Vivian and I where just sitting around shooting the shit she was telling me about this awful date she just had two nights ago when AJ, Nick and Howie showed up.

Nick – “Hey can we come in?”

Me – “You sure can.”  I hadn’t seen them in months so I started crying.  “Come here I can’t get up and I want a hug.”  They come over and take turns.  Nick last who sits on the side of the bed.  “Oh I’m sorry.  Guys this is my friend Vivian McGraw.  Vivian these are my friends Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, and AJ McLean.”

Viv – “Nice it meet you.”

AJ – “Vivian that’s an interesting name.”

Viv – “Well my mom was a big Gone with the Wind fan.”

Me – “So did you see my boys?”

Howie – “Yes they are adorable.”

Nick – “What kids were you looking at?”

Me – “You don’t think they’re cute.”

Nick – “No they are cute.  Just kind of squishy looking.  Where’s Summer?”

Me – “She went to get some drinks.”

Viv – “Well Jess since you’ve got more company now I think I’m going to get out of your hair.”

AJ – “You don’t have to leave on our account.”

Howie – “Yeah please stay.”

Viv – “No I’ve actually got to get back home and call Faith.  She’s probably dying for an update.”

Me – “Okay tell her I said hi.”

Viv – “I will.  You take care and get some rest.”

Me – “I will.”

Viv – “Bye ya’ll”

Guys – “Bye.”  I notice AJ watch her walk out of the room.

Me – “Hey AJ could you go get me some ice I think they have some at the nurse station.”

AJ – “Okay.”  he grabs the pitcher and dashes out of the room.

He catches up with Vivian at the elevator.

AJ – “Hey Scarlett wait up.”  She stops and turns.

Viv – “What did you just call me?”

AJ – “Scarlett, Vivian Leigh right.”

Viv – “Yeah but…”

AJ – “I was thinking I need your phone number.”

Viv – “You need my phone number.” She says sarcastically

AJ – “Yeah.”  He does some fast thinking.  “We are going to try to get a little something together for Jessica when she gets out of here and I need your phone number so I can call and invite you.”

Now Vivian is not stupid.  She knows what he’s up to, so she takes a minute and looks him over.  “Okay.”  She digs in her purse and finds paper and a pen.  “Here is my cell number.  Give me a call.  Even if it has nothing to do with Jess’s party.”

AJ – “You mean like maybe drink later.”

Viv – “Maybe give me a call.”  She leaves and AJ gets my ice and comes back to the room.  Summer had gotten back by then.  He puts the ice on the table and then sits next to me on the bed.

Summer – “So when do you think you are going to get out of here?”

Me – “Dr. Kelly said that it would be at least 3 days.”

Nick – “And where are you going then?”   I look at him and smile.

Me – “Making sure I’m not shutting you guys out again.”

Howie – “There is no way we are letting you get away with not seeing us for months again.”

AJ – “You get into too much trouble when you do.”

Me – “Trust me I missed you guys way too much to go without seeing you all for months at a time again.  I’m sorry I didn’t tell you guys.”  I rest my head on AJ’s shoulder.

Summer – “That’s alright I understand.”

Nick – “What that’s not what you said last night.  You said that you couldn’t believe she didn’t tell you.”  Summer hits him in the stomach.  “well it is.”

Me – “I wanted to tell you Sum, but then you would have had to keep it from Nick and well I knew you two were going to end up back together.  Isn’t it bad enough that I have probably ruined Loren and Kevin’s relationship?”

Howie – “Kevin and Loren will be fine don’t worry about them they will be fine.  Kevin was going to talk to her when we left.”

AJ – “They will be fine.  So what did you name the boys?”

Me – “Well I had Thomas Elliott picked out and then my mom said Brian really liked the name Noah.”

Summer – “Noah what?”

Me – “I don’t know I had such a hard time picking out the one name.  I’m just going to let him pick it out.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The babies were two days old and I had still not seen Brian again.  Brian’s parents were in town, so they had been to the hospital to see the babies. Our moms got along but our dad’s didn’t. Me on the other hand, they were a little standoffish, which was understandable. I think Howie Nick and Summer were on a schedule to visit me. They were never there at the same time but when one left another showed up an hour later.  No one had heard from AJ since they left the hospital that first night they came to visit, and I also couldn’t get a hold of Vivian.

I knew that the wedding was postponed and everything. But they had no idea what was going on with Brian. I was secretly dreading having this talk with him but I knew it had to be done. Howie had just left when Christine walked in. I was sitting watching TV. She walked over and sat in the chair beside my bed. Ignoring her wasn’t working I was going to have to talk to here. I turn off the TV and sat up a little more.

Chris - “Are you feeling well?”

Me - “Not so bad, thanks for asking.”

Chris - “I’m not asking out of concern. I just don’t want you to be able to say that I was picking on you while you were still recovering.”

Me - “oh no I’m fully aware of what’s taking place.”

Chris - “Stay away from Brian.”

Me - “I can’t do that.”

Chris  - “Sure you can when he comes to see you send him away.”

Me - “You don’t know Brian do you.”

Chris - “I know that he was marrying me not you. Take a hint he doesn’t want you, disappear.”

Me - “I just had his sons. You think he’s going to let me walk away with them. Maybe you need to take a hint and get use to being a step mom.”

Chris “I hope you don’t think that he’s going to except any responsibility for these kids. He told me they couldn’t possible be his.” Her lie hurts but I’m not going to let her know that. “You really thought this little game of yours was going to work didn’t you. Don’t mess with the master.”

Me - “Is that what this is to you a game between us.”

Chris - “Oh don’t play so innocent, you had a feeling that Brian was slipping away from you so you got pregnant in hopes of keeping him.”

Me - “Alright Einstein if that was my plan why didn’t tell him.”

Chris - “Because you found out about the wedding from you aunt and decided to ruin it.”

Me - “Oh so Loren has been in on this from the beginning.”

Chris - “Well of course but I was on to you. Why else would I make that talentless slut my maid of honor I had to keep her close I never trusted either one of you.”

Me - “You really are a sad soul aren’t you.”

Chris - “Don’t you dare feel bad for me. I just wanted you to prepare yourself for Brian’s rejection of you and your bastard children.”

Me - “I think you need to leave now.” As much as I tried she got to me, I was ready to cry.

Chris - “Fine I’ve accomplished what I wanted.”

She gets up to leave purposely knocking flowers over on her way out. I turn over on my side and start crying. I didn’t hear Brian come in and pick up the flowers. I opened my eyes when he passed in front of the window.

Me - “Brian I’m sorry I really can’t get into this with you now.” He says nothing; he just sits on the bed and takes me in to his arms. After I get myself under control, “thanks. I don’t know what got in to me.”

Brian - “I do. I heard everything. Please don’t believe anything she said.”

Me - “Oh, I wish you hadn’t.”

Brian - “Why?”

Me - “Because you care about her, and it hurts when someone you care about doesn’t live up to your expectations.”

Brian - “meaning me. I wish I could take back what I did to you.”

Me - “So do I so maybe we can just say we’re even.”

Brian - “okay.” I lay there letting him hold me for awhile. It feels like we were never apart.