The doctor stood at the edge of the terrace, and looked out on the grounds below. Her eyes wandered over the grounds, watching the familiar scenes, until she found the person she was looking for. There she was, as she had been, everyday, unless it rained. She sat in the same chair, for hours on end, not moving, or talking or giving any indication that she knew what was going on. It had been this way since the morning after her latenight arrival over 4 months ago.

The doctor checked her watch. By it, she knew that her visit with the gentleman would be ending soon. As always, he stayed with her two hours, unless it was Saturday or Sunday, then, he would add another hour for the picnic that he took her on by the lake. He would talk to her. Read to her. Always bring her flowers- roses, but the color would change daily. He seemed to tell her jokes, because sometimes he would burst into fits of laughter, while she was emotionless. At the end, the routine was the same. He would fold up his paper, place it down next to her, rearrange the flowers, so that the vase was within the reach of her fingertips. Then, he would take her right hand, and he would kiss it, just has he was doing now. He got up, and was approaching her.

“ I don’t see any improvement in her condition.”, he scolded.

“ These things take time.”

“ But, she’s not spoken a word since she’s gotten here. Are you drugging her? Making her a zombie?”

“ I can assure you that after the initial sedatives when she was admitted under such ‘difficult’ circumstances’, that we’ve had no need for drugs with her. She’s not violent in any way..just unresponsive. I’ve told you before. Emotionally, she’s just shut down. She won’t speak to anyone, including the staff psychiatrist.”

“ Then, tell me why I’m paying you.”

“ Because, you appreciate our excellent care, as well as our discretion.”

“ Ah, yes, discretion. That is worth your price. Doctor, I have a time limit, here. She has to be fully functioning in a little over 6 weeks.”

“ I can’t promise you, anything. “

“  That’s not good enough. You tell those overpriced headshrinkers to find a way to bring Eve Russell back to the land of the living, or you’ll have me all over you. I assure you, Doctor. Julian Crane isn’t someone that you want on your enemies list.”

He didn’t even wait for her response, and walked away to his car.
 

“ Oh Miguel, this idea for a walk was so wonderful. I didn’t even know this park existed.”

“ How would you, Charity? Not many people who live in Harmony know about it. I don’t know how it was designed, a full park, on the edge of the forest preserve. Kay and I found this place when we were little kids. When we wanted to get away, we would come here.”

“ Well, I’m glad that you brought me here. I want to share everything with you, Miguel.”

“ And, we will, Charity. Because, we love one another.”

Charity leans in for another kiss from Miguel, when,

“  Miguel, isn’t that Kay over there?”, she points to a lone figure, sitting on a bench across the park.

“ Yeah, I think you’re right. Let’s go over and say hi.”

They walk over to the bench, and once they get there, they see Kay there, sobbing. Miguel goes to her.

“ Kay, what’s wrong.”

Kay, who had been so distraught, hadn’t heard them walk up. Looking up from her handkerchief, she saw Miguel’s caring face.

“ Miguel, is it really you? Did you really..”, Kay stopped in mid-sentence when she saw Charity standing there.

“ Oh, hi Charity.”

“ Hi Kay. Is there anything that we can do?”, Charity says sweetly.

Kay shakes her head, “ No thank you. “

Before Kay can say anything else, Miguel says, “ Charity, would you mind going back to your house by yourself?”

 “ Ok.”, Charity responded, and walked away.

Miguel took Kay’s hand. “ I thought it would be easier for you to talk to just me. You can tell me anything Kay. Anything.”

Kay looked into his eyes, and remembered why she loved him. “ You know Miguel, I can’t talk to you about this. But, you’re right that I have to talk to someone about it. “

“ I’ll help you, Kay.”

Kay resisted the urge to try and suck him in. “ Miguel, this is sweet of you. But, what I need right now, is to be alone. I needed to collect my thoughts.”

“ You’re sure?”

Kay leaned over and kissed his cheek. “ I’m sure. Thanks Miguel.”

“Anything for you, Kay. You’re my best friend.”

Kay watched as Miguel left. She knew what she had to do.
 

Sam Bennett was enjoying the wind blowing on his face. He was making a test run of the boat that had just been repaired. It was the first one of 5 that had been bought and donated by the Cranes, who had just become sponsors of the Summer Boating Club at the Youth Center.

Sam relished this time to himself. Things had been a wreck since that night, and nothing in Harmony had seemed to be the same ever again. Sam let down the sail, and decided to go down below and partake of the picnic Grace had made him.

He goes down the stairs and get the shock of his life.

“ Ivy?”

Sitting there, with nothing but a towel and grin like a Cheshire Cat, was Ivy.

“ What the HELL are you doing here?”

“ Isn’t it obvious, Sam? I’m here so that you can finally admit  that you love me.”

“ You are crazy.”

“ No, Sam, I can see it now. I see the way you look at me. You want me.”

“ I want and love my wife, and you’re not her. Get some clothes on, Ivy. We’re going back to shore.”

“ Sam, you don’t want to do that”, Ivy says as she crosses the room in record time, dropping the towel.

“ Oh, no. You’re not pulling that crap today.” Before Ivy knew it, Sam had turned her around , and had her up against the railing. With his other hand, he tied Ivy to the railing in very tight sailor’s knots.

“ You can’t do this to me, Sam!”

Sam smiled. “ I already did.”

Sam goes upstairs leaving a naked Ivy to sit and think on the sail home.
 

“ Daddy, this wasn’t necessary.”, Whitney Russell said, as the waiter left following taking their orders.

“ I disagree. My daughter wins a major tournament like you did, today, it IS a cause for celebration. “ TC looks at his watch. “ I wonder where your sister is.”

“ I don’t know Daddy, maybe she didn’t feel like coming. I know that it was a little uncomfortable for me. “ Whitney lowered her face and looked down at the table. TC took his hand and raised Whitney’s face to where his eyes met hers.

“ Baby, you can’t hide out for forever. The best way to handle it, is to just carry on. “

“ But….sometimes, they look at me, as if I’m a freak, Daddy.”

“ Don’t you EVER let youself think that, Whitney. The only freak t hat we both know, is the one responsible for all of this. SHE is responsible, Whitney. SHE is to blame. YOU are an innocent..you understand?”

The tears were nearly pooling in Whitney’s eyes, but, she took a big sniff and stopped them. “ You’re right, Daddy. I have nothing to be ashamed of. I have you and I have my tennis. I don’t need anything else.”

“ Neither do I, baby.”
 

Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald opened the door to her house, tired and weary. The afterschool job at the mall that she had was not only boring, but, full of exhaustive busy work. Of course, she knew that her job wasn’t what made her tired today. She had been on an errand for her boss, when she saw Ethan and Gwen, and they were at a toy store. She had read it in the gossip column this morning, and it had ruined her entire day:

The picture of Ethan and Gwen, all smiles, sank her heart. But, not nearly as bad as spying them playing in the stuffed animal section, picking up and comparing numerous animals.

Theresa wasn’t listening and certainly wasn’t watching where she was walking, when she was about to turn the corner into the bathroom when BAM!, the collision happened.

“ What the f…”, Chad looked up at Theresa in confusion.

Theresa didn’t know how to compute any of it, and it startled both of them, until they got their bearings. Chad realized that the towel had dropped off of him, and that he was in his birthday suit. Theresa just stared at Chad’s naked body, not even realizing that she was.

Chad jumped up and covered himself. “ I’m so sorry, Theresa. But, your Moms said that you all wouldn’t be home until late, and the plumber got backed up and can’t fix the shower until tomorrow.”

“ Chad, I’m sorry. It’s all my fault.”

“ No.”

“ No. It’s true. I was supposed to work a double shift, Luis is working overtime, and Miguel was going to be over at the Bennetts. You should have been able to take a shower in peace.”

“ It’s ok.”

“ No. It’s not. I messed this up, just like I messed up everything else. I don’t know why you don’t hate me.”, Theresa burst into tears and ran into her room.

Chad found her sobbing on the bed. “ Theresa, come on.” Still wet, he puts his arm around her. “ I’ve told you this a thousand times, it’s NOT your fault. The only thing you did is believe in love. How can  that be wrong?”

“ But..”

“ No, buts. Look, there are a lot of people responsible for this mess. YOU don’t happen to be one of them.”

“ Whitney doesn’t happen to agree.”, Theresa says through her sobs. “ Oh, Chad, I’m sorry..”, And, she begins to sob even harder.

“ Look, Theresa, Whitney is wrong. It’s not your fault that…well, you know what happened. Not yours. What’s going on, Theresa. You’ve been doing Ok, lately. Or, has that been an act, and you’ve been perpetrating on me?”

The sobs finally begin to calm down. “ No, I thought that I was doing better. But, then, today…”

“ What?”

Theresa goes over to her desk and brings back the paper and hands it to Chad. He reads, and says , “ Oh.”

“ And, to make things worse, I saw them today. Looking at toys.”

“ Sorry.”

“ I should be over it, right? He’s married, and is now going to have a baby, and hasn’t thought about me. How could I have been so wrong, Chad? I KNEW he loved me..didn’t he?”

“  Hey, from where I was sitting, he loved you. But, he’s into denial, Theresa. You gotta move on. ….. we both do. “

They sat there for a few moments in silence when Chad speaks up.

“ Hey! You know what we BOTH need? We need a night out. I’ve been working hard, and I deserve a treat. I’m taking you out to the Seascape.”

“ Chad, come on. How can you afford it?”

“ All I do is work, Theresa. The rent on the apartment is minimal, and she won’t take anymore. So, I have more than enough. You, get on one of those fancy dresses, and I’ll get into the monkey suit, and we are going to have a good time tonight. No Ethan. No Whitney. Just two friends who deserve a good time. Ok?”

“ Are you sure?”

“ Yep.”

Theresa smiled a little. “ Ok. Gimme an hour.”

“ That’s cool. You’ll see Theresa, we’ll have a great time. Just friends.”