Eric and Mercedes had been picked up in a limousine and were heading down a hot, rural strip of town. The sides of the streets were heavily vegetated and she thought that the entire place was pretty. Her thoughts were haulted when the car stopped in front of a large, white house. Eric helped her out of the car and they walked up to the front door and rang the door bell.
A butler let them in. "We've been expecting you," the butler said and led them inside. He led them to the right and into a cream colored room. Eric and Mercedes sat down on a plush, off white couch. "One moment, please," the butler said and walked out.
"Charming man, isn't he?" Eric joked. Mercedes was not in a joking mood and said nothing. Mercedes looked around and admired the room adorned in expensive paintings and overly fabricated tan drapes.
Suddenly a man and woman, decoratively dressed in casual pants outfits and a substantial amount of jewellry, walked into the room. Mercedes and Eric stood up.
"Good afternoon," the man said. "My name is Henry and this is my wife, Carla."
"Good afternoon," the woman said.
"Hello, I'm Mercedes and this is Eric, and this is my daughter, Charity."
"Ah, yes," said the man. "Nice to meet you. You must be Chase's biological parents. Excuse me, let me get him."
Oh God, Mercedes thought.
After all of this time, almost nine years, she was going to see her son again face to face. Would she recognize him? She would definitely know by his eyes. The wait was almost unbearable. But the wait was finally over and Chase was escorted into the room.
Mercedes gasped. "No," she breathed.
Cassandra stood on the beach alone, except for Nick who was standing next to her. They looked like a picturesque scene together. The sun was setting and they were both looking out over the water; Nick's hands in his pockets and the wind flittering their hair and clothes. Everyone had decided to pack up and take a vacation to the beach house for the weekend since the weather was going to be good.
Nick looked down the beach and gasped. "Whoa!"
"Hey," Isabella said walking up behind him. "What's up?"
"That is-" Nick said and pointed down the beach and Isabella gasped, too.
"Maybe we should get Cassie inside before-"
But Cassandra started walking down the beach.
"No!" Nick yelled. "Cassie, come on! Let's go back! Isabella, we gotta do something before-" But it was too late. Cassandra looked up and gasped. All the way down the beach, in front of the stable, were Emalia and Everett engaged in a passionate kiss.
"Is that..." Cassandra asked herself. "No. It can't be...but it is-" She was in disbelief. All of a sudden she heard a door open and Kevin's deep voice.
"Hey, Cassie!" he said.
She quickly turned around and ran over to him. "Hey Kevin," she said. "Let's, uh, go inside."
"But why? The sunset's cool and it's so nice out-"
"No!" Cassandra paused and took a breath. "I mean, it's getting cold out. I-I think we're going out in a while. Again."
Kevin eyed her. "Well, okay, but-"
"Great! Let's go." Cassandra and Kevin walked inside and joined everyone else in the living room. Cassandra sat down next to Brian and Kevin sat down on the floor. "Do you know when Mercedes will be back?" Cassandra asked Brian, a little timidly.
"No," he replied, just as timidly.
"Oh."
"Where were you?"
"Oh just standing outside."
"Hey, where's Emalia?" Kevin suddenly asked.
"Right here," Emalia said from the doorway. Kevin got up and kissed her. Cassandra could only stare at her. "Cass, what's wrong? You look pale."
"Oh, nothing," Cassandra replied.
"Thinking about Nick again?"
"No," Cassandra said, coldly.
Emalia only shrugged.
She only continued to stare at Emalia and Kevin. How? she thought to herself. How could she do this to Kevin? She shook her head and looked over at Brian.
Brian leaned over to Cassandra. "What's wrong?" he whispered in her ear.
Cassandra slightly jumped as Brian's breath on her made her feel a little uncomfortable. They had kissed the other night and she was feeling a little guilty but there was no one else that she could turn to.
"It's just, well-"
"You know that you can tell me," Brian said. "Is it about last night?"
"No, well, but, uh, okay. Come into the kitchen with me."
Brian nodded his head and followed Cassandra into the kitchen. He sat down on a stool next to the counter. "Okay, what's up?" Brian asked her.
"Oh, should I tell you? I dunno if it's really anything but..."
"But what?"
"Oh, I saw Emalia kissing...someone."
"Oh is that all?"
Cassandra gave him a confused look.
"You're just a little upset because her and Kevin are getting married and they're always kissing and it reminds you of Nick."
Cassandra sighed. "Oh Brian, God, you couldn't be farther from what I'm really trying to say."
"Then what?"
She took a deep breath. "This so doesn't remind me of Nick! God, I would never do this to him!" Atleast I hope, she thought.
"That's right," Nick said and smirked.
"I saw," Cassandra began, "I saw Emalia kissing...Everett."
Brian looked shocked. "Are you sure?"
Cassandra nodded.
"Positive?"
"I am so positive, you could ask Nick!"
"Whoa, you are sure! Damn it, how could she do this?"
"I don't know!"
Brian stood up. "We gotta tell him. He has to know."
"No!" Cassandra protested. "The catch to me telling you is that you cannot tell anyone else!"
"But he has to know!"
"I know, but maybe she'll tell him on her own. Maybe there's a rational explanation."
"What explanation?" Brian asked. "Vertical CPR?"
"Brian-"
"Okay, I won't tell anyone on one condition."
"What?"
"That you confront Emalia on this one."
"Oh, Brian," Cassandra said. "I don't think so. I can't-"
"Then I will."
"You will what?" Emalia asked walking into the kitchen. Cassandra looked at Brian and pleaded to him through her eyes.
"Um, I will make her go out to dinner with us tonight," Brian said. "She was saying that she didn't want to go."
"Oh come on, Cassie," Emalia said. "You have to!"
"Well, okay," Cassandra said.
"Good!" Emalia said and smiled. She grabbed a can of soda out of the fridge. "I'm going back into the living room." She walked out of the kitchen and Cassandra turned to him.
"Thank you so much," Cassandra said to Brian.
"Yeah, I know. But just remember our agreement."
Cassandra nodded. "I know."
Brian stood up and stepped close to Cassandra. He brushed his hand against her face. She closed her eyes and he backed away. "When are you going to talk to her?"
"I dunno. Maybe tonight. But what am I going to say? I can't just come out and say, oh, I don't know."
"I don't know either. I think that you're best bet would be to just hint around and then see where that takes you."
"Brian, maybe you should talk to Kevin."
"And say what? Our hands are basically tied until you talk to Emalia."
"I guess you're right."
"Hey, what time are we leaving tonight?"
Cassandra looked down at her watch. "Well it's three o'clock now. I guess that we should leave around six."
Brian gave her a look. "And what's the occasion this time?"
"You know, I have no idea. Do we have to have an occasion?"
"We usually do."
"I dunno. Think of something."
"I guess that we could be celebrating Mercedes and I moving back into the original house."
Cassandra shrugged. "Whatever. We could even celebrate Nick's death, or Emalia and Everett, or our kiss."
Brian laughed sarcastically. "Funny."
"I know."
Brian and Cassandra walked back into the living room and joined Coreene, Kevin, Emalia, Nicole, Jonathan, Howie and Angel.
Nicole looked around the room thoughtfully. "So this is all that's left of our original group," she said.
"Hey, we're still here," Nick protested from across the room. Standing next to him, Isabella and A.J. agreed. "But I guess it doesn't really matter since you can't really hear us or see us!"
Jonathan turned to Nicole. "I'm sure that Isabella and A.J. are around us all of the time." He turned to Cassandra and said sarcastically: "And I'm sure that Nick is around you, wherever you are. Especially in his room and in the shower."
Cassandra's mouth dropped open and she pretended to be mad at him. "You're so funny, Jonathan!"
"Yes I know," Jonathan replied with a smile.
Cassandra just had to smile. "You know what? I'm sure that you're absolutely right!"
They all broke into laughter and Kevin turned to Cassandra. "So," Kevin said to her. "I take it that you're beginning to accept...you know..."
Cassandra nodded. "Yeah, actually I am. He's gone and I still love him and I know that he still loves me wherever he is, but I need to go on with my life. You guys were all right."
"It's about time you acknowledge that we were right!" Brian said.
"But Brian," Cassandra said. "I wasn't talking about you."
They all started laughing again as Brian's face turned a bright shade of red.
"Seriously, Brian," Cassandra continued. "I think I figured out tonight."
"Huh?"
"Remember what we were talking about? About having to celebrate something?"
"Yeah. What about it?"
"I think we should celebrate all of us moving on with our lives."
"Even you?" Emalia asked her.
Cassandra nodded and looked at her. "Even me, Emalia."
Nick turned to Isabella. "God, I know that what Cassandra just said is the best thing for her but I don't know. I'm not ready for her to let go of me."
"Nick!" Isabella yelled. "Are you totally stupid or are you just acting again?"
Nick gave her a confused look. "What are you talking about?"
"Oh come on. Cassandra will never let go of you. Never! And you know it. A love like you had can never be changed or broken or forgotten. You both still love each other with the same intensity that you always had."
"Yeah, that's true." Nick eyed her. "What's your point?"
Isabella sighed loudly. "My point is that Cassandra will never let go of you."
"But she just said that she was letting go."
Isabella sighed loudly again. "You aren't understanding me. What Cassandra means is that she is letting go of all of her grief and all of the pain that she's been going through ever since you two were separated. She's not letting go of you, she's letting go of the pain of losing you. She will always love you."
"Okay then. Thank you for clearing that up."
"Nick, you're such an idiot."
Mercedes handed Charity over to Eric and attempted to regain her balance.
"Daddy, who are they?" the little boy asked.
"Chase, Honey, these people just came to see you. Why don't you go introduce yourself to them."
He nodded and walked up to Eric. "Hi," Chase said in his eight year old voice. Eric only smiled and patted him on the head with his free hand.
Mercedes wasn't so calm. When Chase walked up to her, she kneeled down to meet his height. She looked at his golden hair and his haircut reminded her of how Nick used to wear his hair. His features were all combinations of her and Eric. They were so beautiful, so fragile. She looked at his arms and hands that were now small but would soon grow to be big and strong. And then she rested her eyes within his. Yes, this was her son, her little Chase. She could never forget his eyes or how blue they were or how they didn't look like anyone else's.
"I'm Chase," he said to Mercedes.
"I know, Honey," Mercedes said, and let a tear slide down her cheek. "Could I steal a hug from ya?"
"Sure," Chase said and smiled.
She wrapped her arms around him. She just wanted to pick him up and take him away. She wanted him back again, for good this time. It felt so strange to be holding him in her arms again and yet, at the same time, it felt natural to her. He was her son and nobody else's. But could Brian possibly understand? No, he couldn't.
Mercedes finally forced herself to let go of Chase and looked him in the eyes for what she knew would be the last time. She leaned over and gently kissed his forehead, reliving the day that she had let him go the first time; it was all the same. She had held him then looked into his eyes and then lightly kissed him goodbye on his forehead. "Goodbye my sweet Chase. I love you so much," Mercedes managed to whisper. Chase could only nod his head. He didn't even realize who she was. He wouldn't understand anyway. He would probably hate her and ask her why she had given him up. Chase waved as Henry escorted him out. She thought that she was going to be able to spend more time with him, but she was wrong.
"I'll have the butler escort you out," Henry said.
"T-That's it?" Mercedes asked.
"Yes, and we don't want you back again. It just confuses him."
"But he's my son!"
"Not anymore. He stopped being your son the day that you gave him up almost nine years ago. Nine years, and we can treat him much better. He has a much more luxurious life now with parents who are little bit older than seventeen."
"But-"
"Excuse us, it's time for lunch." With that, Henry and Carla walked out of the room, closing the door behind them.