A Place In the Sun
47
Within an hour of leaving the apartment, Tyler pulled up outside the house at Silver Lake. Immediately he knew this was the right place. The shades in the windows were drawn and the place would have looked deserted if it were not for the smoke curling up from the chimney. Tyler took a deep breath as he thought about the plan he had worked out on the drive there. Not wanting his brother to see him first, he got out of his truck and walked to the front door.
Tyler knocked on the door and anxiously waited. In a few moments, the door opened and Tyler hastily said, "I'm sorry for bothering you; my grandparents used to rent this house when I was younger and I was in the area and I wanted to visit." He paused as he waited for his brother to respond. He pretended not to recognize him.
"Tyler?" Ray asked.
"R.J.? I didn't recognize you at first. What are you doing here?" he asked. The brothers pulled each other into an astonished hug and then took a step back. Ray looked around nervously as he led Tyler into the house. Tyler pretended not to notice as he followed.
"I guess the same. I was looking for a place to stay and I found this place deserted, so I let myself in," he laughed stiffly.
"As long as no one notices, then I guess no one will care," Tyler shrugged.
Ray tried to act normal. He motioned for Tyler to sit down on the couch as he threw another log onto the fire.
"So what have you been up to lately?" he asked, sitting down beside Tyler and leaning back against the arm of the couch.
"I've been working on my music," Tyler said. "I've got a regular gig at this club."
"Still doing that music mess, huh?" Ray laughed as to say that Tyler's music was foolish.
"Yeah," Tyler said, looking down. No one in his family had ever understood his passion for music, but at least they had tolerated it.
"Where have you been living?" Ray asked.
"In the city," Tyler quickly lied. "I've got a place in Philly."
Ray breathed a sigh of relief that he didn't say Pine Valley.
"How long have you been up here?" Tyler asked, wondering how many lies his brother would tell him.
"Not long, I only came up to the lake about a week ago. I had been staying at a cheap hotel for a while before then but didn't have the money to stay there. Maxed out my card. So I checked out of there last week and came on up here."
In the bedroom closet, Katalin took a bite out of the bread Ray had given her that morning. Tired and hungry, she threw the plate onto the floor.
"What was that?" Tyler asked as he and Ray heard the noise that Kata had made.
Maria stared at Erica in disbelief as Erica explained why she had not returned Maria's baby to her when she found the infant alive.
"She is your daughter," Erica said.
"I had a baby boy, not a girl," Maria shook her head.
Erica pulled up the infant's shirt to show Maria the
baby's birthmark. Tears flowed down Maria's face
uncontrollably as she finally realized that Erica was
telling the truth. Erica trembled as she gently passed the
baby into Maria's arms.
Maria lay her head against the back of the couch.
"Any news?" Gillian asked as she came down the stairs and into the living room.
"No," Maria said, sitting up and wiping her eyes.
"What's wrong?" Gillian asked, concerned, as she sat down next to Maria.
"Nothing, she said, shaking her head.
"It must be something," Gillian prodded.
"You don't need to be bothered by it."
"Ryan will not let me do anything but sit here and wait. Tell me."
"I was thinking," Maria began reluctantly, "about when Maddie was kidnapped."
"Erica Kane took her, right?" Gillian asked.
Maria nodded.
"I moved here the summer she was in prison. You had just—the plane crash was the same week that I moved to Pine Valley."
"Erica delivered my daughter and then there was a car accident and we thought my baby had died," Maria wiped away another tear. "Then Erica said she adopted a baby, but she ended up admitting that the baby was mine."
"So you did not have much time with Maddie at all when she was a baby?" Gillian observed.
Maria shook her head, sadly. "Maddie was born in March. Erica returned her at the end of June and the plane crash was in August. I only had about six weeks with Maddie. I didn't even have very long with Sam because Kelsey backed out of the adoption. Both of my children were taken away from me. So I guess, more than anyone else, I can understand some of what you are feeling right now."
Gillian nodded and hugged Maria, tears filling both women's eyes. "Your children are so happy now that you are back," Gillian said, wiping her eyes. "They were always happy children, but since you have been back at Wildwind, they are just so elated."
"Everyone here has been," Maria agreed. "Gillian, I know how much you are hurting now, but just visualize what that moment will be like when you hold Katalin in your arms again. You will feel that. Edmund and Ryan will find Ray and get Kata back, and soon."
"I know; I know they will," Gillian nodded, blinking back tears.
Gillian and Maria turned toward the front door as they heard a commotion in the hallway.
"I have to get a message to Gillian," they heard a woman insist over the guards telling her to leave.
They stood up to see who it was.
Bobby sat on Kelsey's bed watching TV as he waited for her to take a shower. A few minutes later, she emerged from the steamy bathroom wearing a terrycloth robe. Her wet hair was freshly combed and hanging in her face. Bobby smiled and turned off the TV. He stood and crossed the room to her. He used one of his hands to push her hair out of her face as the other wound around her back to pull her closer to his body while he kissed her. They pulled apart and smiled as they stayed very close.
"I don't think you need this," Bobby said mischievously, putting his hands on her shoulders and sliding them underneath her robe. Kelsey nodded in agreement and untied the belt around her waist as Bobby pushed away the robe.
Kelsey pushed Bobby back toward the bed as she slid her hand down his shirt, undoing each button with ease. She reached his pants and helped him out of them. They kissed again as both fell onto her unmade bed.