Elizabeth went back to her studio and threw her purse down on the couch.
The small bear fell out but she took no notice. She walked towards the
phone and stopped in her tracks one step away.
She wanted to pick up the phone. She wanted to be able to get rid of one problem in her life that easily. All she had to do was dial and tell the man on the other end to solve her biggest problem at the moment. But she feared her conscience would not allow her to let him go through with it.
She gave up, for the moment, and slipped out of her shoes and went to lay down on the couch. That was when she saw the bear and paused in mid- stride. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to get lost in her own false dreams.
She saw herself holding her daughter in her arms. The little girl smiled at her and she smiled back, both without a care in the world.
But she was drawn out of her dream by a sound in the alley behind her studio. She looked out the window and saw a stray cat picking amongst the litter in the alley. It was then she felt the empty space in her heart.
She opened up her refrigerator and took out the bottle her parents had sent in the mail when they had heard news of her marriage. Of course she knew that they had done it not because she was their daughter and they were happy, they did it out of guilt. She had chosen at the time to not open it, in spite of them, but she was depressed and no longer cared about her vendetta.
She brought it with her to the couch and took a long sip before settling down into a fetal position on the couch.
She could feel that the tears were on their way but she used all her energy to stop them. She refused to cry. She might be depressed, but she still had her pride, something she wasn't ready to give up just yet.
* * * Their fight was interrupted by a knock on the door.
Jason went and opened it for Sonny.
"Am I interrupting something?" He asked, concerned by the expression on both their faces.
"No." Jason said, simply.
Sonny looked at Courtney to confirm it and saw a blank expression.
"Can I talk to you in the hall, Jase?" He asked.
It was not a question, really, more of a command. Jason followed suit, of course, and left Courtney staring at the closed door.
"I told Elizabeth if she had any trouble with Rick . . ."
"I understand."
"I sent Marco to look after her and Rick was bothering her in the park."
"Is she okay?" He asked, concerned.
"Yeah. Lucky was there and got Lansing to back off."
"So, you need me to do something?" Jason asked, wondering about the point of the conversation. He had never known Sonny to tell him unnecessary information.
"I'm thinking of getting rid of Rick, soon."
"You want me to take care of it?" He asked, eager to do the job considering what Rick had done to Carly and Elizabeth.
"No. You're too close to it. I'll get someone on it. Until then I need you watch out for Elizabeth."
"You really think he'd hurt her? He claims to love her."
"You've seen what Rick can do, he's capable of anything. I want you on her first thing in the morning. Marco will watch her today."
"If you think it's necessary."
"She does not deserve to hurt anymore because of him, she's been through enough."
"Okay." Jason answered, but Sonny was sure that Jason would do it long before he said it.
Jason turned to open the door and Sonny started walking towards his own door. Sonny stopped in mid-stride and turned.
"Jason?" He called.
Jason turned.
"I don't want her to know she's being watched unless it is absolutely necessary. I don't want her to get startled."
Jason nodded and opened the door.
* * * Elizabeth woke up some time during the night. She could tell it was not too late because she saw many lights lit up within the nearby buildings. Her vision was slightly hazy, she ignored it, and stumbled through her studio.
She grabbed her purse and her fleece and left the studio door wide open. She had no idea where she was going or why but she just knew that she could not stay in her studio. She went to the park and sat down on a bench.
She was numb, it was cold and the alcohol in her system did not help. She liked feeling numb, she felt safer that way.
She closed her eyes and saw herself pushing a little girl on the swing in the park. The little girl had large bright blue eyes and had a mass of chocolate curls. The girl wore a white dress that was impeccable and a red bow in her hair to match her small red shoes.
"Momma, push me higher." The girl asked.
Elizabeth followed suit and gave the little girl a hearty push.
After they were done with the swings they went for ice cream and sat down on one of the park benches together.
A noise startled Elizabeth and she opened her eyes, the sunny day she had imagined was gone. It was very early morning but the sun had yet to rise from it's slumber. She looked next to her on the bench and saw the little girl.
"It's dark, momma, I'm scared." The little girl whimpered.
Elizabeth pulled her close and whispered, "There is nothing to be scared about. I'm here."
Marco watched Elizabeth on the bench talking to herself. He thought nothing of it, assuming it was a reaction to the entire bottle of wine she had earlier.
~*~*~*~
When Jason came back inside, Courtney was waiting.
"Is there something wrong with Carly or the baby?" Courtney asked, concerned.
"No." Jason answered simply.
She moved closer to him, "I'm sorry, Jason. You don't know how hard it has been, how much pain I've been in just knowing . . ."
She started to break down and Jason pulled her into his arms. He was stolid and held her because it was expected of him to hold her, to console her, it was not out of compassion. She did not notice any difference and cried on his shoulder.
When she had no more tears she pulled away and searched for compassion in his eyes and found none. She saw the blank stare he gave everyone.
"Jason . . ." She started to say.
"I need some time." He offered simply and she needed no further explanation.
He kissed her on the forehead and left.
She wanted to pick up the phone. She wanted to be able to get rid of one problem in her life that easily. All she had to do was dial and tell the man on the other end to solve her biggest problem at the moment. But she feared her conscience would not allow her to let him go through with it.
She gave up, for the moment, and slipped out of her shoes and went to lay down on the couch. That was when she saw the bear and paused in mid- stride. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to get lost in her own false dreams.
She saw herself holding her daughter in her arms. The little girl smiled at her and she smiled back, both without a care in the world.
But she was drawn out of her dream by a sound in the alley behind her studio. She looked out the window and saw a stray cat picking amongst the litter in the alley. It was then she felt the empty space in her heart.
She opened up her refrigerator and took out the bottle her parents had sent in the mail when they had heard news of her marriage. Of course she knew that they had done it not because she was their daughter and they were happy, they did it out of guilt. She had chosen at the time to not open it, in spite of them, but she was depressed and no longer cared about her vendetta.
She brought it with her to the couch and took a long sip before settling down into a fetal position on the couch.
She could feel that the tears were on their way but she used all her energy to stop them. She refused to cry. She might be depressed, but she still had her pride, something she wasn't ready to give up just yet.
* * * Their fight was interrupted by a knock on the door.
Jason went and opened it for Sonny.
"Am I interrupting something?" He asked, concerned by the expression on both their faces.
"No." Jason said, simply.
Sonny looked at Courtney to confirm it and saw a blank expression.
"Can I talk to you in the hall, Jase?" He asked.
It was not a question, really, more of a command. Jason followed suit, of course, and left Courtney staring at the closed door.
"I told Elizabeth if she had any trouble with Rick . . ."
"I understand."
"I sent Marco to look after her and Rick was bothering her in the park."
"Is she okay?" He asked, concerned.
"Yeah. Lucky was there and got Lansing to back off."
"So, you need me to do something?" Jason asked, wondering about the point of the conversation. He had never known Sonny to tell him unnecessary information.
"I'm thinking of getting rid of Rick, soon."
"You want me to take care of it?" He asked, eager to do the job considering what Rick had done to Carly and Elizabeth.
"No. You're too close to it. I'll get someone on it. Until then I need you watch out for Elizabeth."
"You really think he'd hurt her? He claims to love her."
"You've seen what Rick can do, he's capable of anything. I want you on her first thing in the morning. Marco will watch her today."
"If you think it's necessary."
"She does not deserve to hurt anymore because of him, she's been through enough."
"Okay." Jason answered, but Sonny was sure that Jason would do it long before he said it.
Jason turned to open the door and Sonny started walking towards his own door. Sonny stopped in mid-stride and turned.
"Jason?" He called.
Jason turned.
"I don't want her to know she's being watched unless it is absolutely necessary. I don't want her to get startled."
Jason nodded and opened the door.
* * * Elizabeth woke up some time during the night. She could tell it was not too late because she saw many lights lit up within the nearby buildings. Her vision was slightly hazy, she ignored it, and stumbled through her studio.
She grabbed her purse and her fleece and left the studio door wide open. She had no idea where she was going or why but she just knew that she could not stay in her studio. She went to the park and sat down on a bench.
She was numb, it was cold and the alcohol in her system did not help. She liked feeling numb, she felt safer that way.
She closed her eyes and saw herself pushing a little girl on the swing in the park. The little girl had large bright blue eyes and had a mass of chocolate curls. The girl wore a white dress that was impeccable and a red bow in her hair to match her small red shoes.
"Momma, push me higher." The girl asked.
Elizabeth followed suit and gave the little girl a hearty push.
After they were done with the swings they went for ice cream and sat down on one of the park benches together.
A noise startled Elizabeth and she opened her eyes, the sunny day she had imagined was gone. It was very early morning but the sun had yet to rise from it's slumber. She looked next to her on the bench and saw the little girl.
"It's dark, momma, I'm scared." The little girl whimpered.
Elizabeth pulled her close and whispered, "There is nothing to be scared about. I'm here."
Marco watched Elizabeth on the bench talking to herself. He thought nothing of it, assuming it was a reaction to the entire bottle of wine she had earlier.
~*~*~*~
When Jason came back inside, Courtney was waiting.
"Is there something wrong with Carly or the baby?" Courtney asked, concerned.
"No." Jason answered simply.
She moved closer to him, "I'm sorry, Jason. You don't know how hard it has been, how much pain I've been in just knowing . . ."
She started to break down and Jason pulled her into his arms. He was stolid and held her because it was expected of him to hold her, to console her, it was not out of compassion. She did not notice any difference and cried on his shoulder.
When she had no more tears she pulled away and searched for compassion in his eyes and found none. She saw the blank stare he gave everyone.
"Jason . . ." She started to say.
"I need some time." He offered simply and she needed no further explanation.
He kissed her on the forehead and left.