John walked from the park to Rodi's and he couldn't shake the way Lauren acted about missing her father's call. How important it was that she not miss it. Something didn't make sense. He thought. Natalie said the word home, not Llanfair, was she back living in Llanview, were they, all three of them back in Llanview. He walked into Rodi's and saw Michael at a table smiling. He walked over to Michael and knew he'd be able to get the answers from him.
" Hey Big Bro, how are ya?" Michael said as he stood and gave John a man hug with a pat on the back.
"I'm good and yourself? I've see you put on a few pounds" John said as he lightly smacked Mike's stomach
" Well that's what happens to married couples, they gain weight " Michael replied as the two men sat back down at the table.
" How are Marcie and the Baby? I bet Jr. is getting big." John asked as he and Michael continued to catch up on how life was treating them when John paused for a few minutes when he looked over and saw the pool table in the corner. John thought of how things hadn't changed in Rodi's. The rest of the town seemed different but not Rodi's. Rodi's was exactly the same as he remembered it; the pool table was exactly how he remembered it. John was brought out of his thoughts when Michael waved his hand in from of him.
" Thinking of her? " Michael asked as he saw John staring intently at the pool table
" I never stop thinking of her, I saw her in the park with her daughter." John said in almost a whisper as he turned his attention back towards Michael and away from the pool table.
" Lauren, yes she is a cutie. Did Nat see you? Cause I didn't tell her you were coming to town." Mikey replied
" Yes, she saw me we spoke briefly. What's the deal with her husband? Why is he still in New York and she and Lauren are here? " John asked needing answers. Needing to know how Chris could stand to be away from her like this, away from them. If they were his, he thought. He shook his head. No, I won't go down that road again, she's not mine; she never was and never will be.
" What husband? Natalie and Chris have been divorced for almost a year now, she and Lauren have been living back here in Llanview for the last three months." Michael answered as he saw John's face change a little. It had almost looked like his eyes wore a flash of hope.
"They're divorced? But, how? Why? What happened? " John asked confused and excited all at once. Excited at the fact that Chris seemed to be finally out of the picture, out of her life somewhat anyways. Their marriage had ended and it wasn't because he had interfered, it ended because maybe they just didn't love each other anymore.
" I'm not really sure it I should be telling you all of this but, If I don't I'm sure someone else in this small town would so it's probably best coming from me. I've spoken to Nat about her and Chris, Nat and I are still friends although Marcie had a problem with it in the beginning but now she's all right with it. But anyways, when Nat came back with Lauren three months ago she was pretty messed up. She wouldn't talk to anyone about it. All she said was that they were divorced and that she and Lauren needed family. About a week or two after she was back Chris showed up. I was passing thru the park when I heard them, when I saw them arguing. When I heard Chris' tone and saw his eye's I stopped him. He had his hands grabbing the top part of her arms so tight that he was leaving bruises." Michael said as he took a short pause trying to decide if he should tell John the rest.
" Michael are you telling me, that he was hurting her? Physically? emotionally? " John asked starting to feel pangs of anger rise up inside of him.
"Yes, and after I stopped him from grabbing her Natalie insisted he leave and never come back or she'd press charges and he'd never be allowed to see Lauren again. After Chris left Nat and I walked for a while and she told me. She told me about Chris and why things didn't work out. Wh--" Michael was about to finish his story when he saw Natalie walk into the bar with Marcie's brother Ron. John heard Michael stop talking and saw his face so he turned and there she was. There Natalie was, and she was with Ron Walsh.