The Loss

He arrived in town and rushed to her side. He wanted to hold her. He wanted to dissolve all her pain.

"Ohhh Blair," he said as he crushed her in his embrace. "I'm so sorry about your Aunt Dorian. You've already been through far too much. You didn't deserve all that pain."

She stared into his dark eyes. She couldn't believe that he was here. After all this time, their connection was still so strong. They had loved. Once upon a time, they had been the parents of a precious baby boy; a child who did not survive.

She was thinking of their son as the moments passed. She saw the sorrow lurking in the dark depths of his eyes. It matched her own.

"Thank you for coming, Patrick," she said as she held him tight. "I couldn't... couldn't go through this without you."

"Losing Dorian; it's like losing a part of my life. She took care of me. She was there for me. She loved me like her own," Blair said sadly. "I don't know how I will get through the rest of my life without her."

Lovingly, Patrick wiped away all her tears. "I am here now... and I am not going to leave you," he swore. "I need you..."

"What about... what about Marty?" Blair asked. "You loved her once."

"I did, but everything's changed," he stated. "Margaret and I... we can't go back to what we once were. I know, because we've tried."

"What happened with you and Marty? Why did you separate?"

Patrick let out a deep, heavy sigh. He expelled it from within his soul. "We were both hurt too deeply for far too long," was all he could say. "I had to let her go. After Hope and Cole died, there was nothing left- no connection remaining that we could hang on to."

"But what about us? Brendan- our son- he died, too," Blair whispered sorrowfully.

"We loved each other before Brendan and we love each other now; even more so. Nothing can stop that, Blair. Nothing," said Patrick.

Tears fell and he comforted her.

He was back. Patrick was in Llanview. He wasn't leaving. He was back where he belonged.