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"Congratulations, Tiffany! Sean must be so excited about becoming a father. Is he joining you?" Ruby asks, laying down placemats and silverware in front of her.
"No, he's helping Frisco and Tony finish up the nursery for Felicia today. I take it you heard the announcement on the news. We wanted to wait a little longer before announcing it to the public, but who am I kidding? I wouldn't be able to hide it much longer under my clothes."
"Well, you look great. Just let me know when the baby shower is so I can come and give you a gift." Ruby says before heading back towards the counter.
There has been a constant stream of well-wishers to the station since Shep announced Tiffany's pregnancy this past week. She was used to adoring fans from her film days but hadn't realized how excited the people of Port Charles would be for her and Sean. She checks her watch and then glances around the diner.
Kelly's is busy with families and many kids are dressed up for trick or treating later that day. She smiles, recalling that she has volunteered to go with Tony, BJ, and Lucas later that evening. She hoped that Cheryl would have wanted to tag along but she had declined, stating she would be busy.
As much as Tiffany wants to believe Cheryl is truly happy for her. She can't help but notice the wistful look she gets whenever she sees Tiffany stroking her stomach or discussing her pregnancy. This lunch would be an excellent opportunity to clear the air between them, make amends, and celebrate the new life coming into their family.
"What's wrong, Tiffany?" Cheryl asks, coming into Kelly's. She takes the seat across from her.
"Something is bothering you. I can sense it."
"Nothing's wrong. At least with me. I'm worried about you. Are you doing ok being around BJ and Lucas? I knew suggesting you move into the brownstone was going to be hard. I've seen you around those kids." She smiles, recalling how Cheryl doted on BJ but had such a strong bond with Lucas.
"You're great, but sometimes you look so sad. I naively thought that being around them would help with losing your baby. And it's not. I can see that now. And I can see how my pregnancy would make it more difficult. I should have told you alone and not at that party with everyone else around. I'm so sorry Cheryl, that I didn't. I hope you can forgive me."
"Tiff, you have nothing to apologize for. You and Sean-" she clears her throat before continuing.
"You were there for me when I needed you to be. And I am so happy that I'm going to be an aunt. But Tiff, it's hard seeing you pregnant." Tiffany reaches for Cheryl's hands, but she pulls them away.
"I thought I was doing a good job at shoving down the feelings I've been having. "But you saw right through me," she said, holding out her hands for Tiffany. Tiffany hesitates before taking them firmly in her hands. She would not allow her sister to pull away again.
"My heart still hurts. I haven't been able to process a lot about losing my baby. And it doesn't get any easier. No matter what anyone says. In a way, it's more complicated." Cheryl glances around Kelly's at all the smiling children. Tiffany understands how difficult this must be for her. She tries to keep her sister on track by squeezing her hand and bringing her back to reality.
"I've learned to live with it. I fight every day, every single day, to be strong, to keep going, and to keep smiling. And your announcement made me realize that I need help. So I've been seeing Tom Hardy and I'm making progress. But I can't help wondering, what if? What if things had gone differently. What if he hadn't died? Tiffany doesn't know how to respond.
There had been so much confusion when Cheryl had given birth the previous August. So many lies that Cheryl had told both her and Sean that it was a miracle they had been able to track her to the small private clinic in Delaware.
Sean had been too late for the delivery. He was told the baby had not survived and that Cheryl had signed papers permitting the clinic to make end-of-life decisions. Cheryl's health and well-being became their priority and all anger they felt towards the doctor were pushed aside. She shudders thinking that her pregnancy has caused all that pain to resurface.
"I'm so sorry that you've been dealing with this alone. But I'm very proud of you for reaching out to Tom. I hate everything about that awful day you lost your baby. I hate that you didn't get to see him, that we couldn't have a funeral." Tiffany frowns pondering her next thought.
"Waking up to discover your baby was gone, Cheryl, I can't even imagine.
"There's so much I wish we all would have done differently, but mostly that I would have let Sean look into Dr. Perry's background. I hate that he made you sign those release forms when you had your kidney attack." She can't imagine the pain that she's been going through. She goes to tell her as much when Cheryl says;
"Tom suggested that I go and visit Dr. Perry. To get closure, to help me move on so that I can fully be here for you when my niece or nephew is born. But when I called the clinic I was told he wasn't there anymore. Shep couldn't even find a forwarding address for him."
"What does Shep have to do with this Cheryl Ann? You barely know the man. He's a complete stranger to you. I could ring his neck for sticking his nose in our family business."
"Tiffany, he's not sticking his nose in our business when I asked for his help. He happened to be there when I got off the phone with the clinic. He saw how upset I was and asked what was going on and I spilled my guts to him. I don't know if it was his charm, but I felt I could trust him. So he offered to help me track down Dr. Perry. He made some calls to some old friends he has in that area. To see if they knew anything about the clinic or the doctor. And he just told me that they want us to come to Delaware. They may have a lead we can use. We're planning on leaving tomorrow." She releases Tiffany's hands, reaches into her purse, pulls out plane tickets and a picture of , slides them across the table, and retakes her hand.
"We are going to start there and see where that leads us. But Tiff, I can't help but feel something bigger is going on. Why would a doctor just up and quit his practice and why would he just disappear? I at least need to try and find Dr. Perry and see what he has to say."
"How will you handle it if you can't find him? I don't want you to be hurt. I don't want to receive a phone call in the middle of the night telling me that you're in jail or worse, dead. I hate it, Cheryl. What happens if your kidney flares up? Huh? Why are you silent?" Then it dawns on her. Cheryl was going to do this with or without her permission. She's lucky that she didn't disappear without saying goodbye as she has in the past.
"There isn't anything I can say to get you to stay here with me, is there?" Her sister shakes her head no before speaking again.
"It's not going to be easy and if Delaware is a dead end, I'll keep looking, keep trying to locate him. I need to have closure. I want the happiness that you and Sean have. So I need you to let me go and do this." She finishes releasing their hands.
"I know you do, sweetie." She wipes a tear from her cheek. She wishes that Cheryl wasn't doing this with Shep. She should have asked for Sean's help locating Dr. Perry instead of running off on an adventure with a man she barely knows. Yet, Tiffany sees the spark coming back into her sister. Yes, she could be supportive of this idea and allow her to go off and do this, while privately keeping tabs on them.
"Listen, I'm still not sold on this. If you want me to have faith I will try for you. But the moment you find yourself in a dangerous situation, call Sean. In fact I expect you to call as soon as you get there. Promise me you'll call."
"I promise you I will."
"Good, I'm going to hold you to it. Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I won't hop on a plane if I feel you're in too deep."
"I know you would. Just don't worry so much about me. Worry about growing my niece or nephew. I expect to come back and find you fabulously, gloriously pregnant."
"I love you."
"I know"
"You're my only sister. I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you."
"Nothing is going to happen to me. You will not lose me, mind, body, or spirit."
"Good. Good for you, good for me, good for us. Now that we're emotionally unloaded, can we please eat? I'm starving." She says, waving Ruby over to the table. She would have a lot to talk about with Sean later this evening.
Halloween 1990 was turning out to be one of the most eventful in Tiffany's life. Not only has her sister confessed that she thought her baby was alive but Felicia has given birth to an adorable baby girl. As much as she wanted to stay and gush over the baby, her body was telling her it was time for bed. She's waiting for Sean to return from the nursery after insisting on a final look at their goddaughter.
"Your daddy will be the biggest pile of mush when you are born." She says to her belly, "Let's hope he isn't much longer or mama is going home without him. Just me and you and our glorious bed." She gets up and stretches her back and sees Sean coming down the hallway with a bubblegum cigar in his mouth.
"Oh, good. Did you get to say goodnight to Baby Jones?" She asks when he comes and wraps his arms around her back.
"Yes, I did honey. I know you've been uncomfortable having to wait in that merry wives of Windsor costume but I'm very grateful that you are so understanding, so patient and so beautiful. So now we can go home, get out of these ridiculous clothes, and have a nice rest. How does that sound to you?"
"Fantastic, shall we go?" she asks, gesturing to the elevators.
The car ride home is blissfully quiet, as is the elevator ride to their penthouse; she unlocks the doors and flicks on the lights; Sean helps her off with her coat before she notices a rather large box with a dark blue bow sitting on the coffee table. She walks over and sees the white card on top is addressed to her.
"Sean, honey, where did this come from? She asks, sitting down on the couch and placing the box on her lap.
"I'm not sure. I got a call at the office today about a delivery at the front desk and asked if they would bring it up here for us. I thought that maybe you had ordered something for the baby while you were out today?" He says, sitting down beside her.
"No, I didn't," she replies, taking the card out from the bow. She opens it and reads.
The generally accepted rule is pink for the boys, and blue for the girls. The reason is that pink, being a more decided and stronger color, is more suitable for the boy, while blue, which is more delicate and dainty, is prettier for the girl.
Hoping your new arrival is delicate and dainty.
"Huh, there's no signature on the card," she says, handing it over to Sean. She takes the bow off the box and opens it to find a baby dress in royal blue.
"Cheryl could have sent it. I don't know where she ever heard that blue was for girls; we don't even know it will be a girl. But it is beautiful." Tiffany runs her fingers over the finely embroidered flowers along the tiny puffed sleeves and hem in silver thread. The flowers look familiar. She knows she's seen them before but can't remember what they are called. She passes the dress and box to Sean leaning back into the overstuffed pillows, a smile playing at her lips as she watches him handling the small delicate gown.
"It is honey. I'm glad you and Cheryl had that talk today. I'm sorry I couldn't persuade her to postpone leaving for Delaware till tomorrow when she called before the party. But I'll contact the WSB to see if there is any information on Dr. Perry that we can pass along to her. Maybe this trip is just what she needs. I just wish it wasn't with Shep." Sean says, inspecting the dress closely before placing it on the coffee table.
"Me too, Sweetheart, Shep is a decent guy but I'd rather not see him take advantage of my sister when she is in such a vulnerable state. Can we discuss this more tomorrow? Right now, I want to get out of this costume." She goes to get up before Sean places a hand on her arm to sit her back down.
"Do you think I can hold on to this for you?" He gestures at the box. "I'd like to find out where it came from and order one for Felicia's baby. Is that ok?" Sean asks.
"Of course, darling, I don't mind. I'm heading to bed. Please turn off the lights when you come up. She asks, kissing him on the cheek before getting up and heading for the stairs. Tiffany notices a pensive look on Sean's face as he stares at the gift on the table. She clears her throat to pull his attention back to her.
"Sure thing, sweetheart. I'm just going to put this in my office and will be right up."
She makes a mental note to ask Sean why he is so pensive and to thank Cheryl for the gift as she walks up the stairs. If only she could remember where she's seen those flowers before.