Checking In With Another Friend-Part I

"Checked on Lily, the other day." Nate reveals to Elena as they are standing in Crimson Lights.

"She's definitely seems back to her old self, though I still want to keep my eye on her." Nate remarks cautiously. "To make sure she's not experiencing any lingering effects from her injury."

"Yes, it's important to make sure she really is in the clear." Elena agrees. "Because what happened to her was very scary and we are fortunate it wasn't much worse."

"Amen." Nate nods and the two chat a bit more about Lily and her condition. Elena then bids him good-bye and decides to leave Crimson Lights. As she leaves, Phyllis is walking through the door. They nod at each other as they pass each other.

"So, you had a nice chat… with Elena…" Phyllis asks giving him an amused smile.

"We were just talking about Lily and her recovery." Nate informs her. "You know ever since she suffered that attack, we've both tried to keep our eyes on her." A somber expression comes across his face. "Head injuries are no joke and sometimes symptoms can show up later, and we just want to do our part to make sure she's really in the clear."

Phyllis nods. "Understood." She lightly touches his arm. "And hey if you two weren't around, when she got attacked, who knows what may have happened…." She then shivers. "I just can't believe someone knocked her out cold like that." Phyllis remarks with a stunned look across her face. "Just knocked her out and left her bloody on the floor of the bathroom of all places…" Phyllis makes a face. "At Fen and Ana's wedding…"

"It's crazy right?" Nate asks.

"It's insane." Phyllis remarks. "And very random. Just wow." She sighs. "And they still haven't caught who did it."

Nate shakes his head. "It is crazy that this person is just out there running around somewhere." He sighs. "I hope they catch them."

"Hopefully, they will." Phyllis says. "But Kudos to you and Elena for helping Lily while the ambulance arrived."

"We were just doing our duty." Nate tells Phyllis and smiles.

"Yeah, well I really am glad that Lily is okay. Hopefully, things are back to normal for her and they will catch the creep who harmed her."

"Yeah…"

Phyllis then thinks and smiles again. "So, are you ready to get back on your journey…" She asks him.

"My journey?" Nate asks.

"Your Journey to find love silly." Phyllis teases him. "I know that things got a little derailed after what happened at the wedding."

"But now you can get back on track." Phyllis encourages him. "And I'm still here to help you." She promises him.

"Yeah about that, I think I'm just going to go with wherever the wind blows." Nate states, shrugging. "I'm content with my life for now."

"But you're a terrific man and you deserve a nice lady." Phyllis tells him. "You deserve a woman who is going to appreciate you. Unlike the other women you've been interested in the past. Like Abby, or Elena…"

"Phyllis, I…"

"No, we are going to find you that woman, I promise you that." She tells him.

"Eh… I don't know Phyllis… I just…"

"Nope." Phyllis replies shaking her head. "I've not accepting that as an answer." Just then Nate phones rings. He looks down at it and brightens up when he sees who it is.

"Excuse me for a moment." He tells Phyllis and steps aside to take the call.

"Hello?" He asks.

"Hey, Nate." The woman says on the other line. "I'm sorry I haven't really been in much contact with you lately." She apologizes. "But I heard about Lily."

Nate nods. "Yeah…"

"I mean my sister told me what happened to her and I'm in shock." The lady tells him. "Is she doing okay?"

"She's fine." He assures her. "She was attacked and took a pretty rough blow to the head, but thankfully, she's okay and is expected to make a full recovery."

"Thank goodness." The woman lets out a sigh of relief. "When my sister told me about that, that brought back memories…"

"Yeah." Nate nods. "I know. I'm just glad she's okay."

"Have they caught who has done this?" The lady asks.

He shakes his head. "Unfortunately, no." He tells her. "But the police are looking, and Devon also has people who are looking into things."

"Yeah, that is what my sister said." The lady responds. "She was shaken up by what happened to Lily." She reveals to him. "And she feels so bad that she wasn't at the wedding… But as you know we have our own drama with our family."

Nate nods. "Yeah, I know."

"Yeah it's been a mess trying to sort out mom's estate. And our family members are turning on each other. And are actually fighting each other…" She tells him. "I mean the drama is so bad, one of our siblings got arrested."

Nate nods. "I know which has kept you guys tied up." He sympathies.

"Which is why me and sis are trying to sort things out." The woman tells him. "She's more of the peacemaker than I am." She admits to him. "She wants to do right by our mother..., even though this whole mess with our family is exhausting."

The woman sighs. "And I know my sister doesn't want to really drag Devon into it." She states frankly.

"But he is her husband." Nate reminds her. "And you know he wants to help."

"Yeah, but she doesn't want to get him too entangled in our drama. Which is why she's been making some of these trips back home solo and letting him stay behind and watch over Kenny." The woman smiles at the end of the phone. "Who she loves like crazy and can't wait to get back home to see in a few days."

"He'll be happy to see her." Nate informs her. "He's already done some more growing." He reports to her smiling.

"Even more so than the last time I saw him, when Devon and he came here." She asks.

"Yeah at least little bit." Nate tells her.

"ooh, I can't wait to see him again." The lady remarks wistfully. "I would love to spend more time with my little nephew, and I haven't been in GC in a bit."

"No, you haven't." Nate tells her. "And we miss you around here. I for sure miss you." He admits to her.

The woman brightens up when he says that. "Really?"

"Yeah… of course I do." He confesses to her.

Phyllis ears perk up as she listens to Nate talking to the woman on the end of the line. She was also friends with the woman he was talking to and she was intrigued by this conversation.

"You've got to come back here." He tells the woman. "You should have laid roots down here, like I told you a while ago." He tells her. "You never did really tell me why you left town the last time." He reminds her. "I mean the last time before this drama surrounding your mother's estate happened."

The woman's eyes widen on the other end of the phone. "Well, I thought it was time to get away for a bit." She tells him.

"Hmmm…" Nate remarks not really buying her story. "Okay, well maybe it's time to come back for a bit. After you sort things out with your mother's estate, come back to GC." He asks her. "At least to visit." He suggests. "Maybe to stay." A thoughtful look comes across his face. "I mean you do have family here, your sister, your nephew. You made some friends here." He smiles. "Me for starters…"

"And me…" Phyllis says very loudly so the woman could hear her. "Tell her I miss her, and she was like one of my very few friends here." She instructs Nate.

"You heard that right?" Nate asks into the phone.

The woman laughs. "Yeah, I did, and tell Phyllis I miss her too." The woman replies. "And that I will get in contact with her, because it has been a little while since I've chatted with her."

"Tonight, call me tonight." Phyllis calls out. "We've got some things to discuss."

The woman laughs. "Tell her I'll try."

"She'll try." Nate relays to Phyllis.

"Don't try just do it." She states laughing.

"You heard the woman." Nate says laughing on the other line.

"Un-huh." The woman then looks at the time and realized she had to go.

"Well, I hate to cut this conversation short, but I have to meet with some people regarding business about the estate." She tells him.

"But I just wanted to check in on you guys and make sure Lily was doing okay." The woman tells him. "She always been decent to me, ever since I showed up in GC." The woman smiles. "And I just wanted to make sure she was okay." The woman pauses. "And if she needs any legal advice on what to do when they catch her assailant. I'm here for her. For all of you."

Nate nods. "And I know she will appreciate that." He tells her gratefully.

"Yeah, I mean it. I'm here for her." The woman tells him.

She looks at her watch again. "Okay, I really do have to go now." She tells him. "But I will talk to you later." She promises him.

"You do that." He tells her. "And you need to come back to GC at least for a visit." He repeats. "Come back with your sister, I would love to see you again."

"I don't know Nate…, maybe not this time around." She tells him. "Still tied up with stuff regarding my family."

"Well, as soon as you can." He tells her. "I would love to see you again." He repeats.

"I'll try." She tells him.

"Don't try, just do it." He tells her repeating Phyllis' words.

She smiles at the end of the line.

"I'll think about it." She promises him. "I have to go now. Talk to you later."

"Talk to you later." He responds smiling.

"Bye Amanda!" Phyllis yells out and Amanda Sinclair laughs as she hears Phyllis voice.

"Tell, Phyllis, I said bye." The woman says to Nate.

"Amanda says Bye." Nate says. They then hang up and Phyllis puts her hands on her hips and looks at him amused.