Chapter 10:
6 months later...
Steffy has been having home therapy with Dr. Finnigan, whom she has been affectionately referring to as Finn. She found out he was filling in for an ER doctor but works as a floater in the hospital and works in multiple departments. It turns out was actually one of her neighbors. They began bonding on a much more personal level as well. When it was just the two of them they talked about their past, Steffy told Finn about losing her twin sister in a car accident. Her back and forth throughout the years with Hope for Liam. Losing her first child Aspen in an accident. Finn told her about being adopted, his parents, and his want to look for his biological parents but not wanting to hurt his adopted parents Jack and Li. They even once video called him while he was at Steffy's and she briefly spoke to them.
Hope has been thriving in therapy. After some pretty intense sessions both with Liam and alone, she had come to the realization that she wanted to do a trial separation from Liam. Of course her mother was dead set against this. So much so that Hope decided the healthiest thing for her was to move out and find a place of her own, and if her and Liam found their way back to each other it could be a home for the two of them. She remembered the home she had so callously suggested for Taylor, it turns out it was still on the market so she purchased it.
Hope had been trying to bond with her new found sister Flo, but Flo seemed to want to keep her distance from Hope, she couldn't figure out why. She had gotten her into contact with Deacon and they both went to visit him. That visit on itself was also very therapeutic, Hope promised to continue writing Deacon.
Being so close to Steffy now made her think that she wished they were closer, but after the years of rivalry she knew that they could be friendly, but they would probably never be sisters like she wanted. When she brought this up in therapy, Dr. Samuels brought up making a list of everything that she did to Steffy and apologize to her for it. It wouldn't matter if Steffy herself apologized for any role she may have played, at least Hope would have gotten her role out there and in the open.
So Hope did just that, she called Steffy to make sure she was home and ok with her coming over. When she got there she informed Steffy about the exercise her therapist encouraged her to do. Steffy seemed very supportive, she brought out her paper and just started apologizing, for trying to rub in the fact that her dad was with Brooke instead of Taylor, for not backing off when Steffy and Liam were married, to the horrible way she acted when Aspen died, for sleeping with Liam while Steffy was trying to repair their marriage, and on and on. When she started apologizing for this Steffy began to cry, she was so moved that she started apologizing to Hope about her part in their feud, her going after Liam when he and Hope were dating, as well as Oliver, scheming with Bill. After both girls spilled their guts they ended up crying and hugging each other, both vowing to be better sister's to one another. After that Steffy turned into Hope's biggest supporter.
Brooke was constantly badgering Hope to move back to the cabin no matter what Hope told her, "Mom, I feel like I'm in a better mindset now, being close to the beach, in my own big open home, I'm independent. Isn't that what you want for me?"
"No, you should be back home in the cabin with your husband. If you don't get back together with him then Steffy will swoop him up again." Brooke pleaded with her daughter.
"Mom, she is not going to do that. I'm pretty sure she doesn't even want that. I was over there the other day while she was having physical therapy with Finn and I'm pretty sure there is some very strong flirtation going on."
"Believe me Hope, if Liam was willing to go back to Steffy she would take him in a heart beat."
"That's actually not true, I know for a fact Liam has tried to move back in. He said it was to help her with the girls. But regardless, Steffy said no," Hope explains to her mother, "And besides, why would you want me with a man who would flip flop like that?"
"Because he is your destiny honey."
"Well I'm not saying we will not get back together. This is a trial separation. Your just going to have to let me figure this out."
Exchanges like that happened regularly over the past few months with her mother.
Also within the past few months Thomas had bought a house in the neighborhood with Douglas, they continue to thrive in therapy. Douglas has been making tons of new friends in school, he has joined the hockey team and gotten into an art club. Thomas has been designing for his own line at Forrester which has already had a hugely successful first show. Thomas had become great friends with Finn, since the two of them lived so close to each other and he saw him all the time at Steffy's. He and Hope had been bonding too, at first it was due to their shared grief, but now they found they have more common interests.
Also at Forrester, again much to the objection of her mother, Hope had decided it was time Hope for the Future had ended. She had one final fashion show where the proceeds would go to a charity to help children in foster care. Once HFTF was done she realized she wanted to focus on the charity side of Forrester, so with Steffy's blessing Hope created some new Forrester charities, one to help battered women and children, an animal charity, one to help LGBTQ+ youth, a charity that would help grief counseling. Once she got started on that she felt she finally found her calling, she even began taking some classes at the local community college to make sure she was at the top of her game.
Liam had not been thriving in the past 6 months. He had moved back in with Bill after his separation with Hope. Bill had been encouraging him to buy a house of his own. He has been reminding Liam that he pays him well enough to buy a mansion let alone a house or even a condo. Liam was hesitant since he was sure he would get Hope back and they could move back to the cabin on Brooke's property. Bill reminded Liam that Hope bought her own house and maybe he should do the same. Bill also reminded Liam that Wyatt had his own place, even if it was with Sally, he had made it perfectly clear to Wyatt that he would much prefer him with his ex girlfriend Flo.
Elsewhere Brooke and Ridge had been constantly fighting. He has been encouraging her to support Hope more instead of constantly badgering her. She has made it clear that she does not like the fact that Hope has been spending so much time with Steffy and Thomas and not her and Liam. Ridge has even gone so far as to tell Brooke to cut the cord. She has kicked him out of her house a few times and he has either had to crash at his father's or one of his kid's houses.
Eric's house had it's advantages and disadvantages. He enjoyed flirting with Quinn's friend Shauna who had been staying in the guest house, but he also did not enjoy his father's constant badgering about how he should make up with Brooke and that she is always right. He would notice Quinn rolling her eyes at his father's comments. He couldn't help but to silently giggle to himself.
