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Chapter 11

3 days later…

"Bianca it's been three days since you've talked to Erica. You should call her or talk to her over lunch. Anything. I still feel so guilty." Maggie said walking into the living room from the kitchen. She handed Bianca, who was putting Miranda in her playpen, a cup of coffee.

"Maggie, there is absolutely no reason whatsoever for you to feel like any of this is your fault." Bianca said as her and Maggie sat down on the couch. "My mom promised me she wouldn't do anything like this again, and she lied. I can't just forgive her for…"

"Bianca." Maggie cut her off. "I know what it's like not to have any parents. It doesn't feel good. Sweetie as much as you may dislike Erica right now she is still your mother. I understand you're not just going to forgive her overnight, it'll take time, but please try."

Bianca pushed some stray hands of hair behind Maggie's ear as she kissed her. Not really wanting to, she pulled away and rested her forehead on Maggie's. "If it means that much to you, I guess I'll call her and see if she'll have lunch with me today at the Valley Inn."

"I knew you couldn't resist my Stone charm." Maggie said leaning in for another kiss. They heard a knock at the door. "Great, perfect timing." Maggie rolled her eyes.

"I'll get it." Bianca said going to answer the door. "Babe, hey, what are you doing here?"

"Well me and Jamie were on our way to take Baby James to the park and we came to see if you guys wanted to go and take Miranda." Babe said walking into the living room.

"Actually, I just promised Maggie I'd have lunch with my mother." Bianca said.

"That's great Bianca. I know you love your mama. I'm sure you two will get past this. How about you Maggie? You and Erica OK?" Babe asked, then realized maybe she shouldn't have.

"Um, no, not really. I'm not really up for talking to her right now. Besides, she and Bianca need to be OK before I even think about talking to her." Maggie told her.

"So, anyways, maybe Maggie would like to go with you guys and take Miranda." Bianca said changing the subject.

"Well I was hoping that while you were with Erica I could go do something that I really need to do."

"Well me and Jamie could take her. I mean, if yall don't mind. I'm sure Miranda and Baby James would have fun, and I promise to have her back home whenever you say."

"OK." Bianca said. "If you're sure you're up for keeping two babies."

"I would love nothing more." Babe said picking up Miranda.

"Well, here's her diaper bag. And you can get the car seat and stroller out of my car. And please be careful."

"We will, don't worry."

"Please! When Miranda isn't with her Bianca does nothing but worry." Maggie said laughing.

"That is not true!" Bianca said, but knew it was.

"Well don't worry this time." Babe said opening to door.

"Bye." Bianca and Maggie said together.

"Tell mommy bye." Babe said waving Miranda's hand at Bianca. "Bye guys." She said closing the door.

"You didn't tell me you were going somewhere while I'm gone with mom. What do you have to do?" Bianca asked going back to the couch to sit down beside Maggie.

"I have to go to a very special place, to talk to a few very special people. Now quit stalling and call your mom." Maggie handed Bianca the phone.

She looked at Maggie for a second before she dialed Erica's number. "Mom, hey. Yea I know. Well I was just wondering if you could meet me at the Valley Inn for lunch? Yea, 12:00 is fine. Bye."

"I'm so proud of you." Maggie jokingly said.

"I can't believe you talked me into doing this."

"We both know you wanted to do it. You just needed a little push."

"Yea, but it's just, everything she did to you…"

"Bianca don't make today's conversation about me. She hurt you too and that has to be dealt with first. OK?"

Bianca just looked at Maggie wondering how she could be so unselfish at a time like this. What Erica did to Maggie was awful. She hurt Maggie so much. But Maggie was only worried about Bianca's relationship with her mother. "OK." Bianca promised her.

"Alright, well, you better get ready. It's 11:00."

"Yea, but it's not like mom can really get mad if I'm late or anything."

"You're right."

"So, are you going to tell me where you're going or not?"

"No way. Listen, if I'm not back before you just call my cell phone."

"Well, OK." Bianca said going up the stairs to get ready. But in the back of her head, she knew exactly where Maggie was going.

Bianca's lunch with Erica actually went better than she had expected. On her way to the dining room Bianca had run into Kendall. She asked her to join them, but Kendall said she wasn't ready for that yet. Bianca understood. If it wasn't for Maggie, she wouldn't be doing this either. But during that short period of time with her mother, Bianca had already started feeling better. This would take a while, definitely, but she had time. Time to work things out with Erica. Bianca just hoped Erica wouldn't screw things up again. But giving her one last shot, Bianca didn't think she would. Or at least she hoped she wouldn't. But then again, what kid doesn't want to give their parents the benefit of doubt? What kid doesn't want to believe every promise their parents make to them? And that's what Bianca was sure she had been through their whole conversation. A scared little girl who loved her mother.

As she drove that familiar route, Maggie was nervous. "I can't believe I'm nervous." She said to herself. "This is ridiculous. There is no need to be nervous. I've done this exact thing a million times before." But this time was different, and Maggie knew it. As she cut off the engine and got out of her car, she hoped no one would be there. She needed to do this, and now. She walked up the steps and breathed a sigh of relief. She would be alone. 'Well, not technically alone.' She thought. She sat there for what seemed like hours, saying nothing. Just looking out at the water, and up at the sky. Then, she finally got the courage. She sat at the edge of the boathouse and let her feet dangle over, almost touching the water. She had gone over the words carefully, but at that moment every one seemed to leave her. She had no choice then, with her planned words failing, she spoke from her heart.

As Bianca pulled up, she saw Maggie's car. 'Good.' She thought. 'She's still here.' As she got closer to the steps of the boathouse she could hear Maggie talking. Bianca knew exactly who she was talking to. She herself wanted to talk to them also, but she didn't want Maggie to know she was there just yet.

"Even gone you two still know what to do. I mean, it's weird. Like you couldn't save yourselves, but it was a piece of cake saving me. I guess looking from the outside of things it's easier to see the problem. That's the case for anybody, not just me. If you're emotionally involved you don't see the big picture, ya know? All of this brought flashbacks from when I wouldn't give in to my feelings for Bianca. Because I was scared, and didn't want to hurt her. Same thing over again this time. By trying not to hurt her, I seem to hurt her even more. But you guys helped me. Indirectly the first time, but this time…I mean, I got to see you again. And what was the occasion? To let me know just how much I was hurting Bianca…"

"Maggie you didn't hurt me." Bianca decided to make her presence known by cutting Maggie off.

"Bianca, how long have you been standing there? How did you know I was here?"

"Well, I've been standing here long enough to know that you're wrong." Bianca said sitting down next to Maggie. "And you should have known I knew you were coming here when you said 'very special' two times in one sentence."

Both girls had to laugh at that. This is where they always came. Sometimes together, sometimes alone. It was special to them. Especially when they wanted to talk to Leo and Frankie.

"So, I'm wrong huh?" Maggie asked, her voice a whisper.

"Yea, you are." Bianca said locking eyes with Maggie.

"About what?" she already knew the answer.

"Hurting me."

"So, I honestly didn't hurt you? You're not lying to me?"

"No, I needed to know about mom. If the roles were switched, wouldn't you want to know?"

"Yea, I guess I would. So can we talk about something else now?" Maggie asked

"Well I'm sure we're here for the same reason."

"We are?" Maggie asked confused

"You came to talk to and thank Leo and Frankie right?"

"Yea, but, that's why you're here too?"

"Yea, they helped me too." Bianca answered

"In the hospital?"

"Yea, you didn't hear me talking to them?"

"Well I heard you say their names, but I didn't actually think they were there, in my room."

"They told me they were going to come to me first, but so many people kept coming in, they decided to talk to you first."

"So you actually saw them?"

"Yes."

"Wow. They really did all they could to help us huh?"

"Yea, just like they did when they were alive." Bianca said staring out at the water.

"Kinda like our guardian angels." Maggie said

"Exactly."

"So, what are you going to say to them?" Maggie asked

"Well I think both of us being here pretty much says it all. I'm sure they're watching. Their heads probably got huge when you woke up. Giving themselves credit."

Maggie laughed a little. "Well, they should."

"I know." Bianca said

"They gave me the courage I needed. I've never been scared like that before." Maggie confessed.

"Me neither." Bianca said taking Maggie's hand. "Don't ever do that to me again, huh?"

Maggie looked at Bianca and smiled. "I don't plan on it. Maybe we should go back home. Babe's probably ready to bring Miranda back. One baby is a handful, I can't imagine her with two."

"Yea, but she has Jamie. He can help. I'm not ready to leave yet."

And they just sat there, holding hands. Both silently thanking Leo and Frankie. Their angels. Without them, they wouldn't be sitting there together. They both missed Frankie and Leo, but they knew they had each other. And as long as they had each other, there was no doubt in their minds they could make it through anything.

FIN