- Diem discovered that Danielle could possibly still be alive.
- With Miles recovered, the weddings were back on track.
- A City-wide black out caused commotion for the residents.
- Someone brutally attacked Emily Roscoe...
[.....]
[.....]
Scene One:
Somewhere in Stone Creek
Bentley & Wilkinson’s Home; Bedroom
The room smelled different, once Bentley Wilkinson woke up he could taste the stale air. It wasn’t the taste or smell that woke him up though, it was the nightmare he had been having. It felt so real that once he had awoken he turned to his side to see Emily Roscoe laying there.
Her eyes fluttered open almost instantly. “What’s wrong?”
“I had a horrible nightmare.” Bentley declared, he wrapped his arms around her body. It was a touch that he had missed so much in the few hours that he had been asleep.
Emily smiled, warmly. “I’m here now.”
Although Bentley knew that she was right. That Emily was right in front of him on the bed, cuddled under the same blankets as he was. He still couldn’t shake the feeling of dread, that somehow, he would again wake up to discover her gone. In that moment he realized, “I missed you.”
She chuckled. “I didn’t go anywhere silly.”
The brunette grabbed her fiance’s arm and placed it above her heart. Bentley could feel the beating of her heart underneath his touch. “So it was just a nightmare?”
“Just a feeling in the back of your head that has made you restless.” Emily acknowledged, she chuckled so effortlessly that it calmed Bentley down. There was still something in the air that told him that something wasn’t right, but he ignored it for now. Just to give him more time with her.
“What are we doing today?” Bentley asked.
Emily shrugged. “We have so much time together, why do we have to worry about today? Why can’t we live in tomorrow or discover yesterday?”
She entwined her hands in his. “There was a time when I was so uncertain about our future Bentley, but I see everything so clearly now and I am in love with what I know. After all this time, I am finally at peace with our lives. I had an epiphany.”
“Did you now?” Bentley asked, he chuckled.
“We are only given one life Bentley,” Emily stated, she wiggled in his grasp, “let’s not waste it worrying about what we are going to do. Or when we are going to do it. There’s no time to plan our lives according to everyone else's rules. Just dream something Bentley and then make it happen.”
“I love you.”
[.....]
Scene Two:
Somewhere in Stone Creek
Bentley & Wilkinson’s Home; Kitchen
“How was your shower?” Emily Roscoe asked, she stood in front of the stove making breakfast. This sight was so much more than Bentley could handle as he still couldn’t shake the feeling that all of this would soon end. He stepped up beside her and kissed her cheek.
After exploring their home, Bentley made a note to ask Emily--at a later time--when had they moved into such a huge home. He had felt as if there were more room to explore than he had the patience to do it. He felt like it was just that morning that they were living in his tiny apartment.
He watched her as she happily cooked. “Have you talked to your parents?”
In the small amount of time it took him to ask about her birth parents, Emily had already made her way to the sink. He watched as she doubled back to turn the stove off and then turned to him, nonchalantly. “What parents? You already know my mother died of cancer and my father is a drunk.”
“I’m talking about your birth parents.”
“When did you find this out?” Bentley asked, he tried to remember the day at the Hospital when they were waiting for the DNA tests. But just as he had tried to remember when they had bought such a lavish house, that memory resided vacant from his mind.
“Are you alright with them not being your parents?”
She shrugged. “I was really excited that Caitlyn had wanted to be my mother.”
“But things don’t always happen the way we wanted them to.” Emily continued. “Caitlyn was devastated after finding out that she had lost Danielle once again. Another dead end, David had told us when he finished the tests. But now, now you are my family Bentley.”
He hugged her small frame and could feel her body exhaling heavily. “Lets eat breakfast.”
[.....]
Scene Three:
Stone Creek; Now Town/Cuttlebone Lake
Stone Creek Candle Light Park/Cuttlebone Lake
“Stop!”
Bentley Wilkinson could hear the voice of his fiance behind him, a chuckle following the words soon after. They had decided to take a run along the Park, although Bentley couldn’t tell you when this was decided nor what time of the day it was. He just knew being around Emily was the right choice.
Breaking his jog, he began to slow down as the brunette caught up to him and hugged him from behind. “I think I’m pretty exhausted now. We must have ran at least five miles today.” Emily kissed his cheek and maneuvered herself in front of him. “At least.”
“Well we are almost there.” Bentley found the words coming out of his mouth, a declaration that he somehow already knew. As if his mind had jumped ahead into the future and began making plans without the rest of his body. He led Emily through the trees.
Emily dug her heels into the ground. “Where are we going?”
Bentley turned around to see Emily Roscoe dressed in an emerald green evening gown, it sparkled as the stars above their heads did. He looked around, confused at the change of garment. Then he looked down to see himself in a tuxedo, it’s bowtie a sparkling green.
“Where were we?” He asked.
She smiled. “You planned a date for us, silly.”
There was a hint of confusion in her words as she hung behind him, her hands keeping her gown from hitting the dirt below them. Her heels the only thing between her feet and the brown dirt. “Don’t you remember that today is the Anniversary of the day that we met?”
“I remember.” Bentley declared, he held out his hand for Emily to take. Which she did, so effortlessly and full of intrigue. Keeping her dress up off the ground Emily followed Bentley through the bushes and trees that inhabited Cuttlebone Lake.
The two stepped into the clearing where the trees led to the Pier and walked along it. The sound of the Lake waters, although so gentle, played music in their ears as they turned to each other. “I remember the first time I met you and how Lucy Hahn told me that you had a crush on me.”
“I didn’t have a crush.” Emily chuckled, she turned away.
Bentley brought her eyes to lock with his. “I was intrigued with you.”
“Do you wonder how time keeps moving, running, just keeps going and we have no recollection of one day before the other?” She asked, Emily grabbed Bentley’s hands and held them in hers. “I don’t want us to ever be that couple that fights over artificial objects or non-existent children.”
“We have non-existent children?”
Emily smiled. “I’ve been naming them for quite sometime.”
“Well, I hope the girls look as stunning as you do in this very moment.”
She sighed, looking down at their hands and how they were so close together. “I feel like all we have been doing Bentley was planning for our future but can you name a moment in which we have lived it? We keep celebrating all these anniversaries of the day that we met-”
“Emily.” He brought his hands to her chin and lifted it gently.
“I want to celebrate the anniversary of our marriage.” Bentley kissed her on the lips. “I want to celebrate us Bentley, one day I want you to be able to look back and know that I never loved anyone as much as I’ve loved you. It hurts that we will never celebrate our marri-”
“Let’s do it then.” Bentley interrupted her, there was something deep inside of him that knew Emily was telling the truth. He knew that the life they were currently living wasn’t true. He could taste the stale air around them. “Let’s get married in Vegas by Elvis.”
“Elvis?” Emily laughed.
He nodded his head. “I don’t care how we get married, I just want you by my side.”
Emily smiled, she looked to the lake and had an idea. “Fine, but if we get married by Elvis you need to trust me in this moment. Right now Bentley, you need to do as I say.” Emily turned away from him and slipped off her heels. Then she turned to him and began to untie his bowtie.
“No.” He shook his head as Emily dropped his bowtie to the floor.
She licked her lips. “We need to make memories out of moments, Bentley.”
Bentley could feel Emily taking off his coat as he closed his eyes and thought it over. He knew that all he wanted to do was please Emily, so he slid out of his shoes. The gentle laughter coming from his Fiance assured him that he was doing the right thing.
When he opened his eyes she was already out of her dress and headed for the water. So Bentley unzipped his slacks and tugged off his shirt. Racing towards Emily, who knew he’d catch up to her. Bentley stumbled onto the Pier, his foot caught in his slacks.
Emily turned and tried to keep from chuckling. She watched as Bentley got back up to his feet and grabbed Emily into his arms, dropping both of them into the freezing cold lake.
Scene Four:
Las Vegas, Nevada
Graceland Chapel in Vegas
She fixed his tie.
It was a simple gesture that Emily Roscoe had done many times before. Mostly because Bentley was horrible at tying his ties, it was a skill that his father was unable to teach him as a young boy. But he was glad to have Emily for that now, to have her so close to him.
Her hands stopped once they fixed the tie and lingered against his chest as he looked from her arms to her face. The smile that he had woken up to many different times. Bentley Wilkinson fidgeted as he tried to keep calm, although he knew it was a losing battle. “Should we see each other before the wedding? Is that even allowed?”
“I’m not giving into some stereotypical superstitions,” Emily let go of Bentley’s tie, she fell short of the rest of her sentence with a sadness in her eyes. Then she picked back up, “Nothing bad is going to happen today, I am marrying the man of my dreams.”
He smiled.
Somehow they had arrived in Vegas without a hitch, although Bentley feels that he remembers the plan ride to Nevada it does seem like a haze. Maybe he had been nauseous on the plane? His eyes locked with Emily’s and all his worry went away.
The one person he would never leave was standing in front of him, waiting to become his wife. There were no words to describe how he felt.
“Don’t forget us!” They both turned towards the entrance of the church to see Bentley’s sister, Greta Wilkinson rushing towards them with her boyfriend Miles Fowler right behind her.
“Didn’t think you could get married without the two of us, did you?” Miles snipped, a goofy grin on his face. He put his hand on Greta’s back and she leaned against him happily.
Bentley went over to his sister and gave her a hug. “I’m just glad to have you here. I’m sorry, I don’t remember you on the plane with us when we flew in. I didn’t think we told anyone about this actually.” He replied, furrowing his brow.
She smirked. “Don’t be silly Bentley, everyone is waiting back at home.”
“They are?” He turned back to Emily. “Did you set this up?”
“We wanted it to be a surprise.” She admitted.
Emily stepped down to the isle and took her fiance’s hands. Looking back at Greta and Miles, she refocused back to Bentley. “I wanted everything to be perfect. I just couldn’t see you being happy without your family at your wedding, and I knew we couldn’t afford to have everyone here-”
“I just need you.” Bentley spoke.
She smiled. “I know that.”
Greta and Miles stepped to the side, talking to themselves.
“I know that you want to spend this day with me. I also know that you wanted your family here and since I couldn’t do it, Greta pitched in an idea that we have everyone over for a second wedding at your parents place. So let’s celebrate tonight the only way that we know how to.”
“With Elvis.” Bentley answered.
“Let’s get this wedding started!” Miles called out, getting a nudge from Greta. He shrugged, “We came all this way to meet Elvis. Now I don’t know about the three of you, but I love weddings and I love Elvis. So this could only be one of the best weddings I’ve been invited to.”
The others chuckled.
“Dearly Beloved,” The Elvis impersonator began, “we are gathered here today to witness before family and friends the exchange of solemn vows between Emily Roscoe and Bentley Wilkinson.”
“If there be any suspicious minds present in the audience doncha think it's time to speak now or never - their love won't wait. Emily Roscoe, repeat after me: It only took one night to get stuck on you,”
Emily looked into Bentley’s eyes. “It only took one night to get stuck on you.”
“and now my wish came true, you big hunka hunka burnin' love! I thought you were nothin' but a hound dog, cryin' all the time, but now I know you're my teddy bear 'cause tigers play too rough and lions ain't the kind you love enough. So kiss me quick and love me tender for I can't help falling in love with you.”
Looking at her, Bentley couldn’t help but forget that everyone else was in the room.
“Bentley Wilkinson, repeat after me: It took a hard headed woman to make me king of the whole wide world. I thought you were the devil in disguise but you turned out to be my puppet on a string. I used to live in the hotel down the end of lonely street but now it's viva las vegas 'cause I need your love tonight. Please take this moment to exchange your gifts of love.”
“By the powers vested in me I now pronounce you ‘husband and femme’ but remember, there is no return to sender. You may kiss your cousin. Please join me in welcoming Mr. and Mrs. Wilkinson...”
Bentley looked to his sister and Miles and then back at Emily who dazzled in the light. He placed his hand behind her head and gently brought her closer to him. Eliminating any space between the two and kissing her softly.
[.....]
Scene Five:
Las Vegas, Nevada
Hotel Room
He couldn’t tell you the one thing he loved the most about Emily Roscoe, but as she was jumping on the bed her laughter caught his ear and it made him smile. She had the best laugh he had ever was privileged to hear. When they were home alone, Bentley would get her on the couch and tickle her sides just to hear it.
Emily stopped jumping and looked down at Bentley, who was laying on the bed just listening to her chuckle. “I cannot believe that I am finally Mrs. Bentley Wilkinson.” She spoke, her words filled with joy and it made Bentley smile even wider.
“What were you thinking about when we were getting married?”
The confusion in Emily’s eyes is evident, but then her face softens and she lies next to Bentley. “I was thinking about Miles and Greta. I was thinking about when Miles was in the coma and we weren’t sure that he would pull through and then,” She stopped, trying to force a smile.
“Then?”
“I thought about how Greta might not ever get married to Miles and they would never be able to start a family.” Tears started to stream down Emily’s eyes. “How awful it must feel to know that everything you worked so hard for wouldn’t come true. Then I started to think about us.”
Emily linked hands with Bentley. “How I wanted children so bad.”
“We still have time.” Bentley reminded her.
But she didn’t seem so certain, as if she knew more than Bentley could ever know. Emily sighed, choking back her tears and then smiled at her husband. “Yeah, we do.”
Although Bentley felt that his new wife was holding something back, he didn’t push it. Instead he kissed her on the lips. “So tell me about our children, tell me their names and what they look like.” He cradled Emily in his arms and began to tickle her sides to hear her laughter once again.
She tilted her head back to let out a thunderous roar but instead the back of her head connected with Bentley’s chin and they both yelped in pain. Which caused them both to laugh.
[.....]
Scene Six:
Somewhere in Stone Creek
Bentley & Wilkinson’s Home; Kitchen
Stepping into the Kitchen, Bentley Wilkinson stopped in place. A second ago he knew exactly why he was coming into the Kitchen, but now it seemed to have slipped his mind. Everything had been doing that lately. The only memory he really had at this point was his wedding day to Emily.
A smile invaded his lips, “Emily?”
Everything in the Kitchen looked untouched, as if they hadn’t been there in weeks. He sighed, something caught his eye on the counter. There was still no sign of Emily after he hollered for her. I wonder where she could have went? She didn’t say anything about leaving today.
“At least I don’t remember.” Bentley spoke with the Kitchen appliances as his audience.
Bentley turned over the note and read it: Went to the Hospital. I’ll be back shortly.
“Hospital?” Bentley breathed, he flipped the note around in case he missed an important detail. But there wasn’t much left, just an old grocery list. He moved around the Kitchen. If Emily was in trouble she would have come to him first, right?
Had he known she was going to the hospital, clearly Bentley would have went with her. But the note didn’t seem like she was distressed. Then it dawned on him that Emily could have went to the hospital to visit his mother, Daphne Wilkinson.
“Bentley.” A voice called from the hall.
It was his wife’s voice, he could tell. So he dropped the note, which fluttered to the floor, and made his way into the Hallway. “Emily, thank god, I was worried about you.”
She smiled and tilted her head in amusement. “I just went out for a bit.”
“To the hospital!” He exclaimed.
“So you got my note.” Emily smirked, she rubbed her belly. “I didn’t mean to alarm you Bentley, I just had to go to the Hospital to make sure that everything was alright.”
He walked over to her, completely oblivious to the hand rubbing her belly. “I just-” He stopped, looking down. “Wait, what’s going on? Emily, is there something that you need to tell me about your visit to the Hospital?”
“I’m pregnant.”
[.....]
Scene Seven:
Somewhere in Stone Creek
Bentley & Emily’s Home; Front Yard
“I don’t think you understand Mr. Thurlow, the outlines you were asking for haven’t come back from the printers yet,” Bentley Thurlow spoke into the Bluetooth as he parked his car in the driveway of the house he owned with his wife. He turned off the engine and sat in the car. “I already asked my secretary to stay later tonight.”
He massaged his temple in frustration. Bentley had been getting minor blackouts lately, so when James Thurlow asked his new Junior Advertising Agent why he didn’t stay at the office himself, Bentley didn’t know what to tell him. Nor could bentley remember when the blackouts had started.
They seemed to correlate with his sudden memory lapses. Like the time he got married to Emily in Paris. He remembered talking about getting married to his wife and he certainly remembers the wedding, but Bentley couldn’t tell you how he got to Vegas or what they did for the rest of their Honeymoon.
It also happened when he first found out that Emily was pregnant with their child. He spent a couple minutes walking around the house aimlessly as if he had forgotten entirely why he was there. What his purpose was.
Bentley leaned back in his chair, ending his conversation with James.
“Are you coming in?” His attention shot-up to the stone path leading to their front door where a little girl was standing in an emerald summer dress. He looked at her confused. “Are you coming inside or not?” She asked again, her hands on her hips.
“I’ll be inside right now.” He stammered with a weak smile.
The little girl huffed. “She’s not going to be happy with you!”
It only took Bentley two minutes before his hand was attached to the little girl’s and dragged into the house. Immediately getting slapped in the face with reality as his family and friends were littered throughout his home, which immediately assured him where all the cars outside had come from.
Ryan Bauer tipped his head to Bentley as he waved a faint hello. “She told me to bring you inside as soon as you got here.” The little girl looked up at Bentley.
“Did she now?” He asked, curious as to who she was.
“Alexia, come here honey.” Emily called from the backyard.
It calmed Bentley to hear her voice, so soft and clean. The little girl ushered him into the backyard where Emily was seen talking to Bentley’s parents. He furrowed his brow when he caught a glimpse of his boss--James Thurlow standing next to his father.
“I thought you were at the office!” Bentley snipped, confused.
James chuckled. “I couldn’t miss your daughter’s birthday, now could I?”
The words were enough to stop time itself as Bentley looked from one face to the other. His parents, although they seemed older than before were all smiles as they caught sight of him. His mother, Daphne, motioned towards him with her eyes. Causing Emily to turn around, she wore a strained face.
“There you are.” Emily blurted, excusing herself from his parents side.
James nudged Bentley on the shoulder. “Looks like you’re in trouble, I’ll talk to you about the outlines later. From my experience, taking care of your family is key to a happy household and the solution to a healthy life.” Then he turned to Emily as she approached. “Go easy on the boy, he has a heart of gold.”
“That’s why I married him.” She gleamed through the stress that built up on her face. Once they were alone to indulge in their conversation, she pulled Bentley to the side. “Alexia, honey, go play with the other kids.”
Bentley looked at the little girl and how much she now resembled Emily. His eyes started to tear up as he was filled with confusion. How did he not recognize her as his daughter. His own flesh and blood. Alexia skipped away from the two and headed towards the Big Bounce.
“I can’t keep doing this.” Emily spoke.
He turned back to Emily. “She’s so big.”
“And only getting bigger Benny.” His wife sulked, shaking her head. “I knew when you took the job with Mr. Thurlow that you would be working a lot, trust me, I’ve been his secretary for years. But we agreed that it wouldn’t take time away from me and the kids-”
“Kids.” He breathed.
Emily placed a hand on her hip the way Alexia had done earlier. “Grayson just started High School, between his football practices and Alexia’s recitals I barely have time to go to the Middle School whenever Shawn gets in trouble! I’m just looking for you to meet me halfway.”
Bentley gulped, trying to fight back the tears.
“Benny, are you alright?”
He nods. “I just-” stopping himself from saying that he didn’t know they had children, Bentley takes a deep breath. Secretly scanning the sea of children running around in hopes he could spot any that looked like they could be his and Emily’s. He just wanted to see their faces.
Then he looked back at Emily. “I’m going to try harder Ems, trust me.”
Emily relaxed, shaking her head. “Okay, I trust you.”
[.....]
Scene Eight:
Somewhere in Stone Creek
Bentley & Emily’s Home; Their Bedroom
Emily flipped through the invitation in her hands. “I’ve never been to Paris.”
It was the first set of words either of them had spoken in the last hour, before they agreed that it was time to go to sleep. Bentley turned to her and sighed, he knew he was still working for James at the Lumber Mill as an Advertising Agent, so he concluded that he had been to Paris.
Although he wished he knew what it was like. “Well maybe one day,” his voice seemed strange to him. As if it had aged overnight and it had barely occurred to him that time had probably passed, as well as his appearance. “Maybe one day after all of this, we can go. I will take you there.”
She smiled, reading the underlining about the wedding. “He’s a good guy, you know?”
“What was his name again?” Bentley teased.
Emily placed the invitation on the bedside table. Then she sat up and turned to her husband. “His name is Cameron and he’s a doctor, just like your mother. I don’t think you have to worry about him Bentley, he makes Alexia so happy and I think that is all that matters.”
“Our little girl is getting married.”
The words felt so real and emotional, but to Bentley he didn’t know how to feel. He was perplexed at the fact that his little girl. His flesh and blood was now grown-up and didn’t need him anymore. Yet he was also confused as to where the time went.
“Tomorrow.” Emily replied, she placed a hand on Bentley’s chest. “What’s on your mind?”
“I don’t want to lose you.” He admitted.
“You’re not.” Emily spoke, her words lingered around them. There was uncertainty in them that caused Bentley to lock eyes with his wife. If only to live in the moment and forget about everything else. “You’re not losing me Bentley, we’ve been together for so long. We have raised our children together, and, quite frankly I could never leave that for anything.”
She laid her head on his chest. “Not willingly.”
“So, Paris?”
Emily looked up. “One day.”
[.....]
Scene Nine:
Somewhere in Stone Creek.
Bentley & Emily’s Home; Living Room.
Before Bentley could even get inside the house, Emily Wilkinson slammed the front door shut and started walking through the house. He knew he did something bad tonight, but he couldn’t figure out when it happened. Somewhere between talking to James Thurlow at the cocktail party and saying goodbye to his parents he really messed things up with his wife.
“I’m sorry.” He shouted once he entered the house.
But she wasn’t in the Living room and Bentley wasn’t sure if she heard his apology. “I’m-”
Emily appeared in the doorway from the Kitchen. They both looked at each other for a moment before either one of them spoke and it felt like decades before Emily even uttered a word to reciprocate his apology. “Why do you do that Bentley? Why do you flirt with other women?”
He sighed. “I didn’t.”
“You did!” She shouted back, “Bentley, you flirted with the hostess of the party and then after I caught you,” Emily shook her hair out of it’s bun. “You then proceeded to flirt with the bartender--that Amanda bitch! I don’t see how you don’t see yourself. This job of yours.”
There was a quickness in her words, they were sharp and cunning and aiming straight at him. Emily turned away from him and headed up to the bedroom, in which Bentley followed quickly behind her in hopes to defuse the situation before it became the great pink elephant.
“Emily-”
“No!” She turned around toward him, obviously tired of fighting but not willing to let this one go. Her lips began to wilt as she stopped a couple steps ahead of him. “No Bentley, no. I don’t know what we are doing. This job of yours has obviously gotten to your head and I’m just sitting here at home waiting for someone to walk through that front door.”
“At this point I wouldn’t mind if it was death itself.” Her words were stern. “At least someone would be coming home at night.”
Then she turned and continued up the stairs, taking two at a time.
Bentley sighed, he followed Emily to their bedroom where he found his wife stripping out of her dress and standing there in her underwear, black lace that taunted him. “This isn’t about work, is it?”
She shook her head.
“Then talk to me Ems! Talk to me about it.” Bentley pulled his tie loose and slung his coat onto the floor. He knew that would get her attention as she had acquired this need to keep everything off the floor and on hangers, over the years. “There’s something there that wasn’t a couple years ago. So explain it to me!”
“What happened to us?” She shouted.
Emily walked over to the bed and sat down. There is where Bentley noticed that she still hadn’t taken off her heels. In the shouting and arguments she had probably got herself confused. It was what he loved the most about Emily, how she always lost herself in the things she was doing. Her will to give all seemed to over take simple procedures.
“We used to be something Benny,” Emily looked at him as she unfastened her shoes.
He leaned agains the doorframe. “By the way you’ve been keeping things in for so long, it seems that we have become elephant tamers.” He dodged one of her heels. “You’re so reclusive now Emily, I can’t read your mind.”
“I’m not asking you to!”
“Yes you are!” Bentley shouted, causing them both to stop. “You can’t tell me that there is something wrong Emily and then not talk about it. Do you realize how crazy that sounds? Do you not understand what that feels like to not be able to help fix us?”
“Can we be fixed?”
“Talk like that and we will never know.”
Emily dropped her shoulders. “We got married. We had children and we grew-up and somewhere along the line, I don’t know when, it all seems so hazy, but we lost ourselves. You used to be so fun Bentley, you used to care about nothing but us and now, you’re so stuck on meetings and agendas.”
“You want me to quit my job? I’ll quit my job.”
“I’m not asking you too.” She replied. “I’m asking you to remember us.”
Bentley sighed. “I do remember us.”
“Then lets stop living this white-picket fence life and lets buy a boat and live on Cuttlebone Lake. Or buy a cabin in the woods and go streaking at night! Why do we have to live in suburbia? Why do we have to conform to this?” She asked, words that grew in the room the longer they stayed.
“I don’t care what we do, as long as I have you.” Bentley replied, stepping closer to her and pulling Emily into a kiss.
[.....]
Scene Ten:
Stone Creek; Sage Gardens
Gladys’ Bistro
“Cheers to thirty years.” Bentley Wilkinson spoke, holding up his glass of some concoction that Emily pointed out on the menu. It tasted terrible and was expensive but he wouldn’t say a word. Because sitting in front of Emily and calling her his wife for thirty years was all that mattered.
She smiled, knowingly. “Thirty years.”
“How did we get here?” He asked, although their was a tinge of wanting to know the literal answer to that question as he didn’t really remember life happening so quickly. He finally realized that it wasn’t about remembering every little detail. It was about enjoying the detail he remembered with Emily.
Bentley rubbed his wife’s hand. “When did our children all grow-up and become adults with various different problems? How did they grow-up and turn out to be so successful with having parents like us? So dysfunctional and living on the moon?”
“Can we live on the moon some day?” Emily chuckled.
“Yes.” He replied.
Then he frowned, looking at the love of his life. Bentley had a feeling that this wasn’t going to last forever and he needed to ask her. “Are you going to live with me forever?”
Emily grabbed a hold of Bentley’s hand. “As long as I can Benny, as long as I can. I will never leave you by yourself because I can’t fathom the idea. I don’t know where you get these ides that I’m going to leave you alone. We have so much more to live for.”
“I feel so lucky to have you.”
“The luck is all mine.”
When Bentley was younger, the only thing he cared about was how he was going to get drunk and charm one of the smart girl’s to do his homework for him. It was all alcohol and cute chicks growing up. Then he met Emily and he tried to make her another notch on his bed post.
But Emily was too stubborn for that. She turned him away until he acted like an equal to her and then she invested herself in him. He didn’t remember when the exact moment was, the moment when he fell in love with Emily, but he knew he was equally as invested in her.
He couldn’t ever lose her. Not now. “Lets go to Paris.”
Emily looked up, stunned.
“We spent so much time planning our wedding, raising children and fighting over nothing.” Bentley recalled. “But I never followed through with my promise to take you to Paris with me while I was in a meeting. Emily, it’s not that I didn’t want to take you there. It’s just I wanted it to be a time when we spent every second together.”
“I know.” She replied.
He licked his lips. “Then lets go now.”
“Now?”
He shook his head. “Lets pack our bags. Tonight.”
[.....]
Scene Eleven:
Somewhere in Stone Creek.
On their way to the Train Station.
“I can’t believe you are taking me to Paris!” Emily squealed from the passenger seat.
There was something about her that Bentley soon recognized, as Emily excitedly drummed on the dashboard he recognized that she had retained her youth once again. The vivacious and excitable Emily Roscoe had finally found her way back into Emily Wilkinson.
It was a sight that Bentley couldn’t keep his eyes off of. It was only a wonder why he didn’t think of this sooner. Think to follow through on all of his promises he had made his wife. “We are going to Paris.”
“Can we see the Eiffel Tower?”
He nodded.
“Can we go to every single little bistro and bar we find along the way?” Emily asked, she could tell that Bentley was just as excited as she was. There was a bubbling sensation that was hitting Bentley and he started to chuckle as she mention the exploration she had in mind.
Bentley looked at Emily. “We will go anywhere you want.”
They were so close to the Train Station, he could hear the sounds of the train as it approached the tracks. The light before them turned red, so Bentley stopped the car and turned to Emily. “We can do whatever you want on this trip, I don’t know why I didn’t plan it sooner.”
“It was meant to happen this way.”
He frowned. Something in her words made him realize that they weren’t going to Paris anymore. They weren’t going to see the Eiffel Tower of have a drink at every bar they entered. He held his hand out so that Emily could take it and he kissed her soft hand.
“I will always love you.” Bentley spoke.
Emily smiled, through tears in her eyes. “I will always be here.”
Just at that moment bright headlights slammed into the back of their car and it began to spin into the intersection. Time started to go slowly, it was a miracle that he could remember every second of it. He had spent so much time wanting things to slow down and wanting his memory to capture every moment.
He was finally getting it.
It was finally happening. Bentley clutched on closely to Emily once their car stopped spinning and he looked at her, cut-up and bruised but still there. Still next to him, they looked at each other and smiled. Bentley leaned in, even though he felt sharp pains in his side. He leaned in and kissed Emily before the diesel charged forward and slammed into their car.
Turning everything black.
[.....]
Scene Twelve:
2300 Cranberry St., Stone Creek. [Stone Creek Apartments #18]
Bentley & Emily’s Apartment.
The sound of the doorbell woke Bentley Wilkinson up.
He had just had the strangest dream he’d ever have. When he turned to Emily’s side of the bed to tell her of this dream, she wasn’t there. Her side of the bed hadn’t even been slept in. He slumped his shoulders. Maybe she had went out to get some breakfast.
“Emily?” He called, sitting up in the bed.
The doorbell wrung again.
Bentley was forced out of bed, he slipped on jeans and made his way to the Kitchen where he found it empty and no trace of his fiance, Emily Roscoe. How he had dreamed their whole life together in one night was strange. He felt so empty inside now.
As if he had been up the night before puking his stomach out but didn’t remember. He couldn’t remember anything that had happened in the last couple days. Nothing made sense to him except this overwhelming sense of dread. Like something else was missing that he couldn’t put a thumb to.
He answer the door to find his sister in front of him. “Greta?”
Greta looked at her brother confused, then her expression softened. “You’re not ready.”
“Ready? Ready for what Greta?” Bentley asked, as soon as he watched her face fall and her eyes water he knew what he had to be ready for. Bentley tensed up and backed away from his sister. He couldn’t have dreamed of his entire life with Emily last night, because he wasn’t going to have one with her.
In that moment the dream he had seemed so cruel.
“We have to get you ready for Emily’s funeral.” Greta spoke, her words walked on thin ice. “I’m so sorry Bentley, but we need to do this together, all of us.”
“I need a moment alone.” Bentley replied, shutting the front door on his sister.
[.....]
Next Time, On Concrete Shelves
+Emily’s funeral gets started.
+James tried to comfort Caitlyn.
+Charlene confides in Reichen.
