Kayla carefully placed her sleeping daughter in the crib her parents kept for just such an occasion. She and Stephanie had come by for a visit and it had not taken long for the combination of a doting grandfather and a rambunctious Max to tire Stephanie out.
When Kayla had gone to check on her, she had found Stephanie practically asleep in Shawn's lap while he played a game with Max. Smiling at the scene, Kayla had taken Stephanie from her father and moved her to the crib in the other room.
As she passed back by the playroom, she could hear Shawn and Max still in the middle of their game. From the sounds of things, Shawn was being shown the finer points of "Sorry" by his youngest son - and loving every minute of it.
Kayla had to admit that she envied Max a little bit. When she had been his age, her father had been struggling to make ends meet and keep the fish market in business. It was not that Shawn had been a bad father - far from it. It was just that he had rarely had time or energy to spend an afternoon playing games with his children.
Shaking that thought from her mind, Kayla reminded herself that her father had been loving and affectionate, if also a disciplinarian. He had done the best he could and, after working so hard for his family, he deserved this time with his grandchildren and Max.
Entering the kitchen, Kayla sat down at the table with a sigh. Apparently hearing her daughter, Caroline chuckled slightly.
"Everything okay back there?"
Kayla smiled. "Yeah, everything's fine. Pop and Max having a marathon game of 'Sorry' and Stephanie's asleep. I hope you don't mind but I put her down in the crib. I didn't want to wake her up to take her home for her nap."
"Of course I don't mind, dear," Caroline replied. "I never get to spend enough time with you these days. Now I know I have a couple of hours at least."
Kayla laughed. "Come on, Ma. You see us all the time. Plus, you had Stephanie all to yourself for four days when Steve and I were in South Carolina."
Caroline walked to the table and took a seat. "Yes, I get to see you, but it's usually while you are stopping by before running off somewhere else. I can't help it if I'd like some time with my daughter. Just wait until Stephanie is grown up and on her own, then you'll understand."
Kayla grinned. "Well, I have a few years before I have to worry about that. Although I can't believe how fast she's growing up as it is. She's talking more and more every day."
Caroline nodded knowingly. "Time truly does fly by. Sometimes it seems like just yesterday that you and your brothers and sister were all running around this house." Giving Kayla a sideways glance, she said, "Stephanie would probably love a little brother or sister to play with."
Kayla nearly choked at her mother's comment. "Ma! Stephanie's still a baby herself. Besides, with all that's happened, Steve and I haven't even talked about having another baby."
"So, you're saying that Stephanie is going to be an only child?" Caroline pressed on. "That doesn't seem quite fair to her."
Kayla just rolled her eyes. "It's not going to work, Ma. I'm not saying we'll never have another baby. I'm just saying it's not on the radar right now. Besides, I think you and Pop have more than enough grandchildren to keep you busy."
The conversation was interrupted as the phone rang. Caroline answered it on the second ring. Kayla took advantage of the moment to go check on Stephanie, who was still sleeping soundly. When she returned to the kitchen, her mother was off the phone but looked concerned about something.
"Is everything okay, Ma?"
Caroline turned to Kayla. "I'm not sure. Marlena just called and said she was coming over to talk to your father and me about something. She said she was calling you and Bo as well. I told her you were already here."
Before Kayla could respond, Bo came through the front door. He smiled and kissed his mother and sister, then looked around.
"Is Marlena here?"
Caroline shook her head. "Not yet. Did she tell you what this family meeting was about?"
Bo looked as confused as the rest of them. "No. She just got called and asked me to get over here as fast as I could."
As the three of them stared in confusion, there was a knock at the door. Bo quickly opened it and Kayla could see Marlena and Kim standing in the doorway.
Bo ushered Marlena and Kim in and Caroline called to Shawn to come into the kitchen. Shawn quickly joined the group, asking "What's going on in here?" Seeing Marlena, he smiled broadly, "I see you and Roman finally made it home." Looking around he asked, "Where is Roman?"
Marlena looked uncharacteristically uncertain and Kayla did not miss the look she shared with Kim before she answered. "That's something I wanted to talk to all of you about."
"Well, what is it?" Caroline asked, the worry evident in her voice.
Marlena paused for a moment and then said, "There's just no easy way to say this. But Roman-"
"Did something happen to Roman?" Bo interrupted. "Is he okay?"
Caroline's hand flew to her mouth as Kayla felt her heart sink. She felt her father move behind her mother as if to provide some kind of comfort.
Kim quickly spoke up, shaking her head. "No, no. Roman is fine. We just need you all to prepare yourselves for a shock." She glanced at Marlena again. "You see, it seems that while they were in Mexico, Marlena and . . . uh . . . Roman found something . . . or somebody."
Kayla looked at her mother, father, and brother in confusion, and could see that same confusion reflected back in their eyes. "What are you trying to tell us, Kim?" she finally asked.
"Yes. What in the blazes-" Shawn started to say and then stopped. Kayla followed the path of her father's eye and gasped as she saw the man with dark, curly hair standing in the doorway.
Kayla could not believe her eyes. Standing before her, looking like he had stepped out of her past, was a man who looked just like her brother - or at least just like he used to look. Behind her, she heard her father exclaim, "Holy Mother of God."
After a moment of silence, he took a few steps into the room and finally spoke. "Well isn't anybody going to say hello?" He looked at Shawn. "Pop, it's me. It's Roman." Then he turned to rest of them. "I realize it's been a long time, but you don't forget a face like this." He looked at Caroline. "Ma?"
Kayla was still stunned. The face, the voice, even the smile were unmistakably those of her brother. But that was not possible. Roman had come back to them five years ago. This had to be some kind of trick.
Seeming stunned at the reaction, the man continued. "Look I know this is the last thing any of you expected, but I was kidnapped. I was held prisoner in some monastery. The same place they held Marlena."
"You can't be serious," Kayla finally managed to say. It just wasn't possible, was it? She turned to her sister, "What's going on?"
At that, Marlena finally stepped forward. "I know how you all feel. I was shocked when I saw him the first time too. We had agreed to wait until we had some definite answers to the questions we're all asking." She turned to the man with a glare in her eyes. "He insisted on coming to see you all today and I didn't want you to find out without some kind of warning."
"I couldn't wait," the man said, apparently ignoring Marlena's glare. "I missed you all too much." His voice cracked slightly. "Come on, don't look at me like that. I'm Roman. I'm not crazy. I am Roman. I'm your brother. I'm your son." When there was still no response, he looked at Kim, "I guess you're not the only one who doubts me."
Kayla could see the hurt in Kim's eye at that remark. Turning to her parents, Kim said quietly, "We've contacted the ISA and they are doing some DNA testing. We should have the results in a few days."
The man stepped closer to the group still staring at him in shock. "I thought those tests were for everybody else, not you. I didn't think that my own family would have to look at something underneath the microscope to know their own flesh and blood." He paused. "I thought you'd just know me. I thought you would feel the way I feel when I look at you. You're my family. I'd know you anytime, anywhere."
Kayla felt her heart clinch at his words. Everything in her was screaming that this was her brother, no matter how impossible it seemed. The voice was the same one that had teased her unmercifully as a teenager, and had also comforted in the way only a big brother could. The smile, the way he held himself. It was Roman. Or was it? She hated not knowing what to feel.
As Kayla stood still trying to make sense of everything, she watched as her mother walked to where the man stood. "I can't understand how this could happen. I don't know if I can even understand what you are saying or whether I can believe it or not." She stopped in front of him. "But I have a feeling. A very strong feeling . . . of affection." She placed his hands on the man's face and then embraced him.
The man wrapped his arms around Caroline. "Ma. . . . Oh, I've missed you." He clung to her embrace and repeated, "Oh, I've missed you so much."
That moment seemed to break through Shawn's shock as he too quickly moved to the man's side. He smiled broadly and slapped the man on the shoulder. "It really is you. For crying out loud."
Kayla watched as the man - as Roman? - laughed. "I'm just glad someone believed me."
Shawn laughed some more and said, "Don't be too hard on your brother and sisters. You shocked the hell out of them."
The man chuckled. "Well it was a shock for you too."
"Yeah, but we know, you know. We got instincts when it comes to this." Shawn turned to Caroline. "Aren't I right?"
It took a moment but Caroline finally responded. "I don't know what to say. I just thank God that you are home and safe." She pulled him into another embrace.
Kim walked over to where Bo and Kayla were standing and together they watched their parents and the man who claimed to be their brother. Silently, Bo put an arm around each of his sisters and they all looked at each other. It was easy to see they were all thinking the same thing.
Their parents had already made their decision. The man standing in their living room was their son. A part of Kayla was thrilled for them, just from seeing the joy on their faces. But another part of her wondered how long that joy would last. What would those DNA tests actually say?
Which man was the brother they loved and which man . . . wasn't?