(Six years later)
New York 1990
She lay in her bed sound asleep; the wind beat against the top of her roof but that didn't keep her from sleeping. Her long dark hair was tied back in a pony and her face was buried under her cottony soft sheets. The past six years had been rough on her; hell the past twelve years had been tough for her. She had to grow-up so fast and learn that you can't always be with the person you were meant to be with. After he had left her down by the coast she had sworn she would never look for him again and that she would never go back there.
She didn't go back to Robert either; she divorced him like she said she would and then she fought tooth and nail for Courtney, and she won. She wasn't a millionaire anymore; she was a simple business woman in upper Manhattan. After much begging and pleading, Marissa had been able to convince her to go back to Africa; but she refused to look for Hyde.
The fact was that Jackie had already tried to look for Hyde; as soon as she had divorced Robert and had won Courtney it was the first thing she had done; but it when she went back to the small little house they had once shared she didn't find him there at all; there was no sign of him at all. She didn't know where he was; but neither did anyone else. Eric had no clue where he was and neither did Eric.
Eric had been waiting for Jackie's plane to arrive for over an hour. After what had happened at the wedding, he had decided to stay here. He liked it here and as soon as Jackie got off that plane he would finally be able to give her and Marissa a huge surprise. He just wished that that huge surprise was Hyde but it wasn't. He hadn't seen him in over six years. Last he had heard, Valerie had escaped from Jail and Hyde was somewhere in Europe. Donna had refused to talk to him about what had happened and he had finally been able to get a DNA test on Evan and it turned out that he was his son.
When he saw her get off the plane he ran up to her and greeted her with a hug and then did the same to Marissa. They laughed and talked for a few minutes before getting into his car and taking off. Jackie looked around at the coast and began to remember everything that had taken place here six years ago. She used to cry about it every night but now she just shoved it into the back of her memory.
He sat in his small hotel room watching TV; since taking the job with National Geographic, he had been to more places than he could have ever imagined. All moving about made it hard for anyone to find or contact him and that's what he had wanted. When he went back to the little house that he had brought up on the coast of Africa, the realtor had told him a young woman was looking for him. She had two small children with her; he automatically knew it was Jackie. Instead of asking if she was still there, he asked her to make sure she never found out that he was still in Africa. After he had dumped her, he had moved out of their small house and made his way to Europe; he continued back and forth between the two continents and that was why he was back in Africa right now. He was surprised to find out that someone had finally bought the beach house that he was planning on giving Jackie and Marissa.
Marissa was the only one who knew where he was; because he had told her how to contact him. He told her not to tell anyone because it would mean that they wouldn't be able to talk to each other again and so far that little threat had worked marvelously for him. The truth was that he hadn't talked to her in a couple of years. He didn't mean to it was just that he was so busy that he never got a chance to talk to her. From what he understood, Jackie was a business woman in Manhattan. Since he knew she lived in New York, he made sure to never go there at all.
It was however, his turn to venture back to Africa for an interview with an owner of a new bar and grill called Marissa's. The magazine was doing shootings and interviews with owners of various restaurants across the world. He had decided that he would do the coverage of this restaurant because the name made him think of his daughter.
"So what's this big surprise that you have for all of us?" She asked Eric.
"Well, it's this." He said pointing to the beach house down by the ocean.
"A house; that's the surprise you wanted to show us." Jackie said unenthusiastically.
"You don't understand; this isn't just any house; it's yours, Marissa's, Courtney, my mom's, and my house." Eric said.
"Uh Eric, what the hell are you talking about?" She asked him.
"Well, I bought this house for us all. You see I thought you could move down here and become my business partner in my new restaurant Marissa's. It'd be a good for my mom because she would have Marissa and Courtney to fuss over and it'd be good for you because I know you're a good business woman and could do a hell of a job making Marissa's the best restaurant in the world." Eric said to her.
"Mom, you have to do it. Mr. Foreman is a crappy businessman and he needs lots of help. I mean look at his decorating job he did on the house." Marissa said point to the ugly plants sitting out on the front deck."
"Well, since you and your mom need us so badly I don't see any harm in us moving out here. Besides, I don't Courtney and Marissa living in NY anymore." Jackie said.
"Good because ever since my dad died a couple of years ago she has been driving me nuts. I literally can't take it anymore. Thank you so much Jackie; you're the greatest." He said.
"Yeah I know; you don't have to tell me." Jackie said.
Jackie watched her two daughters play out in the sand with Kitty. They looked so happy; even though Jackie was glad to have Courtney back in her life, there was one secret that no one knew about Courtney that she had kept a secret all these years and that secret she would never reveal.
"You know what Ms. Kitty?" Marissa asked her.
"What Marissa?" Kitty asked back.
"I have the perfect way of getting my dad and my mom back together." Marissa said.
"Oh yeah and how are you going to do that?" Kitty asked her.
"Simple, I'm going to call his work and tell them to tell him I'm in complete danger in Africa and that I need his help immediately. Dad would so come looking for me and then he'll run into mom and then my work will be done." Marissa said.
"Uh honey, I don't think that'll work. Your parents aren't getting back together. I'm sorry dear but that's life." Kitty said to her.
"Yeah you watch and see." She said.
Marissa ran into the house for the phone. Her father would come out here if she cried wolf and that was what she was going to do.
New York 1990
She lay in her bed sound asleep; the wind beat against the top of her roof but that didn't keep her from sleeping. Her long dark hair was tied back in a pony and her face was buried under her cottony soft sheets. The past six years had been rough on her; hell the past twelve years had been tough for her. She had to grow-up so fast and learn that you can't always be with the person you were meant to be with. After he had left her down by the coast she had sworn she would never look for him again and that she would never go back there.
She didn't go back to Robert either; she divorced him like she said she would and then she fought tooth and nail for Courtney, and she won. She wasn't a millionaire anymore; she was a simple business woman in upper Manhattan. After much begging and pleading, Marissa had been able to convince her to go back to Africa; but she refused to look for Hyde.
The fact was that Jackie had already tried to look for Hyde; as soon as she had divorced Robert and had won Courtney it was the first thing she had done; but it when she went back to the small little house they had once shared she didn't find him there at all; there was no sign of him at all. She didn't know where he was; but neither did anyone else. Eric had no clue where he was and neither did Eric.
Eric had been waiting for Jackie's plane to arrive for over an hour. After what had happened at the wedding, he had decided to stay here. He liked it here and as soon as Jackie got off that plane he would finally be able to give her and Marissa a huge surprise. He just wished that that huge surprise was Hyde but it wasn't. He hadn't seen him in over six years. Last he had heard, Valerie had escaped from Jail and Hyde was somewhere in Europe. Donna had refused to talk to him about what had happened and he had finally been able to get a DNA test on Evan and it turned out that he was his son.
When he saw her get off the plane he ran up to her and greeted her with a hug and then did the same to Marissa. They laughed and talked for a few minutes before getting into his car and taking off. Jackie looked around at the coast and began to remember everything that had taken place here six years ago. She used to cry about it every night but now she just shoved it into the back of her memory.
He sat in his small hotel room watching TV; since taking the job with National Geographic, he had been to more places than he could have ever imagined. All moving about made it hard for anyone to find or contact him and that's what he had wanted. When he went back to the little house that he had brought up on the coast of Africa, the realtor had told him a young woman was looking for him. She had two small children with her; he automatically knew it was Jackie. Instead of asking if she was still there, he asked her to make sure she never found out that he was still in Africa. After he had dumped her, he had moved out of their small house and made his way to Europe; he continued back and forth between the two continents and that was why he was back in Africa right now. He was surprised to find out that someone had finally bought the beach house that he was planning on giving Jackie and Marissa.
Marissa was the only one who knew where he was; because he had told her how to contact him. He told her not to tell anyone because it would mean that they wouldn't be able to talk to each other again and so far that little threat had worked marvelously for him. The truth was that he hadn't talked to her in a couple of years. He didn't mean to it was just that he was so busy that he never got a chance to talk to her. From what he understood, Jackie was a business woman in Manhattan. Since he knew she lived in New York, he made sure to never go there at all.
It was however, his turn to venture back to Africa for an interview with an owner of a new bar and grill called Marissa's. The magazine was doing shootings and interviews with owners of various restaurants across the world. He had decided that he would do the coverage of this restaurant because the name made him think of his daughter.
"So what's this big surprise that you have for all of us?" She asked Eric.
"Well, it's this." He said pointing to the beach house down by the ocean.
"A house; that's the surprise you wanted to show us." Jackie said unenthusiastically.
"You don't understand; this isn't just any house; it's yours, Marissa's, Courtney, my mom's, and my house." Eric said.
"Uh Eric, what the hell are you talking about?" She asked him.
"Well, I bought this house for us all. You see I thought you could move down here and become my business partner in my new restaurant Marissa's. It'd be a good for my mom because she would have Marissa and Courtney to fuss over and it'd be good for you because I know you're a good business woman and could do a hell of a job making Marissa's the best restaurant in the world." Eric said to her.
"Mom, you have to do it. Mr. Foreman is a crappy businessman and he needs lots of help. I mean look at his decorating job he did on the house." Marissa said point to the ugly plants sitting out on the front deck."
"Well, since you and your mom need us so badly I don't see any harm in us moving out here. Besides, I don't Courtney and Marissa living in NY anymore." Jackie said.
"Good because ever since my dad died a couple of years ago she has been driving me nuts. I literally can't take it anymore. Thank you so much Jackie; you're the greatest." He said.
"Yeah I know; you don't have to tell me." Jackie said.
Jackie watched her two daughters play out in the sand with Kitty. They looked so happy; even though Jackie was glad to have Courtney back in her life, there was one secret that no one knew about Courtney that she had kept a secret all these years and that secret she would never reveal.
"You know what Ms. Kitty?" Marissa asked her.
"What Marissa?" Kitty asked back.
"I have the perfect way of getting my dad and my mom back together." Marissa said.
"Oh yeah and how are you going to do that?" Kitty asked her.
"Simple, I'm going to call his work and tell them to tell him I'm in complete danger in Africa and that I need his help immediately. Dad would so come looking for me and then he'll run into mom and then my work will be done." Marissa said.
"Uh honey, I don't think that'll work. Your parents aren't getting back together. I'm sorry dear but that's life." Kitty said to her.
"Yeah you watch and see." She said.
Marissa ran into the house for the phone. Her father would come out here if she cried wolf and that was what she was going to do.