- Charlene Sutton almost died of alcohol poisoning.
- Cassie Lakhani and Miles Fowler were both shot.
- Damien Crenshaw became Mayor of Stone Creek.
- Aidan moved into the Thurlow Cottage...
[.....]
[.....]
Scene One:
Stone Creek; Sage Gardens.
Gladys’ Bistro.
Charlene Sutton sat at a booth, mesmerized by the glass before her.
There was a time in her life when the glass would be filled to the top with some kind of alcohol, but today it was mere water and she still didn’t know how she felt about that. Her life seemed so different than how it was months ago, sitting in Gladys' Bistro and having a meal by herself.
The waitress walked up with her order. Noting the fact that her guest still hadn’t arrived, Charlene tried to smile but the burden of the fact that he never would come brought her down.
Instead, she picked up her fork and took a bite out of her salad. It wasn’t the meal she was used to. Having had dined at Sisyphean’s for most of her life. But it was a meal non-the-less.
In the distance she could smell the sweet scent of wine being poured and it caused Charlene to stop the process she was in the middle of. She dropped her fork and closed her eyes, tasting the sweet nectar in her mouth. Hoping with all her might that it would soon pass.
The process had been a hard one for Charlene. She had spent most of January ordering no more liquor to be brought into their home before she realized that she was cheating herself. Her whole life changed the night that Charlie Sutton found her faced down in her own vomit.
No way would Charlene be able to return to her old life, especially after overhearing Patrick tell her that he didn’t love her anymore. The wine was starting to invade her nostrils and with every second she stayed in the restaurant it sounded like a better idea than re-living her life.
“That smells amazing.” She muttered, mostly to herself.
A passing waitress stopped and smiled at her. “Would you like a glass?”
Charlene gulped, nodding her head.
[.....]
Scene Two:
Stone Creek; Sage Garden’s.
Alice’s Haven Cafe.
“Thanks for meeting me here, I know with everything you’ve been through Greta you’re not in the best spirits right now.” Aidan Jurado spoke as he sat down in front of her. He noticed her uneasiness. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring anything up.”
Greta sighed. “It’s fine. How about we get started on why you asked me here? I know you’re related to the Thurlow’s but we haven’t really been close friends Aidan. So what can I do for you?”
Now he felt bad for asking her here. “I was thinking about moving out of the Thurlow’s cottage and looking into my own place. Now that I have a good paying job, I’ve saved up some money and wanted to know if you’d be interested in helping me find a place of my own.”
“Of course.” Greta agreed.
Although she had spent most of January trying to make sense of her life after what happened to Miles Fowler and Cassie Lakhani; Greta owned a business and she needed to run it, no matter what emotional state she was in. Pulling out her phone she opened her planner.
“When is the best time for you to stop by my office?”
“I can tomorrow around noon.”
She smiled, punched a couple buttons and then looked back up at him. “Alright then, tomorrow around noon I’ll see you in my office. As for now, I guess I’ll be going; maybe find a couple prospects for your visit. Are you seeing anyone or is this just a bachelor pad?”
The question caught Aidan off-guard. He wanted to tell Greta that he was falling head-over-heels for Amanda Tucker, but he knew he would sound crazy. Especially since she was barely returning to town after a couple months absence. Aidan looked up and saw Taylor Kern passing by the Cafe.
Something about the man made Aidan curious about him. Taylor looked inside and stopped, he smiled at Aidan before continuing with his walk.
“Aidan?” He locked his attention back on Greta. “Are you seeing anyone?”
He shook his head. “No, I’m single.”
“Okay,” Greta vacated her seat and shook his hand. “I’ll see you tomorrow and we can find you a place of your own.”
“Thank you Greta.”
[.....]
Scene Three:
2634 W. Parker St., Stone Creek. Callahan Condo’s #15
Marina, Cassie & Lucian’s Condo.
Cassie Lakhani placed her hand over her bare stomach.
She had been restless all night and not even a cup of coffee was helping keep her worries out of her mind. Slipping a shirt over her head, she looked into the mirror. The woman she once was seemed burdened with fear these last couple of weeks. There was no way that January had passed as soon as it did.
The gentle wind of February scrapped lightly at her window and Cassie desperately wanted to open it. To feel the fresh air in her dainty, stuffy room. But every bone in her body feared what the simple task could lead up to.
“Cassie!” Marina Thurlow called from the Kitchen.
She tore her attention off the locked window and proceeded into the main room. “I’m right here, I was just lost in my thoughts again. Do you have Lucian with you? He wasn’t in my bed this morning, you know how I don’t like to wake up without him near me.”
“He’s crawling now Cassie, it’s not safe to keep him on your bed.”
“I know.” Cassie slouched into a chair. “How did he get so big?”
Marina shrugged, obviously in the middle of making them breakfast. “I was thinking about dropping him off at my father’s this morning. He will have Megan to play with, apparently Kirsten asked them to watch her for a couple weeks until Charlene was on her own two feet.”
“I don’t want to burden them-”
“Today is a big day Cass, I don’t know if it’s such a good idea to be taking care of Lucian and yourself right now.” Marina reminded her, finally pointing out what they had been avoiding lately. “Caitlyn already agreed with me and she’s waiting for us.”
Cassie looked up at her friend, frowning. “Today’s the day?”
“I’m afraid so.” Marina grabbed her hand. “When we get those results back Cass, just know that no matter what happens. We are all going to be here for you. You went through so much last year but you had my entire family with you, this year won’t change that.”
“Okay.” Cassie teared up, wiping them away as soon as Lucian crawled up to her.
Scene Four:
Stone Creek; Sage Garden’s.
Gladys’ Bistro.
Patrick Sutton touched Charlene’s shoulder and caused her to jump.
“Are you alright?” He asked, noticing the glass of wine at her table. When she had called him to pick her up; Patrick didn’t expect the call at all. At first he wanted to ignore it and let her fend for herself. But he knew that the person Charlene had become was because of him.
Charlene nodded, looking at the glass directly.
“Miss,” Patrick spoke to the nearest waitress. “Can we get this glass removed?”
The young woman looked at Charlene and then back at Patrick with a forced smile. “Of course, I’ll take that away right now.”
“Can I also get her check?” Charlene looked away, as if she were a child being taken care of.
Patrick sat across from her. Trying to look into his wife’s eyes but knew there was way too much going on inside of her for him to understand. Quite frankly, he had enough on his plate as it was. Especially a company meeting he was scheduled for.
Looking at his watch, Charlene looked up. “You can leave if you want. Just leave me here.”
“Don’t be silly Charlene, you are the one who called me here.” He pushed. “I know a lot has happened to you recently, especially with your drinking. The tabloids have taken the story by the horns and I am doing my best to discredit it. But you need to stop doing this.”
Charlene placed her head in her hands. “You need to stop moping around town like a crazy woman.”
“Fuck you!” She spat, tears in her eyes.
He took a deep breath before continuing. He knew the people in the restaurant would listen in with open ears to their conversation so he tried not to create a scene. “You asked me here, Charlene.”
“Now I’m telling you to leave.” She seethed, her anger plagued the table. “You don’t love me anymore Patrick, let’s just put it out in the open. It’s something that I am coming to terms with. I heard you that night in the hospital telling me that you once did love me-”
“This isn’t about love, this is about you and the mess you are creating for yourself.” Patrick licked his lips in anger, looking around at the patrons who appeared to ignore their conversation. “You nearly killed yourself Charlene and I know it’s not because of what I said.”
She began to tear at the closest napkin. “You’re right, it wasn’t because of what you said.”
“Do you know how much it hurts knowing that I tried to kill myself? I haven’t even mentioned it to our children, nor to my doctors. Everyone thinks it was a simple mistake.” She found it amusing so. “I was so unhappy with myself that I just wanted to not exist.”
Her words terrified Patrick. “You need to talk to someone, anyone.”
Patrick flashed back to the wide-eyed young woman that she once was, a long time ago. His wife, which he could barely call since they weren’t even living together anymore, seemed so distant from that woman. Her face showed signs of aging and her thoughts.
They grew stale from years of torture. “Maybe you should talk to Deborah? I wish you would come back and stay at the Hollyoak Manor with me again. You need a familiar place to be, Charlene, you need to stay near me so I can look out for you and keep you safe.”
She shook her head, forcefully. “I’m staying with Charlie.”
“Here’s the check.” The waitress spoke, returning to their table. Charlene sheepishly looked away, in hopes that Patrick would drop their conversation and she could return to fixing her life on her own.
[.....]
Scene Five:
420 N. Dayton St., Stone Creek. “Saunders Home”
Adrian & Gail’s home.
Gail Schmidt looked at the baby rocker and carried a grim look on her face. Every time she looked into the baby room the night of New Years Eve Ball flashes into her mind and the pain and anguish that followed caused Gail to tear up. It wasn’t that long ago that she spent weeks in the hospital.
She didn’t think she would be coming home to a fully furnished house, but Adrian made that happen. Gail didn’t know what she would do without him in her life. She sighed, stepping foot into the Living Room of their new home and found him hanging up the phone.
“Who was that?” she asked with curiosity.
Adrian lingered around the room. “That was Dizzy on the other line, she wanted to check-up on everything and see how we were doing. I told her that we are all alright and that she didn’t need to keep checking-up and pretending she wasn’t.”
He kissed her on the forehead. “How are you doing?”
The question was one that Gail heard a lot of after that dreadful night. “As good as I could be. Adrian that night could have been worse than it turned out. I don’t know how I could deal without having a freak out every other day. We could have lost her.”
Gail looked at the baby in her husband's hands for the first time since she entered the room. Sometimes it was an impossible task because it reminded Gail that their baby might have not survived the pregnancy. Especially since Violet Monica Stone was born early.
“We’re a family now.” Adrian reminded her, a habit that he seemed to do on a daily basis. “Everyone is healthy now and now that you’re no longer pregnant your blood levels are normal and this baby girl was born healthy as can be. Especially for a premie.”
“She’s gorgeous, isn’t she?”
Adrian nodded his head. “When I was going through your things, trying to find photographs for the house. I found one of you as a baby with your mother. Violet looks just like you.”
“What if she gets diabetes because of me?”
The question had been roaming in her head for weeks. “I know Dizzy told us that Violet is healthy, but what if I passed something down to her? I’m at greater risk for diabetes now that I’ve dealt with gestational diabetes. I know that. I know I have to keep checking my blood sugar. I don’t want her to have to go through that.”
He wrapped his arms around her, their baby girl cooing at the warmth of both their bodies against hers. “Then we will keep a healthy routine Gail. This is the important part, now that we know what it is we will have to look out for it. Together, all three of us.”
“That was the scariest thing I ever had to do.” Gail admitted. “I almost lost a second child.”
“But we didn’t.”
Gail sighed. “No, we didn’t.”
[.....]
Scene Six:
Stone Creek; Stone Creek Memorial Hospital.
Cassie’s Check-up Room.
Looking at the papers in her hands, Dizzy Roberts sighed. She had already prepared herself for this meeting with Cassie Lakhani. Getting off the phone with Adrian earlier had also prepared herself for what could have been Cassie’s future.
But none of that made it easier.
Stepping into the room she tried to hold a straight face as she asked the routine questions and noticed the woman had become nervous over the course of the last couple of minutes being in the room alone without a doctor. Marina Thurlow comforted her friend.
“So what’s wrong with her?” Marina asked.
Dizzy gulped. “You have a full bill of health. You were lucky the way the bullet entered your body that it didn't cause any internal bleeding. The fact that you are walking around is also a better sign. But I must give you some bad news and it’s something that you’ll need to deal with head-on.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m sorry to tell you Cassie, but the angle that the bullet entered your body it damaged your uterus.” Dizzy showed Cassie the x-rays that she had been looking at from earlier and pointed to the points of interest. “The good news is that you have a healthy son, but I’m afraid carrying to full-term is impossible for you.”
Cassie gripped Marina’s hand. “I-I don’t understand what you’re saying. Are you telling me that I won’t be able to have any more children?”
Dizzy nodded.
“How can you...” Cassie turned to Marina, her face frozen in fear. “I don’t know what to say. I’m lucky that I’m alive but I have the terrible luck of not having the family that I’ve always wanted?” Marina placed her hand to her mouth. “Nobody will ever want to marry me now.”
“In cases like this, Cassie,” Dizzy offered some pamphlets for the woman. But Cassie ignored them; Marina scooped them up for later. “We recommend a couple therapy sessions. To talk about how you’re feeling inside. Some women go through depression-”
“Some women go through depression?” Cassie scoffed, tears streamed down her eyes. “Do you know what I went through after my first pregnancy? Oh my god! If I were to have aborted Lucian.” She turned to Marina. “If I were to have aborted my baby I wouldn’t have any in my lifetime.”
“You have a healthy son.” Marina reminded her friend.
Cassie shook her head. “A son that I never wanted in the first place!”
“There are a couple good therapist-”
“Just give us a few minutes!” Marina spat, she looked annoyed at Dizzy. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell like that. It’s just that Cassie has been through a lot lately and we need a few minutes to just figure things out. I can take care of this, alright?”
“Certainly.” Dizzy replied, leaving the room.
[.....]
Scene Seven:
Stone Creek; Stone Creek Memorial Hospital.
Hallway to Hospital Rooms.
Greta Wilkinson tried to look past her reflection in the window. The blinds to the room had been left open, which she made a reminder to close once she entered it. If she ever entered it the room that is. For the last weeks of January the closest should could get was the door.
Watching as her fiance slumbered helplessly in a coma proved too much for Greta. Most days she would find herself coming by the hospital for a couple of minutes. Maybe walk by to say hello. But today had to be different. it was time for a change.
Somehow she felt like she knew what it was like to be him. In that bed.
Greta knew she had to walk inside the room, so she did. Closing the blinds behind her and pulling the Guitar that she brought with her, up to her lap. A tear fell down her eye as she strummed it lightly. “You need to wake up Miles, you need to be alright.”
After they found him laying on the ground in his own blood; Cassie Lakhani laying by his side in the same condition. Greta tried to block everything out. Her dress was stained in his blood. Pleading with him to be alright.
A bitter tear stained her cheek. “I don’t know what you did to deserve this, but I feel like that this should be me in this bed Miles. Something tells me that there’s more to this. My father is still investigating the event and the guy they caught-”
She stopped.
Her breath caught in her throat as she tried to wander back to the time she was at the Police Station to identify the guy. “I don’t have a clue who he is or why he shot you. They still haven’t asked Cassie to identify him, but she has been through so much trauma as it is. They said she was just a victim of bad timing.”
“I really need you to pull through this.” Greta grasped his hand. “I know in the past I’ve not been the easiest person to be around and the fact that you stuck by my side just proves that I need you more than you need me. Miles, when you wake up, I want to marry you.”
[.....]
Scene Eight:
980 Cutler St., Stone Creek. Faustino Cottages #7
Charlie, Kirsten & Megan’s Home.
“Charlie?” Charlene Sutton called out, entering the house with the key her son had made for her. She placed her bag on the side table and wandered through the hall. “Kirsten are you home?”
After Patrick picked her up at Gladys’ Bistro he dropped her off here so she could relax. For a moment she found that he was started to come around to her leaving their home to stay with their son. But she knew, deep down, that Patrick hated the idea.
He wasn’t one to let go of control. Of anything.
“Charlene.” Kirsten spoke in surprise, she entered from the Kitchen. Her hands carrying a wash cloth with her. “I didn’t think you would be home so early. How was your day?”
Charlene eye’d the woman suspiciously. “It wasn’t too eventful. Where’s my son?”
“He went to drop off Megan at my father’s house.” Kirsten replied, there was a brief moment of hesitation in the younger woman’s voice that Charlene picked up on. She shifted her weight and frowned. “With you staying here we just thought it was best that you could relax without the worries of a child around.”
“So how long is she staying at your father’s?” Charlene asked.
Kirsten shrugged. “That all depends on how you are feeling.”
“I’m feeling great.”
The younger woman sighed. “Listen, Charlene, you can stay here as long as you need to. Charlie and I have already discussed this and we are more than happy to have you as our guest. But we think that it is in Megan’s best interest to stay with my father and Caitlyn.”
The front door opened, alerting them to Charlie’s arrival. “So you agreed to this?”
Charlie looked at his mother quizzically. “What did I agree to, exactly?”
“The both of you think I’m going to harm Megan in some way? Or do you think that my past is going to rub off on her and she’s going to---what? Start walking around with a bottle of wine in her hands?” Charlene gasped, looking at both of them. “I’m doing better!”
“We know you are mother,” Charlie went to hug her, but Charlene pulled away. “Lets just see how this works out and then we will move Megan back into her room with you.”
Kirsten approached Charlene. “We didn’t mean to hurt your feelings-”
“Well you did.” Charlene scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief and making her way to Megan’s room. How could she fail to convince her family that she didn’t need to be treated like a disease? It was bad enough that they all thought Charlene was fragile. Now?
She sighed as she looked around the little girl’s room. The innocence baffled her.
[.....]
Scene Nine:
Stone Creek; Now Town.
Sutton Enterprises Building; Conference Room.
The bitter coldness of the conference room was enough to cause chills to any of its occupants. But the looming news that hung over their heads seemed to be the cause of the tension. The main investors and managers of Sutton Enterprises all sat in the room.
Patrick Sutton arrived, their eyes on him. “Alright, I called this meeting together because we need to start talking about the direction this company is taking.”
He stood in the center of the room, a cunning look in his eye as if he were getting ready to fire the entire staff.
“Actually,” A voice spoke from the corner of the room. Everyone turned to face Patrick’s daughter, Gillian Sutton. She smirked at the group of people and walked around the table. “I called this meeting together. I’m sorry daddy but you really need to get a handle on your affairs.”
“What are you doing here Gillian?”
She sighed. “We can discuss that at a later time, but I’m here to discuss the recent mishaps with Sutton Enterprises and how we let Catalina Cortez make a mockery out of us. With the economy being the way it is, we have too much to lose to have anymore mishaps.”
Patrick pulled Gillian’s arm, but she tugged back. “Please excuse us.”
“We’re in the middle of a meeting.” She snapped back. “Haven’t you heard daddy? In order to save this company and keep it out of the grasps of my future husband I bought a couple more shares. Well,” she shrugged. “I bought my way up to CEO of the company.”
His face drained.
“Like I said, we can talk about this later.” She then turned to the people in the room. “We need to kick our gears into overdrive and we need to act fast. There’s a lot of potential out there and I have already sent out scouts to recruit new investors and fresh talent.”
“So what does that mean?” A skinny older gentleman asked.
Gillian smirked. “That means out with the old, in with the new.”
[.....]
Next Time, On Concrete Shelves
- Patrick struggles with Gillian taking charge.
- Cassie makes plans for her future.
- Charlene tries to find help in rebuilding her life.
- Frank feels Lucy’s presence...
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