"Cut. That's a wrap. Enjoy your summer." Tim called out as the cast and crew hugged happily.
"That was a great season guys. Remember, wrap party at my house tonight at 7. Be there, or Alex will have your heads." Roger called out laughing as he looked around.
"Is Cassie gonna be there?" Zach asked looking up at Roger.
"Yeah, of course she is. She does live there kiddo." he laughed looking down at him.
"I know, it's just... I need to talk to her about something." he said looking up at him. Roger hadn't told him that he knew that he was gay and didn't want to make him uncomfortable by bringing it up. He wanted to wait until Zach brought it up to him.
"You know Zach. You can talk to me too. If there was anything you needed to talk about. I'm here for you, no matter what, OK?" he said looking down at him.
"I know Roger. Thanks. Can you tell Cass I'll be over about 6:30?" he smiled looking up at him.
"Sure. I'll see you then." he smiled looking down at him.
"OK Roger." he smiled before rushing over to his mother's car and getting in. Zach's mother was a single parent whose husband left her when Zach was 4. He was never around much after that, so having Roger in her sons life was a blessing. He not only played his father on television, he was a father figure to him off the set too. Roger waved at her as they left the set. Roger picked up his cell phone and called home.
"Alex Davis." Alexandra said answering the phone.
"Hey Baby. How would you like to meet me for lunch? Just you and me?" he asked smiling as he talked to her.
"I would love that. Are you done filming?" she asked smiling as she leaned her elbows on the desk.
"Yep. I'm all yours until August." he smiled looking around.
"Oooh, now that's an offer I can't refuse." she laughed looking up at the picture of her and Roger from their wedding that was sitting on the corner of her desk.
"I thought it might be. Meet me at our special place in an hour." he smiled before walking to his car.
"An hour? Can you wait that long big boy?" she asked laughing.
"No, but I'm gonna have to, aren't I?" he asked opening his car door.
"OK, I'll see you there. I love you." she smiled leaning back in her chair.
"Alexandra Rose Davis, I love you so much too." he smiled sitting in his car.
"I know Baby. That's the one thing I've always known." she smiled before they hung up their phones. As Roger began driving to the restaurant, he decided to stop at a little store he knew Alexandra loved. He bought her a beautiful heart necklace before walking to the florist down the block to pick up 16 pink roses. One for each year they've been together. When he arrived at the restaurant, Alexandra wasn't there yet. So he ordered a bottle of champagne and some appetizers before setting the flowers and box in front of Alexandra's seat. "Roger, I'm so sorry I'm late. You will never guess who called right after I got off the phone with you." she said before noticing the flowers on the table.
"Hello my love." he smiled looking up at her as she directed her attention to the flowers.
"Oh Roger, these are beautiful. What's the occasion?" she asked leaning down to kiss him.
"Just felt like it. There are 16 of them. One for each year we've been together." he smiled looking up at her.
"You are the sweetest man. And what is this?" she asked picking up the small box.
"Open it." he smiled looking over at her.
"Roger, this is incredible. I love it." she smiled leaning over to kiss him.
"You're incredible Alex." he whispered caressing her face. "So, who called?" he asked looking over at her.
"Oh my God, I almost forgot. Adam called. He said that Mark and Hanna are talking about coming to LA for a visit this summer and him and Anthony wanted to know if you can introduce them to Zach." she laughed looking up at him.
"Mark and Hanna are bringing the boys to LA? What's the occasion?" he asked looking over at her.
"He didn't say. He just wanted to know if you can introduce him Zach. Do you think it's Collins?" she asked looking over at him.
"No Baby. If it was Collins, they wouldn't be flying all the way out here to tell us. They would just tell us." he said looking over at her.
"But Mark hates LA." she said looking over at her.
"Alex, it's OK. I'm sure the boys are behind this. They've been wanting to come out since we left. Maybe they finally broke him down. It'll be OK Baby. Everything is OK." he smiled caressing her face.
"I'm sorry. You know how my imagination runs away with me. I'm sorry. Let's eat." she smiled looking over at him.
"I ordered us some champagne and your favorite appetizer." he smiled looking over at her.
"Mozzarella sticks? It's been ages since I've had those. You did something wrong, didn't you?" she asked looking over at him.
"No, I didn't do anything wrong. I just wanted to do something special with my wife on my last day of shooting." he laughed taking her hand and kising it.
"Are you sure? You didn't do anything wrong? Your picture is not gonna be on the cover of the newspaper making out with some sexy young thing, is it?" she asked looking over at him.
"If I'm lucky." he smiled leaning over to kiss her.
"You do realize everyone is looking at you." she giggled looking over at him.
"They're looking at you, gorgeous." he smiled kissing her again.
"No way. They're looking at the great Roger Davis." she smiled reaching up to caress his face.
"But you made me who I am. Without you, I'd be nothing Baby." he whispered looking into her bright blue eyes. The same eyes that have had him since the moment he met her.
"Nope, you were always who you are. You just didn't like to be seen until I was the one seeing you." she smiled leaning in to kiss him.
"Daddy, can you come in here for a minute, please?" Cassandra asked standing at the back door of the house as Roger socialized with his fellow cast members.
"Sure princess." he smiled looking back at her. "Excuse me for a minute." he said looking up at his guests before going into the house with Cassandra. "What do you need princess?" he asked smiling down at her as Zach sat at the kitchen table looking down at the floor.
"Daddy, Zach needs to talk to you." she said looking up at him.
"OK what's up?" he asked sitting across the table from his young co star.
"I'll be outside if you need me, OK Zach." Cassandra smiled before leaving the kitchen.
"Thanks Cass." Zach smiled looking up at her.
"What's going on kiddo?" Roger asked leaning his elbows on the table.
"Roger, you know you're like a dad to me, right?" Zach started looking up at him.
"Zach, you're like a son to me too. You know there's nothing I won't do for you." he smiled looking over at him.
"Roger, I wanted to wait until the right time to tell you this, but there's never gonna be a right time, so I'm just gonna say it, OK?" he started as Roger nodded at him. "Roger, I'm gay." he said looking over the table at him.
"Zach, I know how hard that was for you to say and I want you to know I'm proud of you and I will do anything I have to do to make sure you're OK." Roger smiled moving closesr to Zach.
"Really? You're not mad or disappointed in me or anything?" he asked looking over at him.
"Listen to me Zach, you're like my own son. There is nothing I won't do for you and there is no way you could ever disappoint me." he smiled leaning over to hug him.
"You have no idea how hard it was for me to tell you." Zach said hugging Roger back.
"I have a pretty good idea. Do you remember my friend Collins? He stayed with us a couple of years ago." he asked looking over at him.
"Yeah?" he asked looking up at him.
"He's gay. I was there when he told his parents. It was really hard. And I was also there when he was diagnosed." he said looking over at him.
"He's positive? Like you and Cass?" he asked looking up at him.
"I'm afraid so man. But listen to me, you're gonna be careful, right? I mean, I know you're only 13 and I hope you're not thinking of getting into a relationship. You're too young to be thinking about that right now. But when you are old enough, tell me you know to be careful." he said looking over at him.
"Of course Roger. I mean, I'm not thinking about that right now. But when I am old enough to think about it, I do know how to be careful. I promise I'm gonna be smart." he said looking up at him.
"Zach, does your mom know?" he asked looking down at him.
"No. I've only told you and Cass. I don't know how my mom's gonna react." he said looking up at him.
"Well, when you're ready to tell her, if you need me there for moral support, I'm here." he smiled looking over at him.
"Thanks Roger. For being cool about this." he smiled looking up at him.
"Zach, I told you, I love you like my own son. I'm here whenever you need me. For anything." he smiled hugging his co star again.
"I know. I could always count on you." Zach smiled looking up at him.
"Zach did what?" Alexandra asked getting ready for bed.
"He told me he was gay." he said looking up at her from the bed.
"What happened that made him tell you that today?" she asked looking over at him.
"I don't know, but do you believe that poor kid thought I was gonna be mad or disappointed in him? He's like a son to me. How could I possibly be disappointed in him?" he said looking up at her.
"Roger, he's 13 years old. That poor kid's only other experience with a male figure left him when he was really young. You're the closest thing he has to a father. Your acceptance is very important to him." she said looking down at him before getting into bed.
"I know Baby. And I do accept him. But I'm glad he has Cass to be there for him too. We have a great girl Alex." he smiled leaning over towards her.
"Yeah we do. And she's her father's daughter through and through." she smiled leaning in to kiss him before they laid down and went to sleep.