A Place In the Sun
18
Maria clutched the baby in her arms so tightly as she rushed to the airport gate.
''Maria, Maria stop, you can't leave,'' a man yelled, running up to catch her.
''Edmund, you're coming with us? To Budapest?'' she asked, hugging him.
''No, we can't go. You cannot go.''
''I can't stay here, Edmund, she'll take Sam away,'' she said in tears.
''We'll work it all out, but not if you run.''
''No, no, no, no, she is not taking my baby. He is my son,'' she clutched the infant even tighter. ''She gave him up, he is my baby.''
''Maria, we both knew this could happen. She had six months to change her mind, we knew that, we took that chance.''
''She cannot have my baby.''
''Maria, we have to give him up.''
''No, no, Edmund, no.''
''Yes, Maria, we have to give him to Kelsey.''
''No, I won't, no.''
''Maria, give me Sam.''
''No, don't take my baby.''
''Let me have him.''
''No, no, don't take my baby, don't take my baby,'' she wailed.
''Maria, this hurts me, too, but the court said we have to give him up.''
''No, NO!'' she cried.
Somehow, Edmund was able to get the baby from her. Maria collapsed in a sobbing heap on the floor. Edmund could not think of the words to say to her; he walked away, trying to comfort Sam.
Maria woke up the next morning with tears staining her face.
''Oh, God, that was awful…I've never had a dream where someone addressed me by name…if that really happened, Kelsey wasn't completely honest with me.''
She quickly got dressed and ran across the courtyard.
...
Gillian looked over the menu at BJ's; Myrtle was watching Katalin for her.
She waved to Dimitri as he entered the restaurant. When he reached her, he bent down and kissed the top of her head before sitting down.
''How is my favorite cousin doing?'' he asked.
''I am doing pretty good this morning, how about you?''
''Ahh, nothing new,'' he said, studying her face. ''Gilly, what's the matter?''
Gillian gasped as she saw a man get down from a bar stool and turn towards her, his eyes locking with her's. Ray walked straight towards the table as Gillian sat there frozen. When he got to the table, Ray ran his fingers through Gillian's hair and let out a cold laugh before continuing towards the door. As soon as the door closed, Gillian shuddered and turned back to Dimitri.
''That's what's wrong.''
...
Maria pounded on the door to Kelsey's apartment. ''Kelsey, are you there? Kelsey, I need to talk to you.''
After a few moments, Kelsey answered the door. ''I'm sorry, I was back in the bathroom getting ready. What's wrong, Maria?''
''Kelsey, I need you to tell me the truth. I had this dream last night-more like a nightmare-you took Sam back, tell me if I'm remembering the truth.''
''Um, well, come in, sit down,'' Kelsey said, sitting next to Maria on a box. ''Yes, I did take Sam away from you and Edmund, and that's the thing I'm most ashamed of.''
''Why, why would you do that? Do you know what pain you caused?''
''Yes, Maria. I know that now.''
''Tell me the whole story.''
Kelsey sighed before starting. ''When we signed the agreement for the adoption, there was a clause that gave me six months to change my mind. Sam was born in February, February 9th, so that gave me till July to change my mind. And in July, I decided I wanted him back, I wanted to raise him. Oh, I was so stupid back then, Maria. The night Edmund brought him to me at my grandparent's house, I had no clue how to take care of an infant.''
''Edmund took Sam away from me at the airport, that's what my dream was about.''
''Yes, you were trying to leave the country with Sam so that I couldn't have him. I was so selfish. I ended up marrying Bobby, and the whole time he was telling me how I was so wrong to have taken Sam away from the two of you. Bobby is the one who ended up giving Sam back. I messed up, I lost Sam at the airport; I knew I wasn't fit to raise him, and Bobby took Sam to Edmund, he signed away his parental rights, and Sammy was your's and Edmund's for good this time.''
''How long did you keep him away from us?''
''Bobby gave him back in October, so about three months.''
...
''Did you find us an apartment?'' Bobby asked Anita as they ate breakfast.
''Found a few that will do,'' Anita answered. ''Maybe I can see if we can go see them today together.''
''I can't today.''
''Why not?''
''Edmund called earlier while you were still asleep. He needed someone to take Sammy to his baseball practice this morning. Edmund's going to take Maddie over to Kelsey's and after Sam's practice, I'll take him over there and Kels is going to watch the kids until this evening. Edmund said he's really backed up at work. I figured when I took Sam over to Kelsey's apartment, I'd stay for a little while and help her unpack some more.''
''You know, Kelsey's a big girl, she doesn't need you to help her.''
''Can't I just be a friend to her without the third degree from you?''
''Bobby, we need to find a place to stay if we're going to stay here in Pine Valley.''
''Anita, give it a rest.''
''Bobby.''
''I probably won't be too long at Kelsey's, we can go this afternoon.''
Anita looked halfway content at this.
''Now, I have to get to Wildwind. I'll see you later.''
''I love you, baby, have fun.''
Bobby kissed the top her head and left.
Why didn't I say I loved her, back? Bobby thought as he left the hotel room.
...
Maria stood up and went to the window, rubbing her temple with her right hand, her left hand on her hip, a look of confusion over what to do or say next on her face.
''But, Maria, you said you remembered this. That has to be a good thing, right?'' Kelsey said.
''I don't know, I mean, yes, it's wonderful to regain some of the memories of my past. But, it's like, I have trouble making the connection between me, then, and me, now. It's like the memories of things that happened to me were things that happened to some other person, in some other time. So disconnected.''
''Did you get checked out by a doctor?''
''Yes, shortly after I got to Pine Valley.''
''PVH?''
Maria nodded.
''I'm surprised no one recognized you there.''
''I did get a few strange looks, but no one said anything to me.''
''So what did the doctor say?''
''Nothing wrong other than the amnesia. And even that is going away, somewhat. The dream last night was the first really long segment of memory, but lately I've been having lots of flashes of things, that's how I ended up here in Pine Valley.''
Kelsey looked at her watch.
''Are you expecting someone?'' Maria asked her.
Kelsey nodded, ''Edmund's bringing Maddie over here soon. Bobby is spending the morning with Sam and then he's bringing him over here later.''
''I better leave, then,'' Maria said, turning to go.
''Maria-''
''No, Kelsey, I told you, when I'm ready, and not before.''
...
Dimitri looked at Gillian with a puzzled look.
''Remember how I told you I was driving the night of the accident because I had to get away from where I was and what was there? Well, that was Ray. Kata and I were living with him and he was awful to us, it's a long story and I really don't feel like getting into it.''
Dimitri nodded.
''Well, last night he showed up at Myrtle's,'' Gillian continued. ''I thought I had gotten away from him, but he tracked us down here; I do not know what he wants from me, he says he wants money, but he knows that I do not have any and I do not think that is what it is really, he wants me to be his woman to wait on him day and night and to listen to him unconditionally while he uses me as his personal punching bag and uses my baby as leverage against me!''
Dimitri takes her hands from across the table. ''There's something more, isn't there?''
''You know me too well, Dimi. Right after Ray left last night, Ryan came ov er a he knew about Ray and he comforted me and it was so wonderful to have him hold me. And then Ryan asked me to move in with him so he could keep me safe, and I told him no. I'm not ready to tell him about Katalin yet, I do not want him to be mad at me. When we were going to sleep last night, Kata turned to me and asked me again when I was going to tell her Daddy about her. She knows that Ryan is her father, and she knows that I have seen him several times since we have been in Pine Valley; she wants her Daddy and I feel awful keeping him from her, but I just am not ready to tell Ryan yet!''
''Tell Ryan what?'' Ryan asked as he walked up to their table.