"And you said?" Elizabeth nearly fell off her grandmother's couch in her excitement. It was like the episode of Emergency Room when the two doctor characters kissed for the first time and then the screen went black for the rest of the afternoon. Not that she watched that stupid soap opera; it was completely unrealistic.
Robin tucked a golden curl behind her left ear, fidgeting slightly. If it had been anyone but Elizabeth, she wouldn't have said a word. But it was Elizabeth and she knew she couldn't keep it in any longer. It had only been a couple of days, but already so much had changed. "I didn't say anything." She admitted, glancing down at her chipping peach nail polish.
Elizabeth sat there dazed, blinking rapidly. For several minutes she could just stare at her friend in complete silence. That couldn't be right. A man with Patrick's reputation said that and Robin hadn't said a word? She had to have heard wrong. Grasping her friend's hand, she looked into Robin's eyes, determined to see if she was joking on any level. "By that do you mean you kissed him madly and demonstrated your feelings for him?"
"The silence was deafening." Robin remembered, pulling at the denim of her blue jeans. "It's not that I didn't believe him when he said that he...when he said what he did. I think he has actually convinced himself that he feels that way for me." She explained her mind spinning as she tried to word everything just right.
"So if you think he meant it, why didn't you say anything?" Elizabeth held up one finger before
Robin could even respond. "Don't even try this 'you don't have feelings for him that way' crap with me. I know it's a lie and I will call you on it."
Robin chewed nervously on his lip. "It's not practical to feel that way about him." She replied instead, closing her eyes as she heard the bitterness escape her lips.
"Since when is love practical?"
"Don't say that word. Honestly, it doesn't have the meaning it should for me anymore."
"Explain please. Explain how the woman who has the most complete collection of classic romantic movies can be so down on love?" Elizabeth purposely overemphasized the last word just to prove her point.
Robin cringed slightly and spoke softly, "Patrick proved to be the perfect distraction for me. He gave me confidence and showed me that I'm still capable of a lot of things..." She didn't want to say anymore, because it would have sounded cheap. And they had something. That was what scared her, made her want to throw a caution sigh in Patrick's face. "I don't need or want his love...or any man's for that matter."
Elizabeth felt a realization start to dawn on her. "This is all Logan's fault, isn't it?"
"Logan has nothing to do with this. I've stopped blaming Patrick for his brother's stupid mistakes." Robin insisted sharply.
"Now you're blaming yourself."
"I'm just preparing myself for the inevitable. What's wrong with that?" Robin challenged,
snatching her hand away from Elizabeth's and standing, needing the movement to distance herself from the truth in her friend's words.
"Nothing is wrong with that if you are seeing red flags. But unless you are holding back on me, you've not seen any of those."
"He lied about going to New Jersey." Robin whispered, feeling a particularly familiar lump build up in her throat. "He went to have more blood tests done here in Port Charles."
"I'm assuming he had a reason?"
"He just wanted to be sure, he tells me. But I think something spooked him. And then for him to say that he loves me so soon afterwards? I don't trust it. I've heard the words too many times and they've only been true once." Robin pointed out.
"So it's the moment that you doubt?" Elizabeth was a bit confused. She knew Robin had been hurt in the past, and her last relationship had done a number on her. Being a bit gun shy was understandable, but she could have sworn three days ago Patrick's declaration would have been met with something. Robin was at war with Courtney over how important this relationship was to her.
"God, that's not even true." Robin rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands. "I couldn't repeat the words back to him. It was too hard. I saw everything I would be giving up instead of what I'd be gaining. It was easier when I knew he was a player, when I had to second-guess everything he did, everyone he was with. When he told me he had lied about Jersey, my first thought was that he'd gone to see some other woman." Robin let out a shaky breath and reached out to let the mantel support her weight.
Elizabeth walked over to her friend and gently placed her hand on her shoulder. "So how are we not right back to Logan again?"
"Maybe we are. God, I thought..." She didn't finish; she didn't have to. Placing her hand over her mouth, she worked to control herself. "His face when I got up and walked out...I never want to see him look like that again. And I know he's never said it to anyone else. So how do I react? I use his declaration as an excuse to leave."
"I'm going to give you some advice a good friend gave to me once. Talk to him. Tell him the truth."
"I can't. He won't talk to me."
"And you're letting him get away with that?" Elizabeth asked incredulously. "The same woman who barged over to his place to yell at him for being rude to his aunt?"
"He knew better than to treat her that way." She defended, a smile forcing its way past her serious frown.
"And the shove in the pool was?"
"I didn't do that! It was all an accident."
"Tell that to the management who strongly encouraged Courtney not to bring you again."
Elizabeth chuckled. "And must I remind you of the genius that was New York Yoga revenge?"
"All of that and this terrifies me." Robin sighed dejectedly. "Maybe I should just tell him...tell him that I don't feel the same way." She felt tears build up in her eyes at her own suggestion.
"Is that the truth? Do you really not feel that way about him?" Elizabeth took a step closer to Robin. "Look I know we really haven't known each other that long, but I don't think you would do all you have for a guy that you just liked."
Robin met her friend's eyes, something in them radiating wisdom and understanding. She let herself think back to when Patrick had showed up at Uncle Mac's for the birthday celebration and then again when he had gone off with Lucky to find her and Elizabeth. More tears worked their way past her lashes when she saw him kneeled down in front of her, begging for forgiveness. Her throat closed up and she had to stare at the floor. "I have to protect him."
Bobbie smiled at her newest clients over the rim of her tea cup. She felt guilty for putting them off for the past few days but this flu she had just wouldn't let go. It was getting better, but mornings were still a bit touch and go. Tea and toast were about all she could manage for breakfast these days. At least the dizziness had stopped.
She wasn't all that concerned about it really. It was more than likely a mild case of the flu and it would pass. But Cruz was concerned. It was cute really. So no matter how trivial she was sure it would come up to be, she had gone ahead and made an appointment with her doctor in a few days. The relieved grin Cruz had given her had almost made up for the waiting with the world's
worst music playing in her ear.
"I am so glad you could make it. Again I apologize for having to reschedule so frequently. I have not been feeling well the past few days." She leaned forward towards the young couple, holding her pen at the ready over her legal pad, eager to learn all the initial thoughts her newest clients had about the wedding of their dreams.
"Are you feeling better?" Kimberlee Cilento asked anxiously. Her short auburn hair was styled into an attractive pageboy, and she flipped on stray strand behind her ears, revealing the simple antique ring her fiancé had purchased. She had waited months to start planning this wedding and she wanted the woman who planned Jasper Jacks and Brenda Barrett's wedding. She wanted the best. Kimberlee didn't want to turn into a bridezilla but if she had to, she had to.
"Perfectly fine. Nothing serious at all." Bobbie reassured her. She had seen the signs before. The young woman had barely glanced at the brag book Bobbie had placed on the table for the couple to look at. From what she had gathered from Kimberlee during their first phone conversation, she had waited for this ring for a long time and she wanted this wedding to be perfect. Bobbie smiled at her groom-to-be, looking adoringly at his future bride. "First off let me say, congratulations to
you both."
Seth Bailey looked away from Kimberlee long enough to manage a smile in Bobbie's direction. "Thank you."
"Now, I understand from Kimberlee you two have known each other for quite some time."
Nodding, the young woman leaned forward, eager to tell her story the way all fiancés were. "We met in high school but he didn't notice me."
"I was blind." Seth chimed in, shaking his head.
"And stupid." Kimberlee added. When Seth didn't immediately take offense, Bobbie realized this was an affection joke between the two of them and made a note that humor may work to diffuse any tense situations in the upcoming months. "So anyways, I moved away during junior year and somehow we ended up at the same college. I was invited to some party he was at and the rest is history."
"And he proposed on graduation day?" Bobbie guessed.
"No the day our son was born." Seth corrected the quickly added. "Well I asked before then, but that is when she finally accepted."
"You have a son? How old is he?"
"Six months. Would you like to see pictures?" Kimberlee reached into her bag, eager to show off her pride and joy.
"Of course." Bobbie remembered well showing complete strangers pictures on BJ and Lucas. The lone picture she had of Carly before her adoption had been dog-eared it had been pulled out and admired so often. The baby was adorable with his father's dark blue eyes and mother's dark red hair. "He's just precious. What's his name?" Bobbie jotted herself a note to make sure to find ways in the ceremony to include the obvious center of his parent's world.
"Daniel Wayne. Danny for short." Sighing Kimberlee looked down at her son. "I was so scared when I found out he was coming, but Seth took such good care of me that I could look forward to it. He held my hand through the morning sickness, caught me when I was dizzy. When he proposed Danny was born, I couldn't say yes fast enough."
"That's wonderful. Now I'm sure you have some ideas." Bobbie half listened as she jotted down notes. Kimberlee had come prepared with books of ideas already, it would be easy enough to figure out what the couple had talked about. Outside she looked the very picture of a competent professional. Inside she was quaking.
Illness. Nausea. Dizziness. The inability to stand certain smells. The memories of her pregnancy with Carly started to return. It all seemed so familiar and yet so foreign to her. She had to be wrong. She was a grandmother of three. Her son was going to celebrate his fifth wedding anniversary this year. There was no way this flu was what she was thinking it was. It was ludicrous. It was impossible. She couldn't be pregnant.