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Pausing in the corridor of the church, Brooke felt a slight tug on her hand.
"Grandma, can you pick me up?"
She kneeled down and Little Eric clamored into her open and waiting arms. With him secure on her right hip and Hope secure on her left, Brooke stood up. "Is that better?"
He nodded.
She took a deep breath, gave a reassuring smile to her two favorite people, then motioned for Storm to open the doors to the inner sanctum of the church. As she walked down the aisle, she nodded and acknowledged the passels of friends, teachers, co-workers, and acquaintances of Rick and Bridget. She sat next to Eric, who sat next to the inconsolable Ambrosia. Eric reached for Little Eric, but the toddler refused to go to his grandfather.
Ever since she told Little Eric about his dad and aunt, he had refused to leave her side and Hope had followed suit. The only time she was away from them was when they were napping, and as soon as they got up they were in search of her. They either had to be sitting on her lap or within touching distance. She guessed Little Eric and Hope realized that she was all that was left of their family.
Little Eric didn't even look over in his mother's direction. She knew this was hard on Amber, but it was extremely hard on Little Eric, also. He should have been her top priority. Instead, she'd spent the last two weeks over Ridge and Taylor's under the care of Dr. Hayes. Amber was so distraught over her estranged husband's disappearance that she couldn't even call to check up on her own son.
Brooke shook her head slightly as if ridding herself of Amber and turned her gaze to the portrait in the front of the church surrounded by flowers. It was a breath-taking picture of Ric and Bridget, ironically kneeling in the sand with the ocean and surf surrounding them in the background. No one had understood why she had used this old picture of the two of them, except for Ridge and Katie. This particular shot was taken before. Before Amber, before Deacon, before Little Eric, before Amber's two stillborns, before Ric and Bridget lost their innocence. She had really wanted to use a picture Ridge had taken the first night in their home he had bought for them. Life had been perfect then, but she hadn't wanted to stir up any more confusion amongst the family so she went with the other photograph.
Tuning back into the service, she heard Jessica talk about her favorite times with her cousins. Brooke was glad she had maintained a relationship with the other members of the Forrester family. She had wanted Bridget and Rick to know that there was more to life than the madness that existed inside this vacuum of the LA Forresters.
When she first eyed Ridge at the party, who would have imagined decades later her life would turn out like this. When she found out she was pregnant with Ric, she vowed regardless of how Eric reacted to the news, she was keeping her baby and be the best single mother ever, if necessary. How naïve had she been back then?
Had she been a good mother, she wondered. All her mistakes came rushing to her mind. Both the recent and past: sleeping with Deacon, getting pregnant with Hope, hiring Amber, constantly chasing after Ridge. But through Connor, James, Thorne, and the others, she always made time for her kids.
Secret weekend getaways just the three of them, doing paperwork while sitting on hard benches at endless practices. She put them first and let them know that they would always be a family, regardless if she ever found the elusive perfect husband and father, she was searching for. First and last, they would always have each other and could always count on each other. With all of her mistakes, she and Stephanie always kept the kids out of their fights, which was a great accomplishment. And most importantly before they disappeared, Bridget was on the path to forgiving her.
Bridget had started talking to her again. They even met for lunch once with Hope in attendance. Recently, the three of them had begun family counseling to help put their family back on track. She and Bridget had been surprised when Ric had suggested counseling, but they both immediately agreed to go. They had just had a session two days before Ric and Bridget went missing. She had felt like they were making progress and now this.
Her deadened arms brought her out of her reverie. Looking down slightly, she saw both Little Eric and Hope were dead to the world. She rearranged them in her arms, as Eric and Stephanie returned to their seats. She would have liked to have heard what they had to say. Maybe she would ask Storm after the service. Watching Ridge, the final speaker, make his way to the podium, she saw the man who had been father, daddy, friend, brother, and sometime adversary to her children. His relationship with Rick and Bridget was in some ways more convoluted and complicated then hers with him.
"Two weeks ago, I woke up bothered and annoyed that it was an overcast day. It was slightly sprinkling which meant that my drive to work was going to take longer and I would have to put up with all the bad drivers who went crazy when a drop off rain hit the ground. I wasn't even looking forward to coming home because if my three kids were forced to spend the day inside, they were going to be crabby and restless. I had no idea that by the end of the day, my life would be changed forever," Ridge said with his voice full of emotion.
Brooke tapped Eric and handed him Little Eric. She turned to Storm and he gently took Hope.
"When I heard the news. I tried to remember the last time I had seen them, what we had talked about, but nothing came to mind. I couldn't- - I couldn't- -" Ridge broke down.
Brooke went to him and hugged him tightly. "It's okay, Ridge. It's okay," she whispered into his ear.
Taylor sat back down quietly, but angrily as she watched Brooke comfort Ridge.
Brooke stepped up to the mic with Ridge's face buried in her neck and his death-defying grip around her waist. "As I look out and see all of Ric and Bridget's friends, I remember a time when they had all the same friends. Besides being a daddy's girl," Ridge clutched her tighter, if that was possible. "She was also hopelessly devoted to her big brother. Everywhere he went, she went. Ric never discouraged her. He was proud of his little sister and secretly I think, he loved the attention, too. Then one day their world was turned on its axis."
She took a dramatic pause and looked out over the audience. She noticed Taylor was on the edge of her seat as were Stephanie and Eric. They were all probably wondering what she was going to say, afraid she might air their dirty laundry. It felt like even Ridge was holding his breath against her. Brooke's eyes connected with Katie's, who was just smiling.
She continued. "Bridget and I were in the kitchen making dinner when, for Ric's and CJ's sake, I will say manly screams pierced our ears." Out of the corner of her eye, Brooke saw CJ laughing, remembering the story she was telling. "We race into the living room and the boys are just standing there frozen, staring at a piece of paper."
CJ laughed out loud.
"I asked them what was wrong and silence greeted me. Slowly they look up and stare at Bridget, like she had grown two heads. Bridget's face turned bright red and she ran up the stairs. The boys' faces turned red, too. They dropped the paper and ran for their lives. By now, I'm completely stumped. I had never seen a room clear of children so fast, except when it comes time to do chores. So I walk over to the fallen paper, pick it up and read it. The paper was full of: Mrs. Clarke Garrison Junior, Mrs. Bridget Garrison, Mrs. Bridget Forrester Garrison, and of course Mr. And Mrs. Clarke Garrison Junior," Brooke giggled.
The sanctuary erupted in laughter. Even Ridge lifted his head and smiled through his tears.
As the roars turned into quiet chuckles, Brooke continued. "In seeing that paper, Ric realized Bridget wasn't just his adoring little sister, but she was also something much worse a GIRL. A girl who was in love with his best friend. Yuck, the worse!" Brooke exclaimed with mock disgust in her voice.
The laughter rolled through the church.
"Suddenly Ric saw us all as those dreaded girls. He looked around and was surrounded by them: me, Budge, his Grandma, Aunt Katie, Aunt Donna, Kristin, Felicia, Taylor, Sally, Macy, and Stephanie. After that there were no more kisses before he got out of the car, just barely tolerated hugs at bedtime. Poor Budge, she was devastated her brother and future husband didn't want to hang out with her anymore." Brooke searched for and found her daughter's two closest friends. "Thank you, Wendy and Michelle for befriending her and helping ease the pain of rejection created by her two beloved boys. Luckily Ric and CJ eventually realized that girls were okay and the three amigos rose again, but never to the heights they had once achieved cause there was always this knowledge that one of the amigos was an amiga." Brooke smiled as the pleasant memories of that time washed over her. Judging by the reaction of the attendees, she helped lighten the mood.
"Thanks, Logan."
She patted his hand. "Would you please recite with me, Ric's and Bridget's bedtime prayer?" Brooke bowed her head and closed her eyes. "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory forever. Amen." She opened her eyes and waited while people gathered their belongings. "On behalf of the Logan and Forrester families, thank you all for coming."
Ridge hugged her and said, "Good job. They would have been proud."
She smiled and nodded before they walked back to their seats as the crowd disbursed. Walking up to Storm, she held out her arms. Storm carefully handed the sleeping Hope back to her mother. She laid her angel's head on her right shoulder and then turned to Eric. "Eric."
"Brooke, I can hold him- -" He paused when he saw the determined look in her eye and quietly laid Little Eric on her left side.
She nodded her thanks. Squeezing her babies, she inhaled their fresh baby scent. She kissed the tops of their heads and moved her gaze to Storm.
"The limousines are waiting in the back. But let's move quickly, before the press and the paparazzi make their way back there," Storm said addressing her and the rest of the family.
Storm led the way out of the rear of the church. Brooke, with the kids secure in her arms, followed closely. She emerged from the dimness of the church into the light of day.
Brooke paused for a moment and took in her surroundings as her eyes adjusted to the light. She felt like a warrior in the midst of a war, with her most prized possessions in her arms. She had won this battle, but she knew more were coming. After this difficult one, she was ready for the next.