"She's what?" Roger demanded before turning to Kate. "Look what you've done! My sister's gone now!"
"Don't blame Kate, Roger. She doesn't know what's going on," Michael said, coming to his fiancé's defense.
"Yes she does, she knows exactly what's going on. That little bit about offering her condolences is what Taylor did when Kate's brother killed himself."
"Wait, I thought your brother was mugged in the Lower East Side." Roger snorted.
"Frank ODed a few blocks away from the loft after hunting Taylor down."
"Why would he hunt Taylor down?"
"Because that's what abusive men do; they don't like people to find out about it." Michael's eyes nearly doubled in size, and Bethany gasped.
"Roger, nice family update, and I don't mean to be rude, but Taylor's still missing," Mimi said. Roger sighed. He had wasted precious time.
"She probably went home," Bethany suggested. Roger shook his head…that was too obvious.
"Wait, what time is it?" Mark asked. Michael looked at his watch.
"Five after two, why?" Mark grabbed his corduroy jacket and scarf.
"I know where Taylor is." When the filmmaker tried to grab the diaper bag, Mimi stopped him.
"You go; we'll take the kids for the night. Pick them up in the morning," she said firmly. It was an order, and Mark knew it. The filmmaker kissed both Matthew and Cara, and left to go get Taylor.
By the time Taylor got to Life Support, the meeting was over. Paul was there cleaning up. He turned around when he heard the door open.
"Hello Taylor," he said. "Is everything okay?" he asked when he saw Taylor's upset face. Taylor shrugged.
"I honestly don't know," she replied. Paul motioned for her to have a seat, and sat next to her.
"Now, what's
wrong?"
"It's a long story."
"Well, I have a lot of time on my hands this afternoon." Taylor tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled. Paul always had time when you wanted to talk to someone.
"Everything's happening at once. I just came from my Dad's funeral. I saw my Mom for the first time in about four years, and she's mad at me that I didn't tell her about me and Mark." The door opened, and Mark slipped in silently. Paul glanced at the filmmaker, but Taylor didn't. "Then I found out that my older brother is engaged to my abusive ex-boyfriend's sister. She basically cornered me in the bathroom, told me that it's my fault that her brother over-dosed after beating me up in an alley, and she told me that I had no right to be at my own Father's funeral. Mark's Mom is calling almost daily too. I feel like she doesn't trust me to raise her grandchildren. I've been meaning to talk to Mark about it, but I don't know how."
"I don't think you have to worry about that," Paul said. Taylor's head whipped around. Mark was leaning against the wall listening intently. Taylor got up, and rushed into his open arms.
Paul got up, and left out the back door, giving the couple their space. Mark kissed Taylor's forehead, and held her close.
"I'm sorry I left. I couldn't take it. Seeing Kate just brought back so many memories and all those things she said to me. Kate's, uh, Kate's Frank's sister." Mark rubbed Taylor's back.
"I know. Roger let it slip when he was giving her a piece of his mind." Taylor smiled. Leave it to Roger to look after her. She lifted her head, and looked around with a confused look on her face.
"Where are Matthew and Cara?"
"Mimi and Roger took them to their place. Mimi said to pick them up tomorrow morning." A seductive smile played across Mark's face.
"When's the last
time we had the night to ourselves?" Mark stopped to
think.
"Let's see…Cara's two months old, so about eleven
months. Damn, has it really been that long?"
"I guess so,"
Taylor mumbled as she buried her face in the nape of Mark's neck.
Mark wrapped his arms around his wife even tighter.
"You seem out of it; let's go home." Reluctantly, Taylor let go of Mark, and took his hand. She was tired, but that's not what Mark wanted, and she had to do what Mark wanted.
