked around and sat beside him.
She was silent for a moment. "That was hitting you below the belt," she said. "I'm sorry." Tad took a deep breath and leaned forward. Brooke put her arm around him, rubbing her hand up and down his bare back. Tad closed his eyes as Brooke rested her cheek against his shoulder. He lightly kissed the top of her head.
"Why are you questioning this?" Tad asked her.
"You want me to say it again?" Brooke stood. "I'm sorry, Tad, but you loved Dixie more than life." She paused. "I... had an affair with Adam, which nearly caused Mia her life. I'm coming off... I just got annulled, because Edmund's dead wife is alive." Tad stood, approaching Brooke and embracing her. "It just feels like we're getting into this and... with my track record... Dixie... will somehow resurface and... you'll go running back to her, leaving me... right back where I was before this all started." Brooke sniffled. "Alone and miserable."
"Brooke..."
"I can't bear facing heartbreak again, Tad," she said. "I just can't do it."
Tad grabbed her arms and held her away from him, looking her in the eyes. "You're being way too hard on yourself," Tad said. "Way too hard. What did I tell you at Jake and Greenlee's wedding?"
"I know what you said... about the right man for me being right under my nose. And you were right. You were... absolutely, 100% correct. Right under my nose the whole time. But Tad, I can't do this... I don't feel right doing this."
"Dixie's not coming back, Brooke," Tad said.
"This is Pine Valley," she said. "I've seen the dead resurrected quite a few times." she paused. "God Tad. Even with you."
"But I wasn't dead."
"You go off a bridge and your body never turns up... that's dead, Tad. For years, you were dead. But yet... here you are living walking, breathing..."
"You're really starting to make no sense at all." Tad said.
"OK," Brooke said. "Then tell me. If that happened. If one day, it turned out that Dixie was alive... after what we've been through... would you go back to her?" Tad didn't answer. Brooke sighed. "That's why this can't go any further. It's obvious what your heart wants, Tad, and she's not the one standing in this room with you right now." Tad was silent. "I think you should go." Tad opened his mouth to speak. "Don't argue," Brooke tried to remain calm. "Just go."
Tad didn't move for a moment, but then slowly collected his belongings and exited the bedroom. He continued to dress as he walked downstairs. He managed to get his shoes on. His tie hung around his neck, his jacket in his arms, his shirt half open as he swung open the front door.
"Dad?" Jamie said, holding his key in his hand. Tad was almost oblivious to his son, only patting him quickly on the back as he walked to his car. "What was that all about?"
"I'd tell you what I think, but I'm not sure it would blow over well." JR said as the boys turned and watched Tad pull out and drive away.
"It's not going to take hours," Jamie said, turning his key in the door. "I just have to bring the book to Joni down at the hospital."
Jamie and JR walked into the house. "How does she find the time to do all this stuff?" JR asked. "She goes to school, she volunteers at the hospital, she watches the Grey's kids."
"Never has time for anything else though." Jamie dug through his backpack. "You know," he said. "It's not here. I bet I left it at my mom's."
"I guess we're going over there now."
"It'll take ten minutes."
"Fine, fine," JR said. "But then we're going to the movies."
"We'll catch the 11:30 down at the cineplex," Jamie said. "Just let me get the book down to Joni first." The boys left the house and headed for JR's car.
Tad rolled over in bed, coming face to face with Brooke. He reached over and pushed her hair back behind her ear. She smiled lightly at him as they propped themselves up, the sheets bunched around their bodies. Brooke took a deep breath. She opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't get a word passed her lips. Tad ran his hands over his face.
"We can't keep doing this," Brooke managed to say as she looked over at Tad.
Tad looked at her. "And your reason behind that statement is... what?"
"Jamie's going to wonder why you didn't come home last night."
"Jamie slept over JR's last night," Tad said. "Or did you forget already?"
Brooke reached over and grabbed a robe, slipping it on and climbing out of bed. She paced the floor, almost nervously. "You know..." she said. "I honestly have to admit that something about this whole thing seems so right." Tad eased out of bed and into his pants. "But at the same time... Dixie hasn't even been gone a year, Tad."
"You sure do have a way of killing the moment." Tad sat down on the edge of the bed. Brooke walked around and sat beside him.
She was silent for a moment. "That was hitting you below the belt," she said. "I'm sorry." Tad took a deep breath and leaned forward. Brooke put her arm around him, rubbing her hand up and down his bare back. Tad closed his eyes as Brooke rested her cheek against his shoulder. He lightly kissed the top of her head.
"Why are you questioning this?" Tad asked her.
"You want me to say it again?" Brooke stood. "I'm sorry, Tad, but you loved Dixie more than life." She paused. "I... had an affair with Adam, which nearly caused Mia her life. I'm coming off... I just got annulled, because Edmund's dead wife is alive." Tad stood, approaching Brooke and embracing her. "It just feels like we're getting into this and... with my track record... Dixie... will somehow resurface and... you'll go running back to her, leaving me... right back where I was before this all started." Brooke sniffled. "Alone and miserable."
"Brooke..."
"I can't bear facing heartbreak again, Tad," she said. "I just can't do it."
Tad grabbed her arms and held her away from him, looking her in the eyes. "You're being way too hard on yourself," Tad said. "Way too hard. What did I tell you at Jake and Greenlee's wedding?"
"I know what you said... about the right man for me being right under my nose. And you were right. You were... absolutely, 100% correct. Right under my nose the whole time. But Tad, I can't do this... I don't feel right doing this."
"Dixie's not coming back, Brooke," Tad said.
"This is Pine Valley," she said. "I've seen the dead resurrected quite a few times." she paused. "God Tad. Even with you."
"But I wasn't dead."
"You go off a bridge and your body never turns up... that's dead, Tad. For years, you were dead. But yet... here you are living walking, breathing..."
"You're really starting to make no sense at all." Tad said.
"OK," Brooke said. "Then tell me. If that happened. If one day, it turned out that Dixie was alive... after what we've been through... would you go back to her?" Tad didn't answer. Brooke sighed. "That's why this can't go any further. It's obvious what your heart wants, Tad, and she's not the one standing in this room with you right now." Tad was silent. "I think you should go." Tad opened his mouth to speak. "Don't argue," Brooke tried to remain calm. "Just go."
Tad didn't move for a moment, but then slowly collected his belongings and exited the bedroom. He continued to dress as he walked downstairs. He managed to get his shoes on. His tie hung around his neck, his jacket in his arms, his shirt half open as he swung open the front door.
"Dad?" Jamie said, holding his key in his hand. Tad was almost oblivious to his son, only patting him quickly on the back as he walked to his car. "What was that all about?"
"I'd tell you what I think, but I'm not sure it would blow over well." JR said as the boys turned and watched Tad pull out and drive away.