Tad slowly turned the key, pushing his way into the house. He shut the door
behind him, resting his head back against it. He took a deep breath. "Just
keep throwing those curve balls," he said. "I'll hit one eventually."
Pausing for a moment, he rubbed the back of his neck before proceeding into the house. He made his way over to the answering machine. Three messages. Tad thought. "Momma, Brooke, Jake," he said. "Don't forget about the dinner."
Tad pressed play on the machine. "Hi there, darlin'," Opal's voice was heard. "Thought I'd give ya a jingle to remind ya about Brooke's dinner. I know she probably already called ya, but we don't wanna have ya forgettin' like last time." Tad shook his head.
There was a pause before the second message began playing. "Tad, it's Brooke. I know... I know I don't have to remind you about tonight. There are going to be a lot of people there. Just... don't forget this time, please."
Tad made a face, running his fingers back through his hair as the third message played. "Tad are you home?" There was silence. "Hello?" Silence again. "OK, I guess you're not home. I just thought I'd save you from embarrassment and remind you about that charity dinner for Brooke. I don't know if Mom or Pop already called you... well anyway, I don't want to see Brooke chew you out for not being there so don't forget, alright."
"One year," Tad said to himself. "I forget to show up once and the army attacks." He paused, lifting a gold picture frame into his hand. "I don't know how I deal with this, Dix," Tad said, gazing at the photo of Dixie, which he had nestled behind the glass. He took a deep breath. "I don't know how I deal with any of this without you here. I guess... I don't have much of a choice though, huh? So... I'll go this dinner tonight, I'll pretend to be happy. I'll sit out all the dances we should be dancing together. I'll smile at all the babies, knowing that one of those little girls could have been ours... could have been Kate. And I'll celebrate. Although what I'll be celebrating, I have no idea because... nothing seems to matter all that much anymore now that you're gone. And... it'll never be the same again." Tad paused., shutting his eyes to hold back the tears which fought their way into his eyes. "God I miss you so much, Dixie." He looked back down at the picture. Dixie's bright blue eyes seemed to stare right back at him. "Well, sweetheart," Tad gently placed the photo back down by the answering machine. "Maybe I should call Brooke to tell her I didn't forget about tonight. The charity event of the year... I should call her." Tad took a deep breath. "I'm sure we would have had a blast." He paused. "We would have."
Katie stood outside apartment 5F at 1421 Plumtree Road with her suitcases. She knocked twice, stepping back, waiting for the door to open.
The door swung inward. "Wow," Reggie stepped back.
"You must be Reggie," Katie smiled. "Jackson told me all about you."
"That right?" Reggie folded his arms across his chest with a grin.
"Easy there, Reggie," Jackson said, stepping into the main room.
"Ain't ya gonna introduce me to your foxy lady friend, Jack?"
Jackson put his arm around Reggie's shoulder with a laugh. "This 'foxy lady' happens to be my cousin."
"Sure, Jack. I know how it is."
"Oh you do? Is that right?"
"Yeah... but if you wanna know what I think... she's too young for you."
"And she's too old for you, so don't go getting any crazy ideas." Jackson paused. "And I think you still have a suit to get into."
"Yeah, yeah." Reggie complained.
"Get going," Jackson joked. Reggie turned and went off to his room. "So you decided to take me up on my offer." Jack said to Katie.
"I had no running water in my room at the motel and I remembered that you offered. If it's a bother..."
"No," Jackson took Katie's suitcases from her. "Of course not, you can stay as long as you like."
Katie smiled. "Thanks, Jack."
"Hey, don't mention it." Jackson paused. "Look, if you're feeling up to it, there's a charity dinner tonight. I could introduce you to some more people..."
"Sounds like fun." Katie said. "I could always go for a little fun. Count me in."
Pausing for a moment, he rubbed the back of his neck before proceeding into the house. He made his way over to the answering machine. Three messages. Tad thought. "Momma, Brooke, Jake," he said. "Don't forget about the dinner."
Tad pressed play on the machine. "Hi there, darlin'," Opal's voice was heard. "Thought I'd give ya a jingle to remind ya about Brooke's dinner. I know she probably already called ya, but we don't wanna have ya forgettin' like last time." Tad shook his head.
There was a pause before the second message began playing. "Tad, it's Brooke. I know... I know I don't have to remind you about tonight. There are going to be a lot of people there. Just... don't forget this time, please."
Tad made a face, running his fingers back through his hair as the third message played. "Tad are you home?" There was silence. "Hello?" Silence again. "OK, I guess you're not home. I just thought I'd save you from embarrassment and remind you about that charity dinner for Brooke. I don't know if Mom or Pop already called you... well anyway, I don't want to see Brooke chew you out for not being there so don't forget, alright."
"One year," Tad said to himself. "I forget to show up once and the army attacks." He paused, lifting a gold picture frame into his hand. "I don't know how I deal with this, Dix," Tad said, gazing at the photo of Dixie, which he had nestled behind the glass. He took a deep breath. "I don't know how I deal with any of this without you here. I guess... I don't have much of a choice though, huh? So... I'll go this dinner tonight, I'll pretend to be happy. I'll sit out all the dances we should be dancing together. I'll smile at all the babies, knowing that one of those little girls could have been ours... could have been Kate. And I'll celebrate. Although what I'll be celebrating, I have no idea because... nothing seems to matter all that much anymore now that you're gone. And... it'll never be the same again." Tad paused., shutting his eyes to hold back the tears which fought their way into his eyes. "God I miss you so much, Dixie." He looked back down at the picture. Dixie's bright blue eyes seemed to stare right back at him. "Well, sweetheart," Tad gently placed the photo back down by the answering machine. "Maybe I should call Brooke to tell her I didn't forget about tonight. The charity event of the year... I should call her." Tad took a deep breath. "I'm sure we would have had a blast." He paused. "We would have."
Katie stood outside apartment 5F at 1421 Plumtree Road with her suitcases. She knocked twice, stepping back, waiting for the door to open.
The door swung inward. "Wow," Reggie stepped back.
"You must be Reggie," Katie smiled. "Jackson told me all about you."
"That right?" Reggie folded his arms across his chest with a grin.
"Easy there, Reggie," Jackson said, stepping into the main room.
"Ain't ya gonna introduce me to your foxy lady friend, Jack?"
Jackson put his arm around Reggie's shoulder with a laugh. "This 'foxy lady' happens to be my cousin."
"Sure, Jack. I know how it is."
"Oh you do? Is that right?"
"Yeah... but if you wanna know what I think... she's too young for you."
"And she's too old for you, so don't go getting any crazy ideas." Jackson paused. "And I think you still have a suit to get into."
"Yeah, yeah." Reggie complained.
"Get going," Jackson joked. Reggie turned and went off to his room. "So you decided to take me up on my offer." Jack said to Katie.
"I had no running water in my room at the motel and I remembered that you offered. If it's a bother..."
"No," Jackson took Katie's suitcases from her. "Of course not, you can stay as long as you like."
Katie smiled. "Thanks, Jack."
"Hey, don't mention it." Jackson paused. "Look, if you're feeling up to it, there's a charity dinner tonight. I could introduce you to some more people..."
"Sounds like fun." Katie said. "I could always go for a little fun. Count me in."