"Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to come home." Brenda smiled looking up at Collins.
"Hey... Babygirl. Um... what's up?" he asked looking down at her and Roger who were sitting on the couch watching television.
"Don't give me what's up? Where were you all night and half the day?" she smiled looking up at him.
"Out. Where is everyone?" he asked trying to change the subject.
"Out. Rosie went out with my parents and Mark, Maureen and Joanne wanted to troll the neighborhood to see what was going on. So what were you up to all night?" Roger asked smiling up at him.
"Eric and I went out and then we sat on the beach talking all night. By the time we realized what time it was, the sun was coming up so we went out to breakfast." he smiled sitting on the chair next to them.
"That sounds nice. So you guys hit it off then?" she asked smiling at him.
"Yeah you can say that." he laughed looking over at her.
"Good. I'm glad. Eric used to be my best friend. The day I invited Roger to meet me at the beach, he saw me playing in the water with Eric and thought he was my boyfriend." she laughed looking up at Roger.
"I almost left the beach without her seeing me because I liked her and thought she was with someone else." he smiled looking down at her.
"Well, I wasn't. I invited you because I liked you too." she smiled leaning up to kiss him.
"And here we are." he laughed caressing her face as she leaned her head on his shoulder.
"Yeah, um.. can we talk about me and Eric please?" he asked looking over at them.
"We're sorry sweetie. Go ahead." Brenda smiled looking over at him.
"You know how him and Robin were talking about moving back from LA?" he asked looking over at them.
"Yeah." Brenda smiled lifting her head up.
"Well, he wants to move to the city. To be closer to us." he smiled looking over at her.
"That's great sweetie, but don't you think that's moving a little too fast. I mean, you guys just met yesterday." she asked looking over at him.
"He's not gonna be moving in with me. He just wants to be closer to us. I mean, he's negative and we just want to take things slow." he said looking over at her.
"Oh, OK. I mean sweetie, it's not like we don't want you and Eric to be happy, it's just... I don't know. I just don't want you or Eric to get your hearts broken. I love you both." she said looking over at him.
"I know Babygirl. We love you too. But don't worry. We're not gonna move too fast." he smiled looking over at her.
"OK sweetie." she smiled looking up at him.
"I'm gonna go lay down for a little while. I love you Babygirl." he smiled leaning over to kiss Brenda on the cheek.
"I love you too sweetie." she smiled as they watched him go to his room. "Well, it looks like Rosie has more family, huh?" she asked smiling up at Roger who was smiling at Collins bedroom door.
"Looks like." he smiled leaning down to kiss her.
"How about we go to my mom's house and spend some time with them until Rosie and your parents get back?" she asked smiling up at him.
"I think that's a great idea Baby." he smiled kissing her head before they got up to go down the block.
"It is so great to have you home. Even if it is only for a weekend." Christine smiled looking over at Brenda as they sat at the kitchen table as she watched Roger and Mr. Davis barbecue in the back yard.
"Yeah, it's weird though. I haven't been back here since me and Roger ran away to get married." she said looking around.
"What happened when you were down there Bren? I mean, I know something had to have happened for you to run away from Roger too." she asked looking over at her.
"It's complicated Chris. I don't like talking about it." Brenda answered looking down at the table.
"Sweetie, what could have been so horrible that you can't talk about?" Christine asked looking over at her.
"You'd be surprised." she said looking over at Roger.
"Honey, I wish you would talk to me. Remember, we used to be close when we were younger." she said looking down at her.
"Um... I got pregnant about a year after we got to the city." she started looking up at her.
"But Rosie's only..." she started before being interrupted.
"He was still born. I was 8 months pregnant and he wrapped his umbilical cord around his neck. Labor had to be induced so I could deliver him. Roger and I had a really hard time after that. I shut him out and started drinking a lot. I'm not proud of it." she said looking up at her with tears in her eyes.
"Sweetie, I'm so sorry. But why did you run away from him when you two needed each other the most?" she asked looking over at her.
"I was starting to get better. I mean, Roger and I were starting to get back on track and I started performing again. But then I went out one night and I was drugged and raped. I didn't tell Roger right away because I was afraid he would go after the guy. But then a few weeks later, I found out I was pregnant." she started looking over at Roger who was laughing with his father.
"Did you tell Roger?" she asked looking over at her.
"God no. I couldn't. What was I supposed to tell him when the baby was born and it was obvious she wasn't his? I didn't know how to tell him why the baby had dark hair and brown eyes when we both had blond hair and he had green eyes and I had blue ones, so I ran away. I figured I would give birth to the baby and put her up for adoption and come back like I just needed time to think. But when Rosie was born, I knew right away she was Roger's. By that time I was gone 6 months and he would have known I knew I was pregnant when I left. I didn't know how to tell him why I ran away without telling him about what happened to me and risking him hating me for not telling him sooner." she told her wiping the tears from her eyes.
"Oh sweetie, you know he could never hate you. Why would you think he would hate you?" she asked reaching over to touch her hand.
"Various reasons. My own stupidity really. I don't know, I mean, we were young and after we lost Roger, it was really hard. I started drinking a lot, but Roger begged me to stop, so I did. I started performing and I felt normal again. Then one night we were supposed to meet up and this guy we knew drugged me and raped me in the alley next to the bar. The next thing I knew I woke up in the loft badly hung over and didn't remember how I got there. When I finally did remember, I thought it was best not to tell Roger about it. It was stupid, but I wasn't thinking clearly. When I found out I was pregnant, I was so scared that the baby wasn't Roger's. I knew if I told Roger I was pregnant again he would want us to have the baby and I couldn't bear the thought of having another mans baby with him. I was gonna run away and put the baby up for adoption. But then she looked exactly like Roger and our son. So I knew she was his. When I finally called him 5 years later, he was so happy. He acted like nothing ever happened. He still loved me and wanted me, him and Rosie to be a family." she smiled looking up at her starting to cry again.
"Sweetie, did you have any doubt? I mean look at you two. I remember when you guys started dating. The way he would look at you. He worshiped the ground you walked on. I remember I always wanted a guy to look at me like that so bad. I'm still waiting actually. But you've had it all along." she said leaning over to hug her.
"I know, but I couldn't bear the thought of hurting him." she smiled looking over at Roger.
"But you didn't hurt him Bren. You gave him a beautiful daughter and look at him. He is the happiest man on the planet." she smiled looking out the window.
"Yeah, he's also dying, and that's my fault." Brenda whispered looking over at her.
"He's what? How? When?" Christine asked looking over at her.
"HIV. He got it from shooting heroin after I left. It's my fault. If I had stayed, he wouldn't have needed to forget me and Roger." she said watching Collins and Eric talking at the picnic table in the back.
"Oh honey. Does anyone else know?" she asked looking at her.
"No. He hasn't even told his parents." she said getting up from the kitchen table.
"I'm really sorry Bren. Are you OK? Is he?" she asked looking over at her.
"Yeah, he's fine. He couldn't be better actually. I'm falling apart though." she said looking down.
"You're afraid of losing him, of course you're falling apart." she said looking over at her.
"It's more than that. I mean, he wants us to live for today. Forget the past, not look to the future, just live for now and I'm really trying. But I can't stop thinking about how I ruined his life. I mean, I wasted 5 years of our lives. 5 years we could have been happy, raising Rosie and being a family rather than us being apart and him contracting HIV." she said turning away from the window.
"Brenda, I'm looking at Roger and I'm not seeing a man whose life you ruined. Actually I'm seeing the happiest man in the world." she smiled watching Roger with Rose.
"He's so damn naive Chris. He thinks if we run fast enough it can't catch us." she said looking over at her.
"I don't think he's naïve. I think he's just trying to enjoy his family while he still can without death looming over his head. There's nothing wrong with that. Now go get cleaned up and join your husband and daughter. It looks like dinner's almost ready." she smiled leaning over to kiss her head.
"Thanks Chris. I missed talking to you like this." she smiled looking over at her.
"Me too Bren." she smiled as Brenda splashed some water on her face and they went out to the back yard.
"Hey Babygirl, do you want a hamburger or a cheeseburger?" Collins asked looking up at her.
"I'll take a cheeseburger." she smiled as she walked over to Roger leaning up to kiss him.
"What was that for?" Roger asked smiling down at her.
"For being my husband." she smiled looking up at him.
"Mommy, can I have a kiss too?" Rose asked looking up at them.
"Of course you can have a kiss too little lady. How about a double?" Roger laughed leaning down to pick her up and they both kissed her.
"Yay, I get two." she called out laughing.
"Barbecue is served." Mr. Davis smiled looking over at them.
"Yay, barbecue." Rose called out as Roger let her down and they all sat around eating.