Something was definitely different about Amy. It could be that she had vented and got closure in her time spent with Bruce, but Vincent was positive it was something more. He was a little leery as to why Amy was dragging him out to the backyard. He wondered if Kyle had said anything to her. They reached the backyard and continued to walk to the far end. Vincent could feel a speech coming on.
"I don't know when I'll see you again. I heard you have a cab on the way and I have Bruce waiting for me, so I'll make it short. I'm sorry I didn't support you with Carol. Not that it means anything now, but I wanted you to know that I am so sorry for abandoning you. I should've put my differences aside."
Amy felt like she was starting a fresh slate and wanted to make things right with Vincent. There was no way she could tell him about Bruce without reconciling. She missed having Vincent to talk to. He was the only one she could confide in, besides Bruce. Plus, he was leaving to the other side of the country any minute now and Amy was itching to share her new found joy; if he didn't like the news, there wouldn't be much time for backlash.
"No Amy, you were right. You can't stop being who you are. Look where I am now. Keep your instincts. I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't have done the same thing to you regarding Stu. I kept thinking that I must be missing something since I haven't been around. It boggled my mind that you liked Stu Collins much less loved him enough to marry him. If I had been around, I would've probably acted the same way you did with Carol. –Well not exactly the same, I communicate a lot better than you do, but you've got the idea. Anyway, you have bigger fish to fry than to worry with me. I'm ok," he concluded with a smile.
Great! That was settled. Now for her news...
"Vincent... do you think its possible to jump from a disastrous relationship to one that has the possibility of bringing you happiness, right at the demise of the disastrous one?"
He knew exactly where she was going with this: Kyle told Amy about Heather. Vincent paused to reflect, took a deep breath and put his thoughts into words.
"Well if the disastrous one ended, doesn't it make sense to seek happiness? Look, I know where you're going with this Amy. When things are over, they're over. A person doesn't have to have a set waiting period to learn from their mistakes and move on with their life. Some people realize their mistakes as soon as the relationship ends. It's healthy to pick yourself up and move on with life. I'm not going to sit around and worry about what my life looks like to other people. Why start now? You know, you should do the same. Quit using your head so much and go with your heart. Just because something looks good, doesn't mean it is good. Instead of the flashy, high profile attorney who's chasing you –talk to the dependable, quiet clerk or admin guy in the corner of the cafeteria. Who knows, he might be the most romantic, passionate, caring and understanding guy that you've ever met–"
A horn honked.
"–That's my cue. I've got to go. Don't worry about me. Take care of yourself Sis," Vincent said happily.
He kissed her forehead and hugged her before heading in the house. Amy headed to Bruce's car completely confused. How did her little brother get so smart after one failed marriage? And why did that gene skip her? She never got to tell him about Bruce, but he already knew. Were they as obvious as Bruce thought they were?
Amy wasn't going to rack her brain; she was elated that her brother understood and supported her. The world was shaping up nicely. In seconds she would join the love of her life and they would be on their way to a week of bliss. Amy was afraid to entertain the thought too long. Inevitably something would have to ruin it. She suddenly realized she was shivering. She had spent all this time in just a sweat suit and it was a pretty chilly day in November.
When he saw Amy finally heading toward the car, Bruce got out to open the door for her. Her cheeks and nose were pretty red. Amy called to the cab that Vincent was on his way. She met Bruce at the passenger side.
"What were you doing? You're going to catch a death of cold," he said with great concern.
"I had to say goodbye to Vincent. We talked in the backyard," Amy replied with a big grin.
She had reached up to kiss him, but Bruce backed away and gave her a look which reminded her of the circumstances. Amy got in the car and Bruce walked over to his side.
"What was wrong with exchanging goodbyes in the house? Wait... you told him didn't you? Tell me you didn't tell him," Bruce said in disbelief.
He had put the car in gear but threw it back in park when he came up with his conclusion. The cab in front honked for Vincent again.
"I didn't. You were right.; he already figured it out."
"He what? He didn't even see me. How do you know?"
"Well I guess my family knows me really well. I asked him about the possibility of finding happiness soon after the demise of a relationship and he basically told me he was happy for me and that it wasn't a bad idea to go for the quiet clerk instead of the high profile flashy lawyer."
Bruce was dumbfounded. Vincent came running out with suitcase in hand and Maxine and Lauren waved from the door. Vincent gave Bruce and Amy a smile and a wave as he jumped in the cab. They waved at him in sync. The cab sped off. Bruce looked over at the house and saw Maxine looking at them.
"You better say goodbye to your mother."
Amy lowered the window and said goodbye. Bruce threw on a cheesy grin and waved. Maxine returned the smile and wave. Lauren waved happily before quickly disappearing inside. Bruce noticed Maxine had a smug grin.
"Your mother knows too."
Amy raised the window as Bruce pulled away from the house.
"Ma? Nooo. She doesn't have a clue. I talked to Vincent far away from the house."
"Trust me Amy, she knows. I can tell by how she looks at me. I'm sure she'll discuss it with your brother while we're gone. It doesn't seem like either of them have a problem with it, but I would've rather we told them instead of sneaking around like some kids."
"Well I'm not the only one with a secret. Carol left Vincent for her oncologist. I doubt Vincent will talk to Ma anytime soon."
Amy put her hand on Bruce's lap. He kept his eyes on the road. Bruce looked worried. She couldn't understand why.
"Vincent said something to me that made a lot of sense. –He said that a person doesn't have to have a set waiting period to learn from their mistakes and move on with their life. I didn't go through the wedding because I realized it was a mistake. The pain of that realization made me come to you. You've always been a source of comfort and it was unbearable to be without you. Everything happens for a reason. I'm not going to feel ashamed about moving on with my life."
She had started speaking without a specific direction but was consumed with emotion and finished with great fervor. Bruce tried to relax a little. Anxiety had built up in him just from being around Maxine; it was as though she saw right through him the entire time. He realized his demeanor was worrying Amy. He reached for her hand and held it as he started to speak.
"Amy, there isn't anything for you to be ashamed about. But it wouldn't hurt to safe guard your reputation at work by keeping your personal life private. Have you forgotten what life was like when we had been accused of impropriety? You're in criminal now; everyone is waiting for you to fall on your face. Don't give them the pleasure. When we get back, hold your head high and let what everyone says roll off of you. I'll be in your corner, everyone expects that. But let's give it some time before we let on that I'm now in your life as more than a friend."
Amy accepted what Bruce said and squeezed his hand affectionately in agreement. They had been traveling not far behind Vincent's cab until they had reached the airport. Vincent's cab took him directly to departures while Bruce and Amy headed to parking. Something struck Bruce as he watched Vincent's cab go in a different direction.
"Do you think that maybe Vincent was talking about himself? I mean didn't you say that his wife left him? What you asked him could pertain to both of your situations. Did he just tell you about Carol before he said all the stuff about moving on?"
"No! He told me about Carol yesterday before he and whoever was left from the wedding left to go out for dinner.... But... I did start the conversation in the backyard by apologizing for not supporting him when he was with Carol. But I didn't say anything about moving on. Why would he go into that detail?"
"Exactly. If you didn't say anything other than what you asked him –he might have been talking about himself. If Carol left him, what's he been doing in California? What's the rush to get back?" asked Bruce as he pulled into to a space close to the terminal entrance.
Bruce got out after his questions to Amy. He went to get their things out of the trunk. Amy didn't get out right away, she wondered why Bruce couldn't accept Vincent's support. She became defensive about his questions. She got out to set things straight.
"Why cant he just be happy for me? Why are you so uncomfortable with my family knowing that we're together? They aren't being critical. Do you regret this? What are you so uptight about?" she asked demandingly.
She stood with her arms crossed, staring at Bruce as he closed the trunk. He turned to her and gave her a look of disbelief. Amy stared at the floor. Bruce was shaking his head; Amy's words stung. He couldn't believe she questioned his devotion.
"Are you finished? Didn't I just rearrange my life to run away with you? I told you what I didn't like about your family knowing; I wish we could've told them like adults, not sneaking around like we are..."
Amy immediately recognized that she had unnecessarily snapped.
"You know what... forget it. I don't want to fight. You're probably right, Vincent might have been talking about his own situation... But if you would've heard what he said Bruce. It felt like he was talking about us. It made me feel good. He made sense. Worrying about how things look haven't worked for me. I wanna follow my heart on this one and not my head. I feel genuinely happy when I'm with you. Even before the sex... I don't care about race, your income or where you live. I love you for who you are and how you make me feel. I've always loved you. Even when you're a pompous ass, I know in my heart that you mean well –that you are just trying to help. You are the finest man I know. And I love you for that. Sometimes I still need to do it my way, even if it's a disaster waiting to happen."
Amy uncrossed her arms and let them hang to her sides. She leaned against the car sullen not really knowing why her mood had changed. She knew she upset Bruce. He couldn't understand why she was questioning him, but when he saw her wounded expression; he saw classic Amy. Something scared her and she was looking for here," he gently spoke to her as he opened his arms.
She looked up and saw his soften expression. Her eyes welled up with tears and she threw herself into him. She mumbled "Sorry" into his chest.
"...I love you Amy Gray, make no mistake about that. I love how you get all fired up about life. I love how you accept me for who I am; the pompous ass I can be," he chuckled slightly before continuing.
"I love how you get scared and need reassurance though you're an intelligent, strong, independent woman."
Bruce lifted her chin up and kissed her softly. He wiped a tear that had trickled down Amy's cheek. Neither of them noticed Vincent standing by the airport entrance.
"Mmm that's a lot of love," she responded softly.
"Now can we get to Maui so I can show you how much?" Bruce asked with a wide grin.
"Yeah."
They headed for the terminal and saw Vincent standing there. He had a smug "Now it all makes sense" smile and gave a quick wave for emphasis. Bruce and Amy synchronously smirked at him as they approached.
"The cab dropped me off departures and as luck would have it –I got checked in immediately. I figured I had a little more than an hour to kill, so I ran to try to catch you guys. Didn't think I was going to actually catch you," Vincent said emphasizing 'catch' through a laugh.
Bruce and Amy continued walking to check in as Vincent followed.
"Well you caught us," Amy responded quickly, ignoring Vincent's snickering.
"You know, back at the house; I thought you were talking about me. Sitting in the cab, I decided that I would explain things further if I had time before the flight. It never occurred to me that you were talking about you," Vincent spoke earnestly.
"So now that you know different..." Amy began.
She had turned to face Vincent and looked at him curiously. She wondered if he was going to say he had a problem with her seeing Bruce.
"It doesn't change anything I said. I meant it. You should be happy Amy. Everyone deserves to be happy. Bruce is a good guy..."
Bruce smiled and nodded a thank you to Vincent who returned the gesture.
"...You guys have been really good friends for a long time. I don't know why I never suspected anything before."
"That's because nothing happened before. My disastrous wedding ended up being the best thing that's ever happened to me; it let me know what I wanted and needed in my life was closer than I ever imagined."
Amy looked back to Bruce. They looked at each other contently, Bruce silently acknowledging and reciprocating Amy's sentiment with a look. They had arrived at check in. Vincent stood back while the airlines checked Bruce and Amy's luggage and directed them toward their gate. Bruce and Amy walked toward Vincent.
"So is it still Maui?" Vincent asked with a smile.
"Yep," Amy said through a smile as she grabbed Bruce's arm.
"Well you guys have fun. Don't do anything too crazy," Vincent chided.
Amy let go of Bruce and hugged Vincent. She hugged him tightly; it made her feel really good that her brother supported her. She felt like she was in a dream. She couldn't remember when she had last been this happy. Her mind quickly flitted to Vincent's words when he first met them in the parking lot.
"Wait, what were you going to explain further?"
Vincent gave her a puzzled look.
"Earlier you said that when you were in the cab, you were going to explain things further," Amy clarified.
"Oh, that. That's nothing. Don't worry about that," Vincent said trying to evade her.
"No, no, no –it was something. What is going on with you Vincent? Why are you going back so soon? Why are you still in San Francisco if Carol left?"
"–I'm going to go see if our flight is on schedule," Bruce said trying to give Vincent space.
"You don't have to go Bruce. We're practically family. Plus, I know you don't blab and most of all, you'll help keep Amy quiet..."
Vincent hesitated as if to get his thoughts together.
"...During my week here, I happened to kiss one of Kyle's old flames. Well, I was under the impression she was an old flame, but Kyle's reaction indicated otherwise," Vincent cringed with discomfort as he explained.
"Since Carol left I was living somewhat recluse. Something about being back in town woke me up and made me want to have some fun. I thought it was harmless fun, but Kyle still isn't speaking to me. It turns out that there was some conflict with the one I kissed and another one he kissed but didn't think anyone knew he did. I'm just going to take my idea of 'finding happiness' out west," he concluded with a sigh of relief.
Bruce and Amy stood looking slightly confused and answered "Ok" simultaneously.
"You asked," Vincent said simply.
An announcement was made about a flight now boarding for San Francisco.
"That's me. You guys have fun. If you decide to make another trip, I hear San Francisco's nice. Accommodations may not be much but they're relatively free," he joked as he quickly hugged Amy and Bruce.
"Call Ma and let her know you got there safe. I'll call you when we get back," Amy said concerned and a little saddened with her brother's departure.
"Take care man," Bruce said as Vincent began walking off.
Vincent put his hand up and waved as he headed off to his gate. Amy leaned into Bruce. He could tell she was a little down and he pulled her close as they headed toward their gate.
"You'll see each other soon," he told Amy trying to cheer her up.
"I know. I miss having him around. Especially when we're getting along," she said with a small chuckle.
They went through the metal detectors and finally arrived at their gate. They sat down.
"Wasn't that bad was it? Vincent knowing. You don't seem too upset by it," Amy asked.
"Yeah, it wasn't bad. And I'm sure your mom knows. How long before Lauren figures it out? A day? Two?" Bruce chided.
"I'll try to behave when we get back, long enough to have a nice family dinner where we'll let everyone know."
"Sounds good lady," Bruce answered as he put his arm around Amy.
She leaned her head against him.
"We are going to keep things quiet at work for a while, right?" he asked.
Amy looked up at him with a mischievous grin.
"I guess I'll have to wait on fulfilling those fantasies I had about you in my chambers."
"Mmm. It won't be a long wait," he said before kissing her softly.
An announcement was made that boarding would now begin for their flight. They stood up. Amy pulled Bruce's arm to make him lower his head for her to whisper in his ear.
"Am I going to have to wait to fulfill my airplane fantasy?"
Bruce laughed and looked at Amy as they walked on board.
"I knew we forgot something... those nutritional supplements. I hope they don't forget to pass out the peanuts on this flight," he teased.
They boarded the plane hand in hand; eager to spend the week together, just the two of them, in a tropical paradise. Their seats were semi-secluded in the first class section. Amy sat toward the window, giving Bruce the aisle for leg room. Once in flight, Bruce pushed the armrest up into the seat. The flight was 18 hours, they could use some rest. Bruce reclined his seat and asked Amy to do the same. She nestled into his chest and he wrapped his arm around her. He breathed in her hair, relishing her wonderful natural fragrance. They napped peacefully unaware of the trouble that was brewing back at the courthouse in Hartford.