Part 11 - Chapter 1 - Confrontation

Vanessa laid awake on the lumpy hotel mattress. She heard a train whistle in the distance and saw a line of light from a street lamp creep into the room between a gap in the shades, but none of this was what was keeping her awake. It was her husband's admission that was keeping her from falling asleep.

"I'm not who you think I am."

Just remembering those words sent a shiver down her spine.

When she heard the familiar sound of his light snoring, she turned to look at him. They'd been together for almost 5 years, but she felt like she was lying next to a stranger.

Quietly, she got out of bed, slipped on a pair of shoes, and crept out of the hotel room. She walked down to the lobby and asked the desk clerk if she could borrow the phone.

"Zara? I'm sorry to call so late, hon, but I need a favor. What's the number of that lawyer who was trying to find me?" As she waited for Zara to find the number, she asked the desk clerk for a piece of paper and a pen. "Thanks, hon," she said as she finished jotting down the number. "I appreciate it, but I've got to go. If you happen to talk to her, tell her to expect my call. I don't know when that will be, but hopefully I'll get the chance to call soon." After saying goodnight, Vanessa hung up and headed back to the room.

Just as she was walking away from the desk, her husband was rounding the corner. Casually, she slipped the note into her pocket.

"There you are. What are you doing down here?" he asked.

"I couldn't sleep, so I decided to get some air."

"Well, come back to the room. It's too late for you to be wandering around alone. It's not safe."

Vanessa managed a smile and tried to act like everything was fine and normal, but she no longer knew if she was safe with her husband or if she could trust him.

After talking with Serena, Blaine was anxious to see what else he could uncover about her ex-husband. Unfortunately, he couldn't get to that right away. As soon as he got back to campus, he had to go to class, since he couldn't afford to skip twice in one day. Then after class he had to go to work in the computer lab. He thought he might find some spare time to search then, but the lab was full of students and he kept unusually busy.

It was after dark before he got a chance to sit down at the computer. He brewed a cup of coffee and started his search.

Luckily, the search for Silas Rochester brought up more results than his search for Sebastian Barrett or Dorothy Summers. He found what he was looking for almost right away.

As he read through the results, Blaine started to realize he had found more than he had bargained for. When he came across a familiar name, he couldn't believe his eyes.

Blaine jumped up and rushed to the phone. He knew it was late, but this was too good to wait until morning. "Reese! Are you busy?"

"I was," she replied groggily. "Busy sleeping."

"I'm sorry, but I just found out something huge. Can I come over?"

Reese hesitated. "Can't you just tell me over the phone?"

"No, this is too big. You've got to hear this in person."

Reese sighed. She didn't like the idea of having someone over so late, especially a guy that she worked with, but Blaine seemed so excited and she was rather curious herself. "Ok," she gave in.
As Reese got dressed and started straightening up the house, she tried to guess what Blaine had found out. What could the big news be? She knew it was unlikely, but for a brief moment she hoped it was about her. Maybe Blaine found out who her family was, where she came from. Maybe he had been able to discover the past that she had been unable to find. She shook the thought from her mind. It was a crazy thought.

"I must be crazy," she muttered to herself as the doorbell rang. "What am I doing?" She couldn't believe she was letting Blaine come over to her house and so late at night.

When she answered the door, Blaine was standing on the other side. He looked so excited, that she couldn't help smiling back at him as she invited him in. "Ok, now can you tell me? What's this all about?"

"I went to the mental hospital today."

"And they didn't decide to keep you there?" she said dryly.

Blaine was caught off guard for a second. Once he realized she was teasing him, he laughed, "I guess that's what I get for getting you out of bed in the middle of the night," he joked. "But no. I went there to talk to Serena Barrett."

"The barkeeper's ex-wife?"

"That's the one?"

"Why didn't you tell me you were going?"

"It was a spur of the moment trip and I knew you'd be at work."

"Right," Reese agreed. She wished she could have gone, but it was for the best. She had been neglecting her job lately. "So what happened?"

"She told me her life story and it turns out that old Sebastian's been lying about his identity since he met her. When Serena caught on to him he had her declared mentally unstable and divorced her."

"That's awful! So who is he really?"

"Silas Rochester," Blaine said slowly with emphasis.

"Who's that?" she replied blankly.

"I never heard of him either, but I did some research just now. I found out that the Rochesters used to be a big family around here, socially that is, but Silas was the last one in the family line, so when he died, the family name died too."

"Wait? He died?" Reese asked confused.

"Faked his death to escape his debts, then married Serena," Blaine explained. "But get this. He had a sister who died before he did and she was married to . . . Lawrence Arrendale."

Reese gasped, "You don't think it's the same. . . No, it couldn't be. He's too young."

"You're right. He was Lawrence's father."

"Which makes Sebastian- or Silas, his uncle?"

"Exactly."

"Do you think he knows?"

"I don't know, but I'm going to tell him. You don't have his number, do you?"

"I do, but Blaine, it's late," Reese protested.

"You're right," Blaine said as he stood to leave. "I'm sorry I got you up."

"Don't be," Reese said, standing as well. "I'm glad you called me. But I'll never get back to sleep after that story."

"Me neither," Blaine replied. "I'm thinking about going by the campus coffee shop for a bite to eat. Want to come along?"

Reese shrugged. "Sure. Why not?"

Part 11 - Chapter 2 - Confrontation

Blaine was awoken late the next morning by a knock on his door. With a yawn, he dragged himself out of bed. When he opened the door he was surprised to see who was standing on the other side. "Oh, hi . . .uh, I'm sorry. I don't remember your name."

"I'm not sure I told you. It's Cassandra," she replied. "I hope you don't mind that I just dropped by. I found your address in the campus directory."

"No problem," Blaine replied as he brushed back his tousled hair with his fingers. "Just give me a minute and I'll get dressed."

"It's ok. Don't bother," Cassie grinned. "This won't take a minute. I just wanted to tell you that we heard from Vanessa."

"Oh yeah?" Blaine was so excited that he forgot all about his appearance. "What did she say?"

"Not much. She asked Zara for your friend's phone number. So expect her to call sometime, we're not sure when."

"Thanks for telling me. Did she say she's ok? Do you think she'll be safe with your dad?" At Cassie's look of shock, Blaine quickly apologized. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean . . ."

"No, you have every right to think that after what he did to you," Cassie spoke up. "But I don't think he would do anything like that to Vanessa. She's his wife. He loves her."

"Yeah," Blaine said, but doubtfully. "Listen, I'd like to talk to you. Are you in a hurry?"

"No," Cassandra said eagerly. "I've got all the time in the world."

"Great. Then let me get dressed and I'll meet you downstairs in the cafeteria."

"Nice cafeteria," Cassandra remarked as she and Blaine took a seat at one of the tables. "I've been staying with my sister in Windsor and their dorm isn't nearly as nice."

"It's one of the perks of being an upperclassman," Blaine replied. He looked at the plate in front of him, but didn't eat. He knew Cassandra needed to know the truth, but he didn't know where to start. "How much do you know about your father?"

"He's my dad," Cassie shrugged. "He wasn't around much when we were little, but since my mom got sent away, he's been the only parent we've had."

"I went to see your mother yesterday," Blaine said slowly.

Cassandra's face lit up. "You did? I miss her so much. How is she?"

"She's ok. She misses you too," Blaine replied. "But she told me some things about your dad that you might not want to hear."

"Tell me," Cassandra said firmly.

Blaine hesitated, not sure how to tell her the truth, so he just blurted it out, "He's been living under a false name to hide from his debts. Your mom caught on to him and when she threatened to leave, he had her committed. I checked it out. It's all true."

Cassandra looked relieved. "Then my mom's not crazy? She didn't lose her mind?"

When Blaine nodded, Cassie started to cry. He reached over to comfort her. He expected the news to be a shock for her, but he expected the reaction to come from the news about her father, not her mother.

"I'm sorry," Cassandra sobbed. "I've just been so afraid. My mom and I, we're both. . .alike. And my dad always said I was going to end up like her. But if she's ok, really ok, then I will be too."

Blaine wasn't sure what she meant, but said, "Sure, you will be."

Cassie dried her eyes and looked up at Blaine with a grateful smile. When she thought about her father and how he had lied to her about her mother and about everything else, she grew angry. "Who is my father, really?"

"His name is Silas Rochester. I found out that I know his nephew. I'm going to tell him the news today."

"Can I come with you?" Cassie asked. "I want to meet him."

"Sure, I guess. He's a guy I work with."

"Lawrence Arrendale," the both said at once.

"How'd you know that?" Blaine asked, confused, but she ignored the question.

"I knew it. I knew he was familiar," Cassie smiled. "He's my cousin."

At the office, Hector and R.J. were gossiping during their morning coffee break.

"So Andrew got fired because a bunch of money was missing from the company, but now he's back because it wasn't really him that took it?" R.J. asked, making sure he had the story straight.

"Yeah, that's the story," Hector scoffed. "Can you believe it?"

"Then who took it?"

"Beats me," Hector shrugged. "I'm just bugged that Andrew's back. You don't know how glad I was to see him go."

"Don't like him?" R.J. asked with a laugh.

"Never did. He was such a suck up. The old V.P.'s pet," Hector frowned. "I wish Chad had shown up for his interview. This company would be much better off with him in and Andrew out."

"Who's this Chad guy anyway?" R.J. asked slyly.

"He's an old buddy of mine from college. He majored in business then got into modeling," Hector laughed. "If you can believe that."

"You don't mean Chad Vanderburg, do you?"

"Yeah, you know him?"

"No, I've just heard of him. Why didn't he show up for the interview?"

"I don't know. I tried to call him, but he'd checked out of his hotel room without saying a word to me. He's supposed to be the best man in my wedding and I can't find him anywhere."

Andrew caught the end of the conversation as he walked into the room. He smiled to himself, glad to hear that things weren't working out for Hector.

Hector didn't know what Andrew was smiling about, but he wanted to knock that stupid smirk off his face. "Hey, R.J. What do you think about filling in for him if he doesn't show?"

A sideway glance at Andrew showed Hector that his remark had done the trick. Andrew didn't look so smug anymore.

"Seriously? You want me to be your best man?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Wow. I'd be honored."

Cassie followed Blaine into the office building and towards Lawrence's desk. When she saw Lawrence, she felt that same sense of familiarity she had felt when she saw him at the party, but this time she understood the feeling and wasn't overwhelmed by it.

"Lawrence, have you got a minute?" Blaine asked.

"Just a second," Lawrence replied.

Cassie watched him as he finished what he was writing. It was hard to believe that he was her cousin, but she knew without uncertainty that it was true.

Lawrence put his work aside, "What is it?"

"Do you have an uncle named Silas Rochester?" Blaine asked.

"I did," Lawrence replied, "But he died years ago."

"No, he didn't," Cassie exclaimed, unable to remain silent. "He's my father."

Lawrence frowned, "That can't be. My uncle didn't have a family."

"Not that you knew about anyway," Blaine corrected and then started to fill Lawrence in on the story.

"Stuart-Townsend Corporation. Amanda Martin speaking," Amanda answered the phone.

"Hi Amanda. This is Reese Burroughs. Is Blaine around?"

"Yes, he's here. I'll go get him."

"No, wait. You should hear this too. I have news on your half-sister. She just called me."

"Oh my gosh," Amanda gasped. "You actually spoke with her?"

"Yes, but she couldn't talk long. If you could, just pass this message on to Blaine for me . . ."

Amanda rushed over to Lawrence's desk, where Blaine had just finished retelling the story and Lawrence was speechless with shock.

"Blaine," she called out. "Oh, I'm sorry to interrupt, but Reese called. She just heard from Dorothy."

"Vanessa," Blaine explained to Cassandra as an aside.

"Isn't anyone who they say they are?" Cassie muttered.

"What did she say?" Blaine asked Amanda.

"She wants to meet with you both, but she's not sure how she'll get away. She gave her location, but she said she'll call back when she can."

"We'll go get her," Blaine remarked. "I want to get Sebastian."

"When you do, I'll go with you," Lawrence added firmly.

Part 11 - Chapter 3 - Confrontation

"Can you believe it, Andrew?" Amanda asked as they walked into the apartment. "They've found her! We're finally going to meet my half-sister."

"Uh huh," Andrew replied. Amanda had talked about nothing but her missing half-sister all the way home from work. "I thought you didn't like the idea of having a sister you didn't know about."

Amanda shrugged. "It was a shock at first, but I'm getting used to the idea. It might be nice. Neither of us have much family to speak of."

"But if they didn't find her, maybe we would have gotten some of the inheritance."

"Maybe, but we're doing ok now."

"A little extra never hurts," Andrew said as he settled down on the couch and turned on the TV.

Amanda sighed. He was tuning her out again. She went into the bedroom to change out of her work clothes.

Every night it was like this and it just seemed to get worse and worse. Between home and work they were together all the time. They barely had a moment apart and they were running out of things to say to each other.

She had been glad when Andrew came home early one evening and said that his favorite bar had unexpectedly gone out of business. She was lonely at home by herself and she didn't like that he went out drinking as often as he did, but now they had fallen into a monotonous routine. She felt like something was missing from her marriage and she didn't know how to fix it.

She sighed and picked up the phone. Maybe Alma would appreciate the news about their sister.

Since school had ended for the summer, Alma was at a loose end. She had more free time than she knew what to do with. "I should make the most of this time," she thought. "I should go somewhere, take a trip." She hadn't been anywhere since she was just a kid. After her father died, money was tight and her family didn't have the time or money to go anywhere, but now she could do as she pleased.

She went downstairs to the kitchen where Bernice was drinking a cup of tea.

"What are your plans for the summer?" Alma asked as she took a seat across the table.

"Same as always. Just catch up on some reading and a few projects I've been meaning to do."

"I'm thinking about going on a vacation."

"Oh, that would be nice," Bernice said. "You should do that. Where are you going to go?"

"I don't know yet. I haven't decided for sure if I'm going to go."

"I'd love to go somewhere," Bernice sighed. "But I couldn't leave my babies."

"Isn't there anyone who can watch your cats for you?" Alma asked with a frown.

"No. I guess I could probably find someone, but I don't think I could trust anyone else with them."

Lucy sat on the balcony gazing past the backyard and over the bay. She placed a hand over her stomach, trying to imagine the life that was growing inside of her. "I'm going to be a mother," she thought. She kept thinking those words over and over, trying to make herself believe that they were true. It was both exciting and frightening. Just as she had been trying to simplify her life, this baby was going to make everything so much more complicated. It was going to be a huge responsibility and she just hoped she would be able to handle it.

"But a baby . . ." she thought with a smile. "A child of my very own . . . I'll really have a family again."

Lucy was startled by the door opening behind her. She turned quickly to see who was there.

"Sorry, babe. I didn't mean to scare you."

"Craig!" Lucy exclaimed as she jumped up and threw her arms around his neck. "You're back!"

Craig held her tight and kissed her. When he finally pulled away from the embrace, he touched her cheek and studied her face for a moment. "I can't even begin to tell you how much I missed you." He kissed her again, before guiding her to the bench where they both sat down.

"It's so good to be back here and away from the studio. I really couldn't take any more of their nonsense."

"What's wrong?" Lucy asked. "It didn't go well?"

"It was going great until I found out that James has a record deal as well and he's trying to pass of my songs as his own."

"Oh, Craig, that's awful. You're not going to let him get away with it, are you?"

"Of course not!"

"You should take him to court. You need to go talk to my lawyer."

"I will . . .later. But for now, I just want to forget about it and enjoy being back with the woman I love," he said and kissed Lucy again.

"Tell me things went better with you while I was away." Noticing Lucy's uncertain look, he asked, "You don't have more bad news, do you?"

"Maybe," Lucy said, drawing away. "I don't know if you'll think it's good or bad."

"What is it?" he asked, his expression clouded with concern.

"I just found out I'm pregnant."

Craig smiled and pulled her close. "That's great."

"Oh, Craig, I'm glad you think so. I've been so worried. We hadn't planned for this."

"Lucy, this is the best news I've had in weeks," he smiled.

Lucy smiled back weakly. She hadn't felt that way when she first found out, but she was starting to think it would all work out ok.

Part 11 - Chapter 4 - Confrontation

Eileen walked up to the hospital's reception desk.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes, I need to talk to someone that works here. She's a nurse. I think her name is Sally?" Eileen said unsurely.

"Sally Peterson?"

"I don't know," Eileen shrugged. "I don't know her last name. She's kind of young and has blondish colored hair."

"I'll see if she's available," the receptionist said as she picked up the telephone. "Why don't you take a seat?"

A few minutes later, Sal walked into the reception area. The woman at the desk, motioned towards Eileen, and Sal walked over.

"Hello, you wanted to talk to me?" When Eileen looked up, Sal recognized the young woman and her cheerful expression faded. She had tried to forget that awful night. It was so embarrassing to think she was being asked out by a guy, only to find that she was being set up with his friend, while he was on a date with another girl. She had hoped to never see any of those people again.

"I guess you remember me," Eileen said sheepishly. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"I'm very busy," Sal said. She was feeling very uncomfortable and was eager to get away.

"I know and I'm really sorry to bother you at work, but this is important."

"Alright," Sal gave in and took a seat.

"When we met before, you said that Hector came to the hospital to ask you some questions. Can I ask you what they were about?"

Sal sighed, "I don't know. That was awhile ago . . . I'm sorry, but I really don't have time to get involved in your personal life," she said as politely as possible and started to stand.

"You remember Clifford Stuart, don't you?" Eileen asked.

Sal looked surprised at Eileen's change of topic, "Oh yes. I was with him when he passed away."

"Did Hector ask about him?" Eileen asked.

"Yes, he did," Sal nodded. It was all coming back to her now. "He said he was investigating for the lawsuit."

"Really?" Eileen replied skeptically.

"He wanted to know if anyone had been in to visit Mr. Stuart on the morning he died. I was the nurse on duty and I hadn't seen anybody."

"I see," Eileen said slowly. "You didn't see anyone, but is it possible that someone did come visit him?"

Sally nodded thoughtfully, "Yes. I remember I was very busy that morning with another patient. At the time Mr. Stuart seemed to be doing well and he didn't need as much attention."

"Did Hector ask about anything else?"

Sal shook her head, "Not that I remember."

"Thank you," Eileen said as she rose to leave. "You've been very helpful. And I'm sorry about the misunderstanding before."

"Please," Sal cringed, "Don't mention it."

Edward fidgeted in his office as he awaited his next appointment. He felt ridiculous for being so nervous. He tried to remind himself that this was a professional meeting between colleagues. But this wasn't just any other colleague.

When he heard a knock on the door, he jumped up from his chair. He took a moment to compose himself, before answering, "Come in."

"Sorry I'm late," Veronica said quietly. "My last appointment ran longer than I expected."

"No problem at all," Edward replied, trying to remain cool. It had been years since he'd seen her, but she hadn't changed a bit. "Have a seat, won't you?"

"So Cassandra Barrett," Veronica said, skipping any small talk. "What do you want to discuss about her?"

"Well, um," Edward cleared his throat as he sorted through the papers on his desk. "She's had a few fainting spells. Once she fell and suffered a concussion. This isn't normal for a seemingly healthy young woman. I've ordered some tests, but she insists there's nothing wrong with her. She says it's happening because she's psychic," Edward scoffed. He leaned back in his chair. "And she's seeing you about that."

Veronica nodded, "She is. She starting seeing me after she was hospitalized for the concussion. The doctors then were concerned that the fall might have affected her thinking, but she's reported having psychic premonitions even before then. She says, as far as she can remember, she's always had psychic abilities."

Edward laughed, "You don't believe that's true, do you?"

Veronica shrugged. "I don't know. The mind is a complex organ."

"What I want to know is, do you think this could be psychosomatic?"

"That she's causing these fainting spells by her own imagination?" Veronica asked. "Possibly. I don't know. What are you thinking, Ed?"

"I'm wondering, if the tests come back negative, what can I do to treat her? I don't want this girl to keep working herself into a fainting spell, if that's what's happening. This may be your department."

Veronica nodded and stood to leave, "Let me know how the tests turn out and we'll decide what to do from there. If this is a psychological problem, we'll have to handle it very carefully. There are other issues to consider."

Edward stood up to show Veronica out. As he opened the door for her, he paused a moment to look at her. "It's been nice to see you again, Roni. You look well. I swear, you haven't changed."

"Thanks," Veronica replied. She looked away, embarrassed. "I should go."

"Just one thing," he stopped her in the doorway. "Are you happy with him?"

Veronica turned to look him in the eye. "Very," she said with a smile, then turned and walked away.

Part 11 - Chapter 5 - Confrontation

"Andrew?"

"Um hmm."

Amanda sighed and got up to turn off the TV. "Andrew?"

"What?" he asked impatiently, but this time he gave her his full attention.

"I was wondering," Amanda said slowly as she sat next to him on the couch. "What do you think about having a baby?"

"What?" Andrew exclaimed as the color seemed to drain out of his face. "Do you mean you're . . .we're . . ." he stuttered.

"No," Amanda quickly corrected him. She didn't want him to pass out. "I'm not expecting, but I was thinking maybe we should think about trying to have a baby."

Andrew breathed a sigh of relief. "I don't think that's a good idea, Amanda, not yet anyway. I mean, we're both working."

"I'll quit," Amanda spoke up. "and stay home with the baby."

"Then how are we going to get out of this little apartment and to a real home of our own? There's not enough room here to raise a family. We can't afford to have a baby right now."

"Maybe you'll get promoted," Amanda said hopefully.

Andrew winced and stood up from his place on the couch, "Let's not talk about that again . . .I'm going out for a walk."

As Andrew opened the door to go out he ran into Alma, who was in the hallway about to knock. He muttered a brief hello and continued on his way.

"What's his problem?" Alma asked as she walked into the apartment.

"I don't know," Amanda shrugged. "I just suggested possibly starting a family and he nearly had a fit. He's taking a walk before dinner to cool off." She stood up from her seat on the couch. "I need to check on dinner. Do you want to give me a hand?"

As Alma followed her sister into the kitchen, she glanced around the sparse apartment. "Do you think there's room to raise a child in this tiny apartment?"

"There's plenty of room," Amanda said defensively. "You're just like Andrew. I don't know why the two of you didn't get married instead."

Alma frowned and held her tongue.

Amanda turned to check on the roast in the oven and said quietly, "He says we can't afford a baby, but I think maybe, he just doesn't want to have one." Amanda sighed as she shut the oven door. "I can't believe you don't want to have kids, Alma."

"I didn't say I never wanted kids," Alma objected. "I just don't want any right now or any time soon."

"So what have you been doing with yourself lately?" Amanda asked, trying to change the subject.

"I have some time off from work, so I've been thinking about taking a vacation."

"By yourself?" Amanda exclaimed.

The look of pity on her sister's face, infuriated Alma, she snapped back a reply. "Yes."

"Well," Amanda said thoughtfully. "Maybe you can go on one of those singles cruises. I've heard they're really popular. And who knows, maybe you'll meet your Mr. Right."

Alma rolled her eyes. She couldn't take anymore small talk with her sister, so she made an excuse to leave the room. She was starting to wish she had joined Andrew on his walk.

At the Stuart's house, Lucy and Eileen were looking through bridal magazines.

"Have you decided on colors yet?" Eileen asked.

"No, but I was thinking muted colors might be nice like sage or periwinkle."

"Sounds pretty," Eileen remarked as she flipped the page of the magazine she was reading.

Lucy put down her magazine and turned to face Eileen, "I want to ask you something, Eileen. If you decide to say no, I will completely understand."

Eileen closed her magazine and asked, "What is it?"

"Would you be a bridesmaid in my wedding?" Lucy asked. "If you don't want to, it's ok. But I really want you to be a part of it and if I didn't at least ask you I know I'd regret it."

"Of course I will. I would love to be a bridesmaid."

"Oh thank you," Lucy hugged Eileen. "And if you want to bring Hector to the wedding you can. I'd rather you didn't, but if you want him to come with you . . ."

Eileen shook her head, "Don't worry about it. I won't invite him to come with me. I'll just come with Dad and Veronica."

"Are you sure?" Lucy asked.

"I'm sure," Eileen nodded and turned back to her magazine. "So what do you need help planning? I've been gathering plenty of information."

"Well I've already called the caterer, the florist, the printer, and the dressmaker and they said they'd be able to fit me in, if I get the details to them soon. Of course, we'll have the reception at the country club, so that won't be a problem. Craig's taking care of the music."

"It sounds like you've got it all covered," Eileen remarked. "If you need me to help you with anything just ask me. I'll do whatever I can."

"Thanks, but what about your wedding? Shouldn't you be busy making your own plans?"

"Don't worry about me," Eileen said in a low voice. "You need the help more than I do. We can postpone my wedding, but yours can't wait very long," Eileen teased, her tone suddenly cheerful again. "Unless you want to waddle down the aisle."

"You're right," Lucy groaned. "That's the last thing I want."

"It could be worse. You could be carrying a baby down the aisle instead of a bouquet."

"Stop it," Lucy laughed as she swatted Eileen with a magazine. "You're not funny."

Eileen continued to laugh, but Lucy suddenly got serious and leaned back into the couch. "I can't believe I'm having a baby and I'm getting married. This is all happening so fast." She turned to look at Eileen who had stopped smiling. "I don't know how to be a wife or a mother. How am I going to take care of this baby? What if I can't handle it?"

Eileen reached over to pat Lucy's hand sympathetically. "Of course you can handle it. You're going to be a good wife and an even better mother. Lucy, you've been through so much, you can handle anything."

Lucy smiled weakly, "I hope you're right."

"Veronica? This is Ed Wilton. I've got the test results for Cassandra Barrett."

"How are they?"

"Fine. I can't find anything physically wrong with her."

"I guess it's up to me then," Veronica replied. She looked up as her husband entered the room. "Thanks for calling. I'll keep you updated."

"Who was that?" Arthur asked as she hung up the phone.

Veronica knew she should tell Arthur about her meeting with Edward, but somehow she couldn't bring herself to do it. "It was the hospital. The test results are in for one of my patients."

"Not bad news I hope," Arthur remarked.

"No."

Their conversation was interrupted when the front door opened and Eileen walked in. "Hi," she greeted them with a smile.

"You seem in a good mood," Veronica replied, happily. Eileen had seemed so down lately, that she was starting to get worried.

"I just came from Lucy's. We were making wedding plans."

"That's nice," Arthur remarked. "I'm glad the two of you made up."

"Me too."

"By the way, Hector's been asking about you," Arthur said. "I think he'd really like you to give him a call."

Eileen grimaced, "I'll do it later. I have a lot of studying I need to get started on."

As soon as Eileen disappeared up the stairs, Veronica turned to her husband. "Did you see that? She's been acting like that whenever Hector's name is mentioned. I'm very concerned with the way she's been avoiding him. Something's clearly not right."

"Don't worry so much about it, dear. I'm sure it's just cold feet, pre-wedding jitters."

Veronica frowned. "No, I think there's more to it than that. I've asked her about it, but she doesn't want to talk about it. I don't want to pressure her."

"I'm sure she'll talk when she's ready," Arthur replied confidently. "In the meantime she knows we're both here for her if she needs us."

In her room Eileen flipped through the pages of her text book. She was reading the words but not really paying attention to their meaning. Finally she lowered the book with a sigh and stared out the window next to her.

"I can't keep avoiding Hector," she thought to herself. "I've got to do something." She frowned. She knew what she needed to do, but she wasn't looking forward to doing it.

Part 11 - Chapter 6 - Confrontation

Nervously, Vanessa looked over her shoulder as she walked into the diner. She had to use the best of her acting abilities to stay cool when she told her husband she was going down to the corner drugstore for a few moments. She wasn't sure that he was completely convinced, but at least he let her go without argument and without following after her.

The diner was nearly empty, only one table was occupied. When the little bell above the door tinkled, the people seated at the table looked up at her.

Cassie jumped up to greet her. "You made it," she said with relief as she led her stepmother to the table. She offered Vanessa her chair and then introduced her to the others.

"I'll let you talk in private," Lawrence said as he rose from the table and walked over to the lunch counter.

"We'll be right over here," Cassandra assured Vanessa before joining Lawrence.

"Thanks, hon," Vanessa smiled at Cassandra. She turned to Reese and Blaine who were sitting opposite from her. "I hate to be rude, but can we make this meeting brief? If I'm gone too long my husband will be wondering where I've gone."

"Of course," Reese replied, taking some papers out of her briefcase. "First I need to ask you a few questions, just to make sure you are who we're looking for."

"Fine, but how do I know you are who you say you are," Vanessa said warily. "I'm not usually so suspicious, but now I think I have good reason to be."

"I understand. I have all of the official papers here regarding the inheritance. If you have any doubts about their legitimacy, you can have them looked over by any legal expert."

Vanessa nodded reluctantly. "What do you need to ask me?"

Lawrence glanced over at Cassandra to see her watching him, with a huge grin on her face. He managed a small smile in return.

"I'm sorry," Cassandra apologized. "I don't mean to stare. I just amazed that we're cousins."

Lawrence nodded, "Yes, it was a surprise."

"I mean, I knew when I saw you before that there was something familiar about you, but I didn't know why. But I should have known sooner."

"How?" Lawrence asked, confused.

"By the way my dad freaked out when Eileen mentioned your name to me."

"Eileen mentioned me?" Lawrence asked, but tried to sound neutral about it.

"She said you were tutoring her," Cassandra replied. For a moment she seemed oblivious, then she perked up, "I think she . . ." Cassandra cut her thought short with a laugh, deciding she shouldn't say too much. "Nevermind. So tell me something about yourself. Since we're family, we should get to know each other."

When Vanessa finished answering her questions, Reese sorted through her papers. "Of course, we'll need verification, such as your birth certificate and adoption records before you can recieve the inheritance, but I believe you are the person we've been looking for," Reese smiled. "These papers outline the details and included is a copy of the will."

Vanessa glanced through the papers before looking up at Reese. "I can't believe my birth mother thought of me after all these years. I wish I had known before."

Reese nodded with a sad smile. "She must have cared about you very much . . .Oh, but there's even better news than the inheritance! You have two half-sisters. When you come back to Bay Pointe, you'll have to meet them."

"I'd like that," Vanessa said quietly, but at the same time she was wondering if she would ever go back to Bay Pointe again. Vanessa stood to leave, "I really should get back."

"Wait!" Blaine interrupted. "You're not going back to him, are you?"

"If I don't, he'll get suspicious."

"If you do, you could be in danger!" Blaine protested. "If he's at all suspicious, who knows what he'll do to get you out of the way. His ex-wife caught on to his lies and he had her committed to an insane asylum."

Vanessa gasped in disbelief, "No."

"It's true," Cassandra insisted as she joined the group. "Please, you have to come with us, Vanessa, before . . .he's coming."

"What? What are you talking about?"

The group stared after Cassandra as she hurried towards the door.

"I'll see what's wrong," Lawrence offered, motioning for the other's not to get up.

Lawrence started to follow Cassandra outside, but when he saw her approach a man on the sidewalk, he stopped in his tracks.

Squinting through the glass, Lawrence could clearly make out the man's features. He was taken aback. He hadn't seen his uncle in years, since he was just a kid, but he immediately recognized him. As he watched Silas and Cassandra talk on the sidewalk, all of the memories and history came back to him. He was determined to make Silas pay for the wrongs he had done him in the past.

After a tiring dinner at her sister's apartment, Alma walked into the house to find Bernice seated on the living room sofa, crying.

"What's wrong?" Alma asked her roommate.

"Oh!" Bernice wailed. For a moment she was too upset to speak. She tried to explain, but her words were almost unintelligible between her sobs. After straining to understand, Alma managed to pick out a few words.

"Dead?" Alma gasped. "Someone died? Who?"

"Boopsie!" Bernice uttered and started crying even harder.

"Boopsie?" Alma questioned. "Oh, one of your cats."

Bernice nodded vigorously as she blew her nose on a handkerchief.

Alma stood awkwardly in the middle of the room. She felt like she should say something, but she wasn't sure what. "I'm sorry . . .but at least it was just a pet and you still have the others."

"How can you say that!" Bernice shouted between tears. "She was one of my babies. They're all I have!"

Almost an hour later, after apologizing to Bernice and managing to console her enough so she could get some rest, Alma finally turned in herself.

As she turned back the covers, she sighed, thinking about how sad Bernice's life was. In the time that she had lived there, her roommate had never had a visitor and she rarely went out. Alma knew that she had at least a few distant friends or relatives that she occasionally wrote letters to and rarely spoke on the phone with. From what Bernice said, it hadn't always been that way with her. It sounded like all of the people in her life had slowly slipped away.

When Alma crawled into bed and turned out the light, the darkness seemed to close in on her and she suddenly felt very alone. She wondered what her life would be like in another 30 or 40 years. Would it be very different than now or would she too just slowly slip away?

That night Alma dreamed that she was sitting in the corner of a room that was filled with people.

"Oh, mom, it's so good to see you!"

Alma looked up to see two women hugging. She stared a moment at the elderly woman and realized that the "mom" the younger woman was happy to see was none other than her sister, Amanda.

"It's good to see you too and the children. My, how they've grown."

Alma glanced over to see an elderly Andrew entertaining an adorable pair of children, a little boy and a little girl.

"Is my little sister coming?" the young woman asked.

"Not until tomorrow," Amanda replied. "She has one more final to take before she can come home from university."

"Mom, Dad." Alma turned to see a handsome young couple enter the room to her right. "Guess what," the young man said as he held the woman next to him close, "We're going to have a baby!"

As everyone else in the room congratulated the happy couple, Alma sat motionless in her chair. She felt so removed from the scene until someone said, "Aunt Alma, I didn't see you there."

"Yes, we invited her," Amanda's voice remarked with a sigh. "Poor, lonely, old Alma. How sad that she never had a family of her own . . .she doesn't have anyone else."

Alma awoke suddenly with a gasp. What a disturbing dream!

She laid back in bed and stared at the ceiling for awhile as the alarm clock on the night stand quietly ticked away the seconds.

"How ridiculous!" Alma scoffed. "It's all that baby talk this evening and then Bernice . . . It's never going to be like that," she thought stubbornly and rolled over to her side.

She frowned, for a moment having doubts. "But what is my life going to be like? What do I want it to be?" She stared into the darkness, unsure how to answer those questions.