Jennifer was still reveling from the scene with Jack and Lawrence in Uncle Mickey's office. Jack had saved her so many times; in almost every way that a person could save someone else. Jack had saved her from making a big mistake by marrying Emilio, he had saved her life on the ship, on the island, at Lawrence's villa, he had stood by her during some of the darkest day—before he knew about the rape and after he knew about the rape. Just today, he had freed her from this marriage to Lawrence by creating a legal pre-existing marriage between himself and her.

She knew what his response would be if she told him how many ways he had saved her—he would brush it off and say 'no, that was what she had done for him.'

Now more than ever, she felt awful for the distance she had created and needed to just deal with the major lynch pin of her issues, without flinching, without balking. She needed to steel herself for one of the most difficult conversations of her life

Jennifer had already made plans to meet with Kayla and help her with Stephanie's birthday party. She kept those plans and sincerely hoped that Kayla wouldn't mind an additional topic on the agenda. She arrived at Kayla's and Steve's house and exchanged a quick hug with Kayla in the foyer before Kayla suggested they go on through to the dining room where she had all the plans and supplies laid out on the table.

They went on with the birthday party planning for a while but Kayla could tell that Jennifer looked preoccupied. She broached the topic that she knew about, "Steve told me that it looks like he and Jack were able to clear you from the marriage with Lawrence. That must be such a relief."

Jennifer smiled thinking back to Jack's brilliant performance with Lawrence, glad to know he had done it in partnership with his brother. Jack had forged her signature and had them legally married…and divorced without her knowledge. And it was probably the sweetest, most romantic thing anyone had ever done for her. In that category of most romantic gestures, Jack would also get second, third, fourth, fifth, and probably sixth place too. She didn't need chocolates for Valentine's Day, teddy bears for her birthday, or jewelry for an anniversary present, because he gave her his heart and his soul everyday.

"Yes, it was amazing for both of them. I owe Jack…and Steve too, of course such a great deal." Jennifer's face clouded over then. "But, instead of the present, I would like to possibly delve into the past with you…if you don't object."

Kayla froze in place for a long moment, regarding Jennifer, trying to read her expression. "The part of my past that you probably want to discuss was a long time ago for me. I think I have enough time and distance that I can discuss it objectively and fairly with you. So if you want, you can talk to me about anything. Please don't feel shy. I haven't broached anything with you because I wasn't sure that anything I could say would be helpful to you."

"I'd like to talk about Jack if that's okay. I know he hurt you. I'm realizing now how much he hurt you. I'm sorry for that, I really am.

Kayla shook her head, "Please don't apologize."

Jennifer rushed on, "But I love him. For me, he's the most amazing man I've ever known, but it's so difficult to reconcile that with how you know him—as something almost completely opposite."

Jennifer looked down, "Jack told me. He told me what he did." She felt guilty for imposing on that dark chapter in Jack's and Kayla's life. She regretted it bitterly, but still didn't know how to process the images in her head. Ever since that day she had pulled away from Jack. She was not sleeping over anymore at his place, but she still wore his ring. Except for the marriage matter, Jack had not initiated any contact with her since he had confessed and since she had decided to resume sleeping at the loft. She kept hearing Jack's description over and over and could not reconcile that man with the one that she loved. She didn't want to break with him, but she did need some breathing room.

Kayla looked surprised and hurt.

Jennifer went on quickly, "He didn't want to, but I asked him and…and…he'll do anything for me. I wish to God now that I'd never asked. I regret it because now I can't get it out of my head." Kayla still looked stunned and wounded. "He didn't say anything about you. He just said what he did and the reasons—not the excuses—for what he did."

Kayla rose up and paced the length of the dining room for a minute. She stopped and looked at Jennifer, "What did he say?"

"Jack gave me the brutal, unvarnished truth. He didn't try to equivocate on anything."

Kayla was curious to know what Jack had said. She knew she could never ask him directly. However, asking Jennifer to repeat it would be almost as bad. From what Jennifer said, he'd obviously been tough and honest in his retelling.

Kayla didn't say more so Jennifer went on, "I can't talk about this in my group sessions. I can't even imagine the reactions of the other women if they knew the truth; that I was in love with a man who once did this. They would never understand. I also want to press charges against Lawrence. I want him to go to prison."

Kayla nodded, finally understanding why Jennifer had revealed this to her. Subconsciously, Jennifer needed Kayla's permission and approval. She couldn't discuss her singular situation in group, but she needed to talk with someone that she hoped wouldn't judge.

Kayla sat down in the adjacent dining room chair. "Jennifer, look, I'm going to speak frankly with you now since you opened the door here. I'm not going to sit here and tell you that Jack is a great, wonderful guy and you're lucky to have him. I just can't say that. There are other people like Jo or Alice Horton who can say that and be completely honest and sincere. However, I don't resent that Jack has moved on with his life and found happiness with you."

Kayla stopped, repositioned her dining room chair so that she would be looking at Jennifer straight on. They were close; their knees not quite touching. "You are not betraying me, you are not betraying the other women in your group, and you most certainly are not betraying yourself."

Jennifer tried to fully explain what had been bothering her. "In your mind, is it okay for me to feel like I do about Jack? I do love him, but I have had doubts about whether I should. I just have all those images in my head from what he told me that he did…to you."

"Jennifer, I understand why you think you need to make things right with me before moving forward, but it really isn't necessary. There is nothing wrong with loving Jack. There is nothing wrong with the way you love Jack," Kayla paused, sensing another issue that might now be troubling her, "Also, if you are concerned that the old Jack may return someday, then I think you have nothing to worry about. I am confident that the old Jack, the nasty Jack, the one we loathed and hated is gone forever. Otherwise, I would not have allowed him in this house; I would not have allowed him in Stephanie's life. However, I probably would have butted into your life a long time ago to give you my opinion about Jack."

Kayla paused and looked around, her emotions were getting too much drawn back to the past and she needed to keep herself grounded in this moment and within her current reality. She looked around the dining room at the long line of photo frames that she had Stephanie scribble on to give as presents to all the people coming to the birthday party. Her life with Steve and Stephanie was so good that she wanted only to help Jennifer get from her current hell into the future that she wanted. "You don't need my permission here. It's okay to love him, it's okay to give yourself to him; it's okay to want to make a future with him. I don't begrudge Jack what he's built with you. Listen to me well; take it from one who knows. I had a front row seat to witness nasty Jack. I saw him at his absolute worst. And know this as well as I do. Jack now is nothing, absolutely nothing like Jack then. You've got to trust me on that one."

Jennifer nodded; Kayla was right. Jennifer really needed to hear Kayla validate her choices. She had needed to hear Kayla's voice; she couldn't allow that to be lost.

Jennifer still hadn't voiced all her concerns yet, "I know that. I really truly do. But yet I'm still stuck. Everything with Lawrence has made me re-evaluate us. And that maybe love can't conquer all."

"Don't give Lawrence the ability to make you re-evaluate everything you have—he's an evil, selfish, small-minded bastard and he shouldn't influence anything of your decisions."

Kayla continued on, "And it's okay to want to press charges. Although a trial will not be easy, I can guarantee you that. I'll be here for you in any capacity that you want. And Jack will just have to deal with any discomfort that he feels."

Kayla paused, debating about her next sentence. "And it's okay to want to send Lawrence to prison. I know that Jack never spent even a single night in jail for what he did to me. Harper got him out an hour after he was arrested and I agreed to a plea deal that included a suspended prison sentence. That was my choice. I'm okay that Jack never went to prison because he has shown plenty of remorse and penance since then. I don't think the same can ever be said about Lawrence. In Lawrence's case, send the bastard to prison if you can."

Kayla paused to get a read on Jennifer who was sitting very still, tensed, obviously dreading that such things needed to be said at all. Kayla reached over and put her hand on Jennifer's knee, hoping to bring her comfort and hoping Jennifer would know that Kayla was okay with having this discussion. Kayla switched gears; she had another bit of experience that might help Jennifer also. "Y'know Steve has done things in his past that were…horrible and that he regrets too. I'm not going to sit here and compare the two brothers, but Steve had done things that we both needed to accept, put into the past, and move on. And we did it. And I've never regretted for a single second letting that old Steve remain dead and gone forever."

"Kayla, I'd like to be honest about something." Kayla nodded her willingness so Jennifer continued. "When I started falling for Jack, I thought a lot about you—about how it had been for you. I knew he was different…than he had been, but I still thought a lot about it. It's not something that's easy to forget once someone knows. I actually told that to him once long before there was even the faintest whisper of us going out."

Jennifer rushed on; she had to get this spoken regardless of how difficult it was, "I don't want you to think that I…discounted…or…disregarded…what you went through before I gave myself…to him. I didn't…I could never…dismiss it as nothing. I hope you never thought..." Jennifer dropped her head down into her hand, "God this is hard."

Kayla reached out and put her hand on Jennifer's, "I know were in…unique circumstances. This situation probably will never be duplicated by anyone that we'll ever know. It's tough to find our way through it. It's been tough for me too…because of Steve. But I'm okay with it. But Jennifer, Jennifer, of course I never thought that you discounted me." Kayla dropped her voice, speaking softly, "I know that Jack feels like he still owes me, but you certainly don't. I'm glad he makes you happy. I'm glad we'll be sisters."

Jennifer felt like a giant weight had been lifted off of her, "I really appreciate you saying that. Carly is my best friend from school and I learned she had a relationship with Lawrence. If she ever goes back to him…knowing what he did to me…I'm not sure if I could still be her friend."

Kayla's heart went out to Jennifer; she understood that Jennifer felt caught and conflicted. Jennifer wanted to be with Jack; Jennifer loved Jack. That was obvious. But she kept drawing all these comparisons with how things had been for Kayla and how she would like her friend Carly to be.

Kayla paused and nervously tapped her fingers to her lips. Jennifer saw her hands shaking and grew concerned. Jennifer spoke up, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have started all this."

Kayla brought her nervousness back under control. "No. I think it's okay. I can talk about this with you. I hadn't thought about…the past…for such a long time. I moved on with my life. Got married, had different crises, had a daughter and now she is my primary concern. But now with everything that you and Jack are dealing with, it just has kind of come back to me as well. …I want to ask you…what he said….I could never ask him for any type of extended explanation and…well, could you repeat it?"

Now Jennifer really regretted starting down this path at all. She shut her eyes tight. Jennifer realized that Kayla must've had the same questions about Jack that she had about Lawrence. Those torturous questions had pushed Jennifer to ask Jack about his past and had set them out on this sad path that they now found themselves.

Jennifer rushed to say what she considered most important, "He didn't talk about you. He didn't say anything about you that he thought would betray your privacy." Kayla nodded; Jennifer had already said that.

Jennifer started slowly and then decided to just trudge forward. She knew that both she and Kayla wanted this over soon. This was an absolutely peculiar and bizarre situation they found themselves in. Who else would ever be asked to recount such a confession to the person he had wronged? "He didn't want to hurt you; he did want to hurt Steve though. I think that's part of the reason why Jack is so devoted to him now…to make up for the past…to show all the love he can now to equal out the hate from back then. He said he knew it was the last night of your marriage and it would likely all be over, one way or the other, in the morning. And he wanted to make this desperate play. If he could be more like the person…you wanted…then you might change your mind."

Jennifer paused, "That's how it started, he said…There was a moment…before he had…reached the point of no return, when he realized what he was doing. When there were no illusions. He should have stopped and knew in that moment that he needed to stop…but didn't. In that moment, he was weak and all he cared about was creating the memory, regardless of anything or anyone else."

Jennifer stopped to look out the window. Jennifer had always felt this incredible connection with Jack where she was able to feel things through his eyes and understand them through his mind. From that connection, she was feeling Jack's emotions. That shocking sensation—to see that night through his eyes—was one of the most eerie and scary experiences of their relationship. Their connection was strong, she knew, but until this moment when she was retelling Jack's story, did she realize just how deep and complete it was.

"That's all Jack said," Jennifer said finally.

Kayla sat still for a long time and Jennifer stayed silent and let her take the time she needed to absorb everything that had been said. Her mind was sent back reeling to that night. His insistent, desperate assertions and then the moment that Jennifer described—the moment that Jack could have stopped. She remembered that moment—Jack had taken his hand off her shoulder and put it on her chin to turn her face toward him and make her look at him. He had looked into her eyes and she saw in his face that he finally recognized the truth. With that realization, he had transformed. His eyes that had been insistent and desperate, became hard and determined and he had sealed both of their fates.

Those memories were difficult and rancid, but Kayla didn't want to wallow in those emotions. Instead, Kayla saw an opportunity to be kind, to be loving, to show grace and she took it. "So Jack didn't tell you about what happened afterwards?"

Jennifer shook her head, "He said that would be saying too much about you and so he said nothing."

There were a lot of things Jack said in the aftermath that Kayla could have recounted to Jennifer and all of them would have been honest and true. Kayla could have said that Jack denied that it was actually rape. Kayla could have said that Jack wanted to blame her because of all the lies she told that led up to it, Kayla could have said that Jack had wanted to prove he wasn't 'half a man' and showed that he could 'do alright.' Kayla could have recounted how Jack ordered her to not leave the loft that night or she'd regret it.

But Kayla said none of those things to Jennifer. Kayla had no desire to torpedo Jack's life and certainly not Jennifer's. So instead, Kayla did say, "Jack apologized. He said 'I'm sorry' to me that night."

Jennifer looked up and looked into Kayla's eyes and saw them full of compassion. That simple admission broke down the wall that Jennifer had built up around her so that she could have this conversation somewhat coherently. Her eyes filled with tears. Despite everything he did that night, those two little words had saved Jack from damnation.

Kayla reached up and wiped away some of the tears from Jennifer's cheeks with her fingertips. She didn't tell the full truth of the aftermath to Jennifer, but she had said what was necessary. She had said what Jennifer needed to hear. And she knew that Jennifer was sated. It would allow her conscience to let go of her reservations.

Jennifer looked up so she could see Kayla better; Kayla's hands were still on Jennifer's cheeks, checking the tears. "I'm sorry too," Jennifer managed to say in a weak voice.

Kayla leaned forward and put her arms around Jennifer in a long, long hug. "Ssshhh. You're going to be okay. I promise you."

Still in the hug, Jennifer nodded. "I remember that day you talked to me at the hospital; when you showed me the pictures of Stephanie. You wanted me to know that you're okay now."

Kayla pulled back from the hug so she could look in Jennifer's face. With a compassionate smile, she reached up with her index finger and started disentangling their hair. "Yes. I'm great, truly. And you will be too."

"Kayla, I don't know how to thank you…for letting me impose…for speaking of that dark time."

Kayla lifted up Jennifer's chin, "We're going to be sisters…very soon. Aren't we?"

Jennifer knew what Kayla was asking. Was Jennifer able to put Jack's past to rest and move forward with him—without hesitation, without concerns or apprehension?

Slowly but assuredly, Jennifer nodded.

Jennifer felt love—only love for Jack—no guilt, no qualifications. And in a startling moment of clarity, she felt hope.

She glanced at her engagement ring. Most of the time, at most directions, the diamond appeared lifeless—a simple white rock. However, sometimes she had found a sweet angle and saw the stone glow with brightness and flashes of color. A simple shift in viewpoint could make her see the fire and sparkle inside the diamond. The gemstone was the same as it had always been, but looked quite different. And like her diamond, her relationship with Jack was also beautiful, fiery, and alive. It's incredible to find the beauty that can be revealed when one simply chooses an alternate perspective.