A Place In the Sun
34
Gillian knocked on the door at Wildwind and was quickly greeted by Edmund.
"Come on in. Ryan and Katalin are already here, along with about half of Pine Valley," he said, taking her coat. "How are you?"
"I am doing great," she told him.
"I'd say that you're glowing," he said.
"And the same for you."
"Is that Gillian?" they heard from the living room.
"Maria!" Gillian exclaimed.
"Gillian, it's so great to see you!" Maria said, running in and giving her a hug.
"I still can't believe, after all these years…"
"That's what everyone keeps saying," Maria laughed.
"Mommy!" Katalin came running in.
"Hey, baby," Gillian said, kneeling down to Kata's level.
"Did the doctor say you're okay?" she asked.
Gillian nodded. "Almost as good as new."
"Me and Daddy will still take care of you," Kata told her as she led her to the dining room.
Dinner passed with everyone talking, catching up on all that had happened. Afterwards, Edmund offered to watch Katalin and suggested that Ryan and Gillian go home for some alone time. Julia and Tyler also said that they were going to go. As they all prepared to leave, Anita quickly excused herself and went outside on the terrace.
She sat down in a chair and pulled her knees up to her chin, furiously wiping away the tears that she'd been holding in.
Maria had noticed her sister's quick exit and immediately followed.
……….
"SOS, how can I help you?" Tracy asked as she answered the phone.
"Guess who," a male voice asked.
"I don't need to and I don't want to, and I don't want to have anything to do with you," she replied.
"Aw, you're no fun anymore."
"I can have this phone number traced and the police will find you."
"And if you turn me in then I'll make sure they know your involvement."
"How was I supposed to know what you were planning to do? I thought we were innocently trying to keep Ryan and Gillian apart. You almost killed her, Ray, I told you that Ryan was at SOS and not with her that night and you beat her within an inch of her life."
"Seems like she's doing alright now."
"I'm hanging up now," she said, shuddering at the thought that he was still watching Gillian.
"No, you won't. If you don't do exactly as I say the police will be certain to hear that you were an accomplice. Or I could just punish you myself."
"What do you want?" she quickly answered.
"The usual."
"I don't know where they are tonight."
"You're lying to me."
Knowing it was useless, she answered him, "They all went to Wildwind for dinner."
"You should be grateful that you cooperated," he said, hanging up the phone.
Her hand shaking, Tracy put the phone back on the receiver as someone from the front yelled for her to get back to work.
……….
"Kelsey," Bobby said as she stood at the door.
"Hi, Bobby," she said quietly, looking down.
"Come in, it's freezing out there," he told her, ushering her in and taking her coat. Opal quickly greeted Kelsey and then made herself scarce.
"I've been looking all over town for you," he said as they sat down.
"Yeah, I know," she said, her stomach in knots.
"You got my messages?"
She nodded.
"Where have you been?"
"My grandparents' house. I must be awful predictable since you tried me there, too."
"Then why didn't you call? I was really starting to get worried about you," he said, taking her hand.
"Bobby?" she asked, pulling away from him and finally looking him in the eyes. "Tell me, is this for real?
……….
"Anita?" Maria asked, going towards where her sister was sitting.
"Just go back inside, being in there with everyone so happy is a little hard. I just need a few minutes alone," Anita said, not turning to face Maria.
"Hey, don't give me that," she said, sitting down beside her.
"You don't need to be bothered with the mess I've made of my life."
"I don't? Last I checked, I was your big sister, and I think that means that I should do all I can to help you out."
"I don't need anyone's help."
"Maybe not, but I could give you a shoulder to cry on."
"I'll deal."
"Have you seen him since?"
"Just once when he came to get some of his things," Anita said, pushing away another tear.
"Do you think you'll try and work things out? I mean, you can't give up just like that."
"It's not giving up, really. I've had a lot of time to think about it and it's really more like facing everything I was oblivious to for so long."
"You don't seem to give yourself any credit, Anita."
"No, it's the truth. I was perfectly happy believing that my marriage was good and all. But Bobby and I, we've grown apart. He's like, all ready to settle down. He jumped at the idea to get a place here in Pine Valley; he's ready to have kids. It's really weird; I always thought I'd be the one ready to be a parent first. Right now, though, I want to just have fun, I want to travel, you know, just enjoy life with no real responsibilities. We're not on the same page anymore and I guess it just took seeing them together to make me see that."
……….
It had just started to snow as Ray watched Ryan and Gillian enter their apartment building. He quickly got into a car and took off towards Wildwind.
Once inside the apartment, Ryan pulled the couch up to a window and Gillian laid down with her head in his lap as they watched the snow fall.
The phone rang, Gillian was about to get up to answer it, but Ryan stopped her. "If it's important, they'll call back," he assured her.
"You've been really quiet this whole week."
"Kata and I have been busy taking care of you; you've needed your rest," he said, stroking her hair. "It's still hard to believe all this."
She rolled onto her back to face him as he continued.
"All these years…I really thought that I'd never see you again, much less-"
"Ryan-"
"Shhh," he said, placing a finger on her lips.
"I just do not know how you can be so forgiving," she said as she sat up and looked into his eyes.
"I would rather have you now than never. All those months since you've been back here, you'd been so distant-"
"I did not know how to tell you."
"I thought maybe you didn't feel the same anymore."
"Ryan, I never stopped-" she said, shaking her head.
"I know that now."
"Katalin always knew how much I loved you, I made sure she knew that even though you were not with us that you loved her."
……….
"So what do you plan on doing?" Maria asked her sister.
"I thought maybe I'd go down to Texas for a little while and stay with some friends I've kept up with there. And then, who knows? I mean, that's what I want, right?"
"It'll do you some good to take some time away from everyone," Maria assured her.
"I think so."
"And if you ever need anything, I'm always a phone call away."
"Thank you," Anita said, a few moments later.
"For what?"
"Just listening. I never thought you'd be able to do that for me again, you know, just be a phone call away."
Maria gave her little sister a hug.
"You ready to go back in? It's really cold out here."
"Yeah, yeah I am," Anita said, giving her a smile.