Chapter 17
Minutes passed and Brenda was still in incredible pain. She had shed the lower half of her clothes and Carly could see that Brenda was starting to bleed. Carly had covered her with a blanket and she, Bianca, and Faith were trying not to act nervous.
"Mama!" came the screams of a couple of the children upstairs.
"Go take care of them," Carly said to Bianca and Faith. The two women nodded quickly and headed upstairs to console the little ones.
"Carly, you've got to help me stop this," Brenda cried. "It's too soon . . . it's too soon."
"Shh, it's going to be okay," Carly whispered.
"I need Sonny," Brenda said with a sob. Carly hurried over to a phone only to realize that the phone line was dead. She pulled her cell phone out and she couldn't get a signal.
"Dammit," Carly cursed under her breath.
"What?" Brenda asked weakly.
"The lines are dead and I can't get a signal," Carly reported. Brenda screamed again and Carly went to sit by her side. "It's okay. It's alright."
"It hurts so bad, Carly," Brenda sobbed, grabbing Carly's hand and squeezing it hard.
"Shh, I know," Carly replied gently. "Just relax. The labor will stop if you relax."
"It hurts!" Brenda screamed agonizingly. She let out another horrid scream and she felt a gush. "Oh no!" Carly saw the liquid coming from between Brenda's legs. She saw that it was bloody too. She knew that wasn't good but she didn't want to scare Brenda.
"Your water just broke," Carly muttered. Brenda shook her head.
"It's too early! This can't be happening."
"It is happening. You've got to focus now, okay? You've got to focus on delivering your baby."
"I can't . . . it's too early . . ." she whispered. "I need Sonny."
"Sonny will be here soon, okay? He's on his way!"
"I feel . . . dizzy," Brenda breathed, squinting as the room began to spin. She started to doze off.
"No! Stay awake! You've got to stay awake!" Carly screamed. "Come on!" Tony ran in and saw all of the blood.
"I . . ."
"Go out in the hall!" Carly ordered. Tony didn't want to mess with Carly, so he did as Carly asked. Carly turned back to Brenda only to see that she had passed out from the blood loss. "Faith!" Faith came down the stairs and Carly bit her bottom lip nervously.
"What do you need?"
"I need you to get some towels and blankets from the hall closet upstairs, okay?" Carly asked. Faith nodded and did as Carly asked. She came back downstairs with the materials. Faith sat at Brenda's side with a damp wash cloth and she placed it on her friend's forehead.
"Is she gonna be okay?" Faith asked with tears in her eyes.
"I don't know," Carly breathed. "She's lost a lot of blood." She had tears in her eyes too. Brenda was her friend now. She may have wished her death a long time ago, but she never expected this to happen. "Come on, Brenda. You've gotta wake up. You've got to work for your baby. Come on!" Brenda started to open her eyes and the blood started to come out faster. Carly was shaking and Brenda was trembling from the lack of blood. Brenda tried her best to stay conscious for her baby, but Carly wasn't sure how long it would be before Brenda passed out completely.
**
Mark and Jason rode silently in the back of the limo as Max drove. Mark was looking out of the window with worry and anger in his eyes. Jason was very concerned for Michael and Cadence. He swore to himself that he'd make the person who had the kids right now pay.
"I ever should have let her leave the house with the kids today," Mark said angrily under his breath.
"Hey, you can't make Carly do anything she doesn't want to do," Jason replied. "Believe me, if you don't know that by now, you don't know her very well."
"I know her well enough!" Mark snapped. "She's my wife!"
"Just because she's your wife doesn't mean you know her. Sure you were friends in high school. But did Carly ever tell you about the time that she spent in a mental institution because she shot a man?" Jason asked.
"What?" Mark asked.
"You don't know a lot of Carly's painful memories. You aren't Sonny. She tells Sonny everything. I was her best friend and she tells him more than she tells me. She still loves him."
"You think I don't know that?" Mark asked. He slammed his fist into the seat beside him. He shook his head.
"I love Carly and I want her to be happy. But I also want my daughter to be happy. Cadence loves Carly so much. I don't want to take another mother away from her." At that moment, Jason saw a woman walking with two children out in the rain.
"Max! Stop!" Jason yelled. Max stopped the limo and Jason jumped out and into the flooded street. He ran for Sam and Mark hurried after him.
"Uncle Jason!" Michael screamed. Jason grabbed Sam by the arm and Mark got to the kids.
"Get them into the limo!" Jason yelled. Mark took the kids and Jason held Sam against a wall.
"Let go of me!" Sam screamed. "I was taking the kids back to Sonny!"
"Like I would believe you," Jason snarled. "If you hurt those kids in any way, I will…"
"You'll what?" Sam asked as the rain continued to pour down on them.
"Don't make me finish that sentence," Jason replied through clenched teeth.
"Was that a threat?" Sam asked. Inside the limo, Mark was already calling the police. Jason had to keep Sam there until the police showed up. He looked back at the limo.
"Are the kids okay?" he asked.
"They're fine!" Mark called back. The two were huddled together trying to keep warm while they all waited for the police to show up.
"Jason! Let me go!" Sam exclaimed. "I was taking them back!"
"Shut up. I don't believe a damned word out of your lying mouth!" Jason replied. His grip tightened on Sam's arm.
"You're hurting me!"
"Not as much as you hurt those kids."
"I didn't touch them!"
"We'll find that out for ourselves." Five minutes later, the police showed up and hauled Sam off to jail. Jason hopped into the back of the limo and he pulled Michael into his lap. Cadence had her arms wrapped tightly around Mark's neck.
"Uncle Jason," Michael cried. He pulled his arms around Jason's neck and hugged him tightly.
"It's okay buddy," Jason whispered softly. "Max, take us to GH." Max started off toward the hospital. He looked at Mark and nodded toward Cadence. "She okay?"
"Yeah. I think so. I'll feel better when we get them to the hospital. Michael? You doing okay?" Michael only buried his face in Jason's neck and tightened his hold. Jason closed his eyes and held his nephew in his arms.
"It's alright buddy. You're safe now."
**
The firelight was the only thing that was aiding Carly to see while Brenda labored through the contractions. Faith was waiting nervously and helping out by keeping the cool compress on Brenda's forehead. Bianca was still upstairs with the children, and from the sound of things downstairs, she was lucky to be up there.
Carly kept looking over at the door, hoping Sonny would come through at that moment. But he still wasn't there and Carly was scared. The blood had stopped coming out so quickly, but Brenda was still hemorrhaging a little.
Brenda screamed again and Carly checked her again. The baby's head was starting to crown.
"I can see the baby's head," Carly said nervously. She and Faith exchanged worried glances.
"This isn't happening," Brenda sobbed. To be honest, Carly couldn't believe it was happening either. She was delivering the child of her ex-husband. It was a child that he had created with another woman. Carly suddenly felt so jealous. She was mostly scared and felt guilty because Brenda was bleeding so much and plus, Carly was married to Mark. But she couldn't help but feel a little jealous.
Carly noticed that Brenda was growing paler and her pushes were becoming weaker.
"Come on Brenda, push! The head's almost out!" Carly urged. Brenda closed her eyes tightly and pushed a few more times. The baby finally came into the world and Carly wrapped her in a blanket. "It's a girl." Brenda was trying to focus her eyes on the tiny infant that Carly was wrapping up. Faith hurried to Carly's side.
"How is she?" Brenda asked groggily. The baby wasn't breathing. She was blue and wasn't crying. "Why isn't she crying?" Carly began to rub the baby's back while clearing it's throat with one of her fingers. A few minutes later, the child began to cry and her skin slowly turned a healthier shade of pink. Carly saw that Brenda was still bleeding and she knew that she needed to get help. "Let me hold my baby . . ." At that moment, the door flew open and Sonny wheeled his chair in to see Carly holding a bundle in his arms. Sonny rushed to Brenda's side.
"Oh God," he whispered.
"Sonny, it's a girl," Brenda said with tears in her eyes. Carly and Sonny's eyes met as Carly slowly handed the premature baby to Brenda. Carly looked away and looked at Faith.
"Go get some more candles for a little more light," Carly instructed. Faith nodded and went to find more candles. Brenda looked at Carly and the color continued to fade from her face.
"I'm not going to make it am I?" she asked.
"Yeah you are," Carly said, choking back a sob. "You're going to be okay. You have to stay strong for your little girl."
"I'm not going to make it," Brenda cried. She looked back and forth from Carly, who was now sobbing, to Sonny, who couldn't take his eyes off of his new daughter. She kisses her crying baby's forehead. "I love you baby girl." She looked back at Sonny and Carly. "I know you both love each other. I know you . . . I know you do. I want you to do something for me. I want you to both admit that you love each other. I don't care what it takes. You admit to each other how you feel because I know you're still in love with one another. I want you both to take care of Kristina, Stone and this little one for me. They're going to need a good mommy and daddy."
"Stop talking like that, Brenda," Carly sobbed. "You're not going to die!"
"You'll be okay. You can't leave our kids . . ." Brenda smiled at Sonny.
"I'll always love you, but I know your heart belongs with Carly. I want to know that you'll always be there for her. She loves you. Your children need you. So does she." Brenda looked at Carly. "Take care of him." Carly closed her eyes as Brenda did. Brenda slowly went unconscious and her breathing became shallow. Carly slowly took the baby from Brenda's arms and put her in Sonny's.
"Your little girl, Sonny," Carly cried. "Congratulations. She's a miracle. She's . . . nearly two months early." The baby stopped crying and fell asleep in her father's arms.
"We have . . . we have to get them to a hospital," Sonny stammered. Carly nodded. "The roads are flooded . . ."
"We'll get them there," Carly replied quietly. Faith came into the room and Bianca came downstairs. Bianca gasped as she saw Brenda's nearly lifeless body.
"Brenda," Bianca cried. Faith slowly walked over and put the newly lit candles down near Brenda. Everybody stared at Brenda as she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She didn't take another breath in and they knew she was gone. Sonny began to tremble and cry. Carly took the baby from him and handed her to Faith.
"You've . . . um, you've got to get her dressed so she'll be warm," Carly whispered. Faith nodded and sobbed a little, but took the child upstairs. Bianca followed her and Carly put her hand on Sonny's back.
"I never should have married her," Sonny whispered. "I couldn't love her the way she loved me." He looked up at Carly with tears streaming down his face. "I can't believe I'm sitting beside my dead wife and looking at the woman I love who is here in front of me alive and healthy. Carly, I never stopped loving you and I feel guilty because Brenda's dead. This is my fault. If I had never asked her to come here, she wouldn't have gotten pregnant. She wouldn't have died!"
"This isn't your fault," Carly whispered. "You couldn't have known."
"Because I was selfish, Brenda is dead and two of her children are motherless. My love for you nearly got you and Morgan killed before. My family is in danger and now . . . now our son is missing. God, Carly, how could God have ever let me be born if he knew what I was going to do with my life?"
"Baby, God works in mysterious ways," Carly whispered. She put her arms around Sonny and they wept together. "Brenda knew. She knew how we felt about each other. Sonny she was right. I am still in love with you . . ." The lights suddenly came back on and not a moment later, the phone rang and Carly jumped up quickly. "Maybe . . . maybe that's about Michael and Cadence." She hurried over and answered the phone. "Hello?"
"God it's so good to hear your voice," Mark said quietly.
"Mark," Carly said with surprise. "Did . . . did you find them?"
"Jason and I found them. We had them checked out at the hospital. Honey, they're just fine. Sam McCall was arrested. We found her with them."
"Thank God they're okay," Carly said breathing a sigh of relief.
"They're asking for you."
"Tell . . . tell them I love them," Carly cried. "Bye . . ." She blindly hung up the phone, her hand brushing over the main board of the phone. Carly slowly walked over to sit down beside Brenda.
"Why did you have to leave?" she asked. "Things would have been a lot more simple if you had lived. Then I wouldn't have to face this . . ."
"What are we going to do?" Sonny asked, looking down. Carly felt an immediate sense of guilt as she looked at Sonny and thought of Mark.
"Sonny, we can't get back together," she whispered. "Brenda just died and . . . and Mark really loves me. I love him but not the way he loves me. But Cadence . . . that girl needs a mom."
"Brenda wanted us to be together all along. But she was afraid to lose me," Sonny whispered.
"I know," Carly sobbed. "But Mark and I have a life now. It's too late." Sonny nodded and swallowed hard.
"Yeah," he whispered. He cleared his throat. "You . . . you might not be able to leave tonight because of the flood."
"Yeah," Carly replied. "Um . . . I'll call the hospital about Brenda and the baby." She started toward the phone but Sonny grabbed her hand and she sat back down.
"I'm sorry."
"For what?" Carly asked. Sonny sighed.
"You know what," Sonny replied. "I'm so sorry for everything I put you through. I'm sorry that . . . that I made this situation the way it is now."
"It wasn't your entire fault," Carly replied. "I was stupid too."
"I never should have let you go," Sonny whispered. "I should have trusted you."
"I ended our marriage just as much as you did."
"Carly, just let me apologize."
"I'll let you apologize if you let me apologize." Sonny nodded.
"Carly, I don't regret marrying you all three times," Sonny started. "I only regret hurting you with Alexis . . . and with Sam. I'm so sorry I ever hurt you."
"I'm sorry that I ever thought I could trust Lorenzo. I'm sorry that I slept with him to make you feel guilty and jealous. I can't believe how stupid I had been. Sometimes I think that it would have been easier if I had died when you shot me." She looked away.
"Never say that!" Sonny exclaimed. "I feel horrible for what happened to you. I feel horrible that I was the one that pulled the trigger. I never wanted to hurt you. But I hurt you in more ways that I could ever imagine." Carly took Sonny's hands in hers.
"I forgive you. I want to move on from all of the past, Sonny."
"I forgive you. You know forgiveness isn't an easy thing for me. But if we can just get past all of this . . . who knows?" Sonny asked. Carly reached out to hug Sonny and they both sobbed. When they pulled away, Carly dried her eyes and looked at Sonny. "Carly, I need you. I can't take care of these kids alone. I can't live without our boys. I can't . . ." Carly put her fingers to Sonny's lips and sniffled.
"I would help you, Sonny," she replied, "but my new family needs me too. I can't leave them like this. It's too late . . . I'm so sorry." Sonny nodded.
"Me too." Carly and Sonny joined their hands together and sat silently. Little did they know that Carly had accidentally hit the speaker phone before she hung up, and Mark was still on the other line and had just heard every singe word they had just said.
Minutes passed and Brenda was still in incredible pain. She had shed the lower half of her clothes and Carly could see that Brenda was starting to bleed. Carly had covered her with a blanket and she, Bianca, and Faith were trying not to act nervous.
"Mama!" came the screams of a couple of the children upstairs.
"Go take care of them," Carly said to Bianca and Faith. The two women nodded quickly and headed upstairs to console the little ones.
"Carly, you've got to help me stop this," Brenda cried. "It's too soon . . . it's too soon."
"Shh, it's going to be okay," Carly whispered.
"I need Sonny," Brenda said with a sob. Carly hurried over to a phone only to realize that the phone line was dead. She pulled her cell phone out and she couldn't get a signal.
"Dammit," Carly cursed under her breath.
"What?" Brenda asked weakly.
"The lines are dead and I can't get a signal," Carly reported. Brenda screamed again and Carly went to sit by her side. "It's okay. It's alright."
"It hurts so bad, Carly," Brenda sobbed, grabbing Carly's hand and squeezing it hard.
"Shh, I know," Carly replied gently. "Just relax. The labor will stop if you relax."
"It hurts!" Brenda screamed agonizingly. She let out another horrid scream and she felt a gush. "Oh no!" Carly saw the liquid coming from between Brenda's legs. She saw that it was bloody too. She knew that wasn't good but she didn't want to scare Brenda.
"Your water just broke," Carly muttered. Brenda shook her head.
"It's too early! This can't be happening."
"It is happening. You've got to focus now, okay? You've got to focus on delivering your baby."
"I can't . . . it's too early . . ." she whispered. "I need Sonny."
"Sonny will be here soon, okay? He's on his way!"
"I feel . . . dizzy," Brenda breathed, squinting as the room began to spin. She started to doze off.
"No! Stay awake! You've got to stay awake!" Carly screamed. "Come on!" Tony ran in and saw all of the blood.
"I . . ."
"Go out in the hall!" Carly ordered. Tony didn't want to mess with Carly, so he did as Carly asked. Carly turned back to Brenda only to see that she had passed out from the blood loss. "Faith!" Faith came down the stairs and Carly bit her bottom lip nervously.
"What do you need?"
"I need you to get some towels and blankets from the hall closet upstairs, okay?" Carly asked. Faith nodded and did as Carly asked. She came back downstairs with the materials. Faith sat at Brenda's side with a damp wash cloth and she placed it on her friend's forehead.
"Is she gonna be okay?" Faith asked with tears in her eyes.
"I don't know," Carly breathed. "She's lost a lot of blood." She had tears in her eyes too. Brenda was her friend now. She may have wished her death a long time ago, but she never expected this to happen. "Come on, Brenda. You've gotta wake up. You've got to work for your baby. Come on!" Brenda started to open her eyes and the blood started to come out faster. Carly was shaking and Brenda was trembling from the lack of blood. Brenda tried her best to stay conscious for her baby, but Carly wasn't sure how long it would be before Brenda passed out completely.
**
Mark and Jason rode silently in the back of the limo as Max drove. Mark was looking out of the window with worry and anger in his eyes. Jason was very concerned for Michael and Cadence. He swore to himself that he'd make the person who had the kids right now pay.
"I ever should have let her leave the house with the kids today," Mark said angrily under his breath.
"Hey, you can't make Carly do anything she doesn't want to do," Jason replied. "Believe me, if you don't know that by now, you don't know her very well."
"I know her well enough!" Mark snapped. "She's my wife!"
"Just because she's your wife doesn't mean you know her. Sure you were friends in high school. But did Carly ever tell you about the time that she spent in a mental institution because she shot a man?" Jason asked.
"What?" Mark asked.
"You don't know a lot of Carly's painful memories. You aren't Sonny. She tells Sonny everything. I was her best friend and she tells him more than she tells me. She still loves him."
"You think I don't know that?" Mark asked. He slammed his fist into the seat beside him. He shook his head.
"I love Carly and I want her to be happy. But I also want my daughter to be happy. Cadence loves Carly so much. I don't want to take another mother away from her." At that moment, Jason saw a woman walking with two children out in the rain.
"Max! Stop!" Jason yelled. Max stopped the limo and Jason jumped out and into the flooded street. He ran for Sam and Mark hurried after him.
"Uncle Jason!" Michael screamed. Jason grabbed Sam by the arm and Mark got to the kids.
"Get them into the limo!" Jason yelled. Mark took the kids and Jason held Sam against a wall.
"Let go of me!" Sam screamed. "I was taking the kids back to Sonny!"
"Like I would believe you," Jason snarled. "If you hurt those kids in any way, I will…"
"You'll what?" Sam asked as the rain continued to pour down on them.
"Don't make me finish that sentence," Jason replied through clenched teeth.
"Was that a threat?" Sam asked. Inside the limo, Mark was already calling the police. Jason had to keep Sam there until the police showed up. He looked back at the limo.
"Are the kids okay?" he asked.
"They're fine!" Mark called back. The two were huddled together trying to keep warm while they all waited for the police to show up.
"Jason! Let me go!" Sam exclaimed. "I was taking them back!"
"Shut up. I don't believe a damned word out of your lying mouth!" Jason replied. His grip tightened on Sam's arm.
"You're hurting me!"
"Not as much as you hurt those kids."
"I didn't touch them!"
"We'll find that out for ourselves." Five minutes later, the police showed up and hauled Sam off to jail. Jason hopped into the back of the limo and he pulled Michael into his lap. Cadence had her arms wrapped tightly around Mark's neck.
"Uncle Jason," Michael cried. He pulled his arms around Jason's neck and hugged him tightly.
"It's okay buddy," Jason whispered softly. "Max, take us to GH." Max started off toward the hospital. He looked at Mark and nodded toward Cadence. "She okay?"
"Yeah. I think so. I'll feel better when we get them to the hospital. Michael? You doing okay?" Michael only buried his face in Jason's neck and tightened his hold. Jason closed his eyes and held his nephew in his arms.
"It's alright buddy. You're safe now."
**
The firelight was the only thing that was aiding Carly to see while Brenda labored through the contractions. Faith was waiting nervously and helping out by keeping the cool compress on Brenda's forehead. Bianca was still upstairs with the children, and from the sound of things downstairs, she was lucky to be up there.
Carly kept looking over at the door, hoping Sonny would come through at that moment. But he still wasn't there and Carly was scared. The blood had stopped coming out so quickly, but Brenda was still hemorrhaging a little.
Brenda screamed again and Carly checked her again. The baby's head was starting to crown.
"I can see the baby's head," Carly said nervously. She and Faith exchanged worried glances.
"This isn't happening," Brenda sobbed. To be honest, Carly couldn't believe it was happening either. She was delivering the child of her ex-husband. It was a child that he had created with another woman. Carly suddenly felt so jealous. She was mostly scared and felt guilty because Brenda was bleeding so much and plus, Carly was married to Mark. But she couldn't help but feel a little jealous.
Carly noticed that Brenda was growing paler and her pushes were becoming weaker.
"Come on Brenda, push! The head's almost out!" Carly urged. Brenda closed her eyes tightly and pushed a few more times. The baby finally came into the world and Carly wrapped her in a blanket. "It's a girl." Brenda was trying to focus her eyes on the tiny infant that Carly was wrapping up. Faith hurried to Carly's side.
"How is she?" Brenda asked groggily. The baby wasn't breathing. She was blue and wasn't crying. "Why isn't she crying?" Carly began to rub the baby's back while clearing it's throat with one of her fingers. A few minutes later, the child began to cry and her skin slowly turned a healthier shade of pink. Carly saw that Brenda was still bleeding and she knew that she needed to get help. "Let me hold my baby . . ." At that moment, the door flew open and Sonny wheeled his chair in to see Carly holding a bundle in his arms. Sonny rushed to Brenda's side.
"Oh God," he whispered.
"Sonny, it's a girl," Brenda said with tears in her eyes. Carly and Sonny's eyes met as Carly slowly handed the premature baby to Brenda. Carly looked away and looked at Faith.
"Go get some more candles for a little more light," Carly instructed. Faith nodded and went to find more candles. Brenda looked at Carly and the color continued to fade from her face.
"I'm not going to make it am I?" she asked.
"Yeah you are," Carly said, choking back a sob. "You're going to be okay. You have to stay strong for your little girl."
"I'm not going to make it," Brenda cried. She looked back and forth from Carly, who was now sobbing, to Sonny, who couldn't take his eyes off of his new daughter. She kisses her crying baby's forehead. "I love you baby girl." She looked back at Sonny and Carly. "I know you both love each other. I know you . . . I know you do. I want you to do something for me. I want you to both admit that you love each other. I don't care what it takes. You admit to each other how you feel because I know you're still in love with one another. I want you both to take care of Kristina, Stone and this little one for me. They're going to need a good mommy and daddy."
"Stop talking like that, Brenda," Carly sobbed. "You're not going to die!"
"You'll be okay. You can't leave our kids . . ." Brenda smiled at Sonny.
"I'll always love you, but I know your heart belongs with Carly. I want to know that you'll always be there for her. She loves you. Your children need you. So does she." Brenda looked at Carly. "Take care of him." Carly closed her eyes as Brenda did. Brenda slowly went unconscious and her breathing became shallow. Carly slowly took the baby from Brenda's arms and put her in Sonny's.
"Your little girl, Sonny," Carly cried. "Congratulations. She's a miracle. She's . . . nearly two months early." The baby stopped crying and fell asleep in her father's arms.
"We have . . . we have to get them to a hospital," Sonny stammered. Carly nodded. "The roads are flooded . . ."
"We'll get them there," Carly replied quietly. Faith came into the room and Bianca came downstairs. Bianca gasped as she saw Brenda's nearly lifeless body.
"Brenda," Bianca cried. Faith slowly walked over and put the newly lit candles down near Brenda. Everybody stared at Brenda as she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She didn't take another breath in and they knew she was gone. Sonny began to tremble and cry. Carly took the baby from him and handed her to Faith.
"You've . . . um, you've got to get her dressed so she'll be warm," Carly whispered. Faith nodded and sobbed a little, but took the child upstairs. Bianca followed her and Carly put her hand on Sonny's back.
"I never should have married her," Sonny whispered. "I couldn't love her the way she loved me." He looked up at Carly with tears streaming down his face. "I can't believe I'm sitting beside my dead wife and looking at the woman I love who is here in front of me alive and healthy. Carly, I never stopped loving you and I feel guilty because Brenda's dead. This is my fault. If I had never asked her to come here, she wouldn't have gotten pregnant. She wouldn't have died!"
"This isn't your fault," Carly whispered. "You couldn't have known."
"Because I was selfish, Brenda is dead and two of her children are motherless. My love for you nearly got you and Morgan killed before. My family is in danger and now . . . now our son is missing. God, Carly, how could God have ever let me be born if he knew what I was going to do with my life?"
"Baby, God works in mysterious ways," Carly whispered. She put her arms around Sonny and they wept together. "Brenda knew. She knew how we felt about each other. Sonny she was right. I am still in love with you . . ." The lights suddenly came back on and not a moment later, the phone rang and Carly jumped up quickly. "Maybe . . . maybe that's about Michael and Cadence." She hurried over and answered the phone. "Hello?"
"God it's so good to hear your voice," Mark said quietly.
"Mark," Carly said with surprise. "Did . . . did you find them?"
"Jason and I found them. We had them checked out at the hospital. Honey, they're just fine. Sam McCall was arrested. We found her with them."
"Thank God they're okay," Carly said breathing a sigh of relief.
"They're asking for you."
"Tell . . . tell them I love them," Carly cried. "Bye . . ." She blindly hung up the phone, her hand brushing over the main board of the phone. Carly slowly walked over to sit down beside Brenda.
"Why did you have to leave?" she asked. "Things would have been a lot more simple if you had lived. Then I wouldn't have to face this . . ."
"What are we going to do?" Sonny asked, looking down. Carly felt an immediate sense of guilt as she looked at Sonny and thought of Mark.
"Sonny, we can't get back together," she whispered. "Brenda just died and . . . and Mark really loves me. I love him but not the way he loves me. But Cadence . . . that girl needs a mom."
"Brenda wanted us to be together all along. But she was afraid to lose me," Sonny whispered.
"I know," Carly sobbed. "But Mark and I have a life now. It's too late." Sonny nodded and swallowed hard.
"Yeah," he whispered. He cleared his throat. "You . . . you might not be able to leave tonight because of the flood."
"Yeah," Carly replied. "Um . . . I'll call the hospital about Brenda and the baby." She started toward the phone but Sonny grabbed her hand and she sat back down.
"I'm sorry."
"For what?" Carly asked. Sonny sighed.
"You know what," Sonny replied. "I'm so sorry for everything I put you through. I'm sorry that . . . that I made this situation the way it is now."
"It wasn't your entire fault," Carly replied. "I was stupid too."
"I never should have let you go," Sonny whispered. "I should have trusted you."
"I ended our marriage just as much as you did."
"Carly, just let me apologize."
"I'll let you apologize if you let me apologize." Sonny nodded.
"Carly, I don't regret marrying you all three times," Sonny started. "I only regret hurting you with Alexis . . . and with Sam. I'm so sorry I ever hurt you."
"I'm sorry that I ever thought I could trust Lorenzo. I'm sorry that I slept with him to make you feel guilty and jealous. I can't believe how stupid I had been. Sometimes I think that it would have been easier if I had died when you shot me." She looked away.
"Never say that!" Sonny exclaimed. "I feel horrible for what happened to you. I feel horrible that I was the one that pulled the trigger. I never wanted to hurt you. But I hurt you in more ways that I could ever imagine." Carly took Sonny's hands in hers.
"I forgive you. I want to move on from all of the past, Sonny."
"I forgive you. You know forgiveness isn't an easy thing for me. But if we can just get past all of this . . . who knows?" Sonny asked. Carly reached out to hug Sonny and they both sobbed. When they pulled away, Carly dried her eyes and looked at Sonny. "Carly, I need you. I can't take care of these kids alone. I can't live without our boys. I can't . . ." Carly put her fingers to Sonny's lips and sniffled.
"I would help you, Sonny," she replied, "but my new family needs me too. I can't leave them like this. It's too late . . . I'm so sorry." Sonny nodded.
"Me too." Carly and Sonny joined their hands together and sat silently. Little did they know that Carly had accidentally hit the speaker phone before she hung up, and Mark was still on the other line and had just heard every singe word they had just said.