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Sunset Beach Discussion Group
Part 77:
***** Gregory rings the door at the Richards resident. He waited patiently expecting Rose to open it. But instead to his surprise it was Olivia. She had her hair up with a crocodile clip and was wearing one of her sophisticated smart black dresses. From the expression on her face he could see she was shocked to see him standing here.
“Gregory!” she whispers loudly. He smiles at her as she watches this strong emotionless eyes warming up. “hello Liv…”
***** “why the hell haven’t you told us this sooner?” Ricardo asked Ben, as both brothers were told. Ben doesn’t reply and remains quiet. “well I’ve told you now,” Ben states. “Ben we have to tell her,” Ricardo goes on. “we can’t keep something this big from her.” “I know and I understand that. But Dr Estrada thinks we shouldn’t,” Ben mentions as he watches a deadly angry expression appearing on Ricardo face. “why the hell not!” Ricardo shouts. “I think we know what is best for Maria instead the doctor telling us what we should or shouldn’t say to Maria. I mean for god sake is she blind to see that maybe this will help Maria with her disorder?” Ricardo questioned.
“look Ricardo lets just here Ben out,” Antonio suggests. “why doesn’t she want you telling her?” Antonio asked calmly. “its because she’s still missing memories. Dr Estrada thinks Maria should remember by herself. That we should give her some time,” Ben explains. “sounds great in theory Evans but no disrespect to the Dr or anything, but what if she doesn’t remember, what then?” Ricardo tries to make them see the reality. He knew Ricardo had a point. “besides are you sure Maria doesn’t remember the secret?” “ positive actually. She remembers her journal but she just doesn’t seem to recall writing anything weeks before the accident. She must have been in her early weeks otherwise I would have noticed we all would have,” Ben continues to observe. “then again you weren’t exactly in the state of mind to notice seeing your were experiencing these bad headaches,” Ricardo remembers.
“look I know its my fault that she didn’t tell me. I know its my fault she was afraid of me. You don’t have to remind me Ricardo!” Ben lets out shouting back at him. “look Ben we don’t blame you for what happened,” Antonio states, as Ben slides one of his hand through his hair. “what’s done is done. We can’t go back and change the past. But what we can do is, is try and move forward and use what we know to our advantage to help Maria through post traumatic stress disorder,” Antonio declares. Ricardo and Ben eye Antonio. “that’s just the problem Antonio I don’t know how the hell to help Maria….”
**** Olivia watches Gregory interacting with Trey. He was good him. Trey immediately recognised him and began to call him by his name. he bought many toys and gifts for Trey, he was spoiling him. She knew it was Gregory’s way of presenting his feelings for those he loved and cared for. She wondered what made him come around. She’s heard rumours about him and Alex dating and as much as she wanted to ask him she didn’t want to pride in his personal affairs. They were no longer married.
“so Gregory what brings you here?” Olivia asked him finally. “I just wanted to see my children,” Gregory answers. He still saw Trey as his son as places his hand on Trey’s back and rubs it, watching Trey playing with his new toys. “well Caitlin’s not here. Her and Cole have gone away for the week,” Olivia makes him aware. “I see.” “do you have any drinks in the house I could have,” Gregory asked her. He could feel his system and mouth drying up.
“non- alcoholic drink I can offer you only.” Gregory looks up at her surpassed. “I don’t keep any alcohol in this house no more,” she informs Gregory. “a wise choice you have made Liv,” he tells her. He sounded proud of her. “that will be fine thank you.” “Rose you don’t mind serving Gregory a fruit drink do you.” “certainly Mrs Richards,” Rose says and walks off.
“Gregory, star!” Trey informs him holding a 3D star in his hand and waving it in his hand. “that’s right Trey. How about this. Do you know what this is?” Gregory asked him holding up the circle. “Moon!” Trey answers as Gregory and Olivia begin to laugh. “yes a full Moon,” Olivia replies. “aren’t you a clever boy,” Gregory compliments Trey and gently touches him on his smooth blond hair. He kisses Trey at the side of his forehead as Trey then plants a kiss on Gregory’s cheek. Olivia thought her heart was about to rip apart, and emotional tears filled her eyes. Trey really was fund of Gregory even though when Gregory lived with them he didn’t spend much time with Trey. She knew he couldn’t because Cole was always very cautious that Trey didn’t become too attached to Gregory.
Yet some how Trey always felt his presence and when he moved out she remembers he kept calling for Gregory. She didn’t understand why it was. She probably thought because he was learning to say his first few words, but now realised he was actually missing Gregory and was looking around for him, which will explain the reason he went up to him at Casey and Sarah’s wedding….
**** “things are just so messed up between me and Maria!” Ben confides to both her brothers, as he sat on one of the chairs in Antonio’s office and touches his forehead with both his hand and then in between his eyes. “I can’t help Maria until my relationship with her isn’t back on track,” Ben adds. “and now no thanks to Meg I don’t know what I’m going to do to make things right between us again. She’s pushing me away and she’s shutting me out because she knows the truth. What I said about her and what I did to her painting, to the bed…” Ben pauses as he remembers the agony he’s been through. “i told Maria when I chose Meg, that Meg she saved me and gave me back my life. And she replied back to me saying who was going to save her,” Ben states. They could see it was all getting to Ben as both the brothers remain quiet.
“and I’m not that man. I’m not the man for this job,” Ben disagrees. “so you going to just give up on Maria. You couldn’t save her once and now you don’t want to save her again?” Ricardo questioned Ben as he looked back at Ricardo. Ben only remains quiet and looks down at the floor. Ricardo sits on the other chair next to Ben, while Antonio stood by the door looking back them. “when I gave Maria away to you on your wedding day, I knew you were perfect for her Ben and that’s the honest truth,” Ricardo informs his ex-brother-in-law. “you were perfect not because you guys looked good together and you made her happy, you respected her and I knew you will take care of her, support her and treat her well. That you will move heaven and earth for my sister. you worshiped her as she worshiped you,” Ricardo continues. “and when you love someone with that intenseness it scares you to loose them. one of the reasons you tried to wee Maria to a place so you can control and watch over. Because like you Maria she’s so strong and she’s a fighter. She wasn’t afraid of taking chances, taking risks. You two folded into one another in such away that you couldn’t live without the other,” Ricardo observes as Ben and Antonio listen Ricardo talk about Mara and his love and connection.
“and like you Maria is a fighter and so are you. We Torres and Evans we fight to end no matter what. We don’t run away from our problems, we face them, we face our demons, we help each other through anything and everything. And you understood that about us, “all for one and one for all” concept. The reason I welcomed you to the family. Your strong Ben. stronger then probably me and Antonio including Maria too. In some ways Maria’s stronger then all of us. But she’s braking and that’s mostly because she thinks you hate her. But we have to make her realise that’s not the case, its our job now to help her. But to help her, Antonio I need to help you and support you. Something we failed to do in the past when we all grieved for Maria. we could have helped each other through those years instead we all drifted into a world our own dealing with out our own ways. And if we don’t help each other this time we can’t help Maria,” Ricardo explains.
“you are the man for this job. you’re the only one who knows what she’s going through, what she’s feeling. You have to stay strong Ben for your kids sake and for Maria’s sake. You can’t grow weak, because I won’t let you and neither is Antonio. We’re behind you 100% and together we’ll win…”
**** fiddling with the house keys Antonio walks through the front door, as his brother and Ben walk in behind him. Maria was in her basket looking up at the ceiling. All three men come towards the basket and look down at her, as they smile back at her. “hey Mariah,” Ricardo greets her and strokes her tiny hands. “how’s my angel!” Ben says as she looks from one face to another. “did you miss daddy, because I know I sure have,” Ben tells her. Just then they watched her smile back at her father. “did you say that, she smiled at me!” Ben says getting excited. “I think she smiled at me Evans,” Ricardo lets out. “look we all know she smiled at me, I live with her and she’s just too familiar with me,” Antonio takes the credit as Ricardo and Ben throw a irritated look at him.
Ben then picks her up and holds her in his arm with Ricardo and Antonio by his side. He kisses her on her head while she begins to place her head under Bens neck. “well she’s definitely is another Maria,” Ricardo mentions, as the realise Maria does the same thing to. She always places her head under Bens neck. “well don’t you look like the three wise men,” Maria comments as she came back to the lounge. They eye her back and smile. “I thought I heard you voices, what are you all doing here?” Maria was surprised to see them. “we just bumped into each other. Wanted to check up on you,” Ricardo tells her. “right,” she replies and then eyes Ben. she smiled back at him and watched Maria beginning to close her eyes, dosing to sleep again. “well we going to head off sis, we see you later,” Antonio says as both Ricardo and Antonio exit out watching still Maria’s eyes locked into Bens blue-grey eyes. She stared back at him nervously, as she watches him put Maria back in her basket.
“you not at work?” Maria asked him. “no I actually had other important things to do today.” “like what?” “like see my daughter and her mother,” Ben answers, as they eye each other. Things were as intense as it was last night. “I’m sorry about last night,” Maria apologises. “what for?” “I didn’t mean to let it go that far, and I didn’t mean to put Meg on the spot light like that, I just…” she pauses. “I know why you did.” She was letting off steam with Meg and was going to make sure she gave Meg as good as she could. But she didn’t know that he knew the truth. He smirks back at her. “I’m not sorry, I’m not sorry at all,” Ben states and slowly walks up to her, but she moved back from him. She was rejecting him and as far she’s concerned she couldn’t depend on Ben no more, not when he wasn’t hers to depend on.
“thanks for coming and seeing Mariah,” she thanks him. She’s become cold and distance from him. “do you want me to leave,” Ben asked her. he knew he had to take another approach with her. let her make the decisions. She only stares back him. “I don’t know,” she tells him. “do you want to stay?” she asked him. “only if you want me to,” Ben mentions. She finally nods her head. “then I’ll stay, but only in one condition,” Ben informs her. “what?” “that you don’t push me away when you need me the most.” She nods her head again. “good,” he agrees and then takes her hand in his and making her sit beside him on the sofa. He gathers her closer to him as she places her head under his neck, running his fingers through her brown hair.
Although they didn’t say much and didn’t realise how long they were sitting there until realising she fell a sleep in his arms. He knew he had to be in presence to help her through her disorder. If only he could have her under his roof again, he thought to himself….
