Subj: Collinsport -- 82
Date: 4/26/01 12:53:02 AM Central Daylight Time
From: DSRules

"Aunt Elizabeth?"

{skreek}

"Sorry about that. I didn't realize the chair would squeak that loudly.

"I know I haven't been here to see you for a while, but things have been . . . busy for a while. It's too much to go into right now, but everything worked out all right, and, well, you have a new great-niece. Her name's Penni, and she's with Sarah right now. They're out running errands.

"She's beautiful. Penni, I mean. Sarah, too, of course. But I've already told you all about her.

"Let's see. Things have been really hopping at Collinwood these days. We've got another new boarder. Well, an old boarder. Is there a word for that? Newish?

"Anyway, it's Vicki Winters. But I don't think her last name's Winters anymore. She's a little older, but basically she looks just the same as she did the last time we saw her. She was living in California, of all places. But her path brought her back . . . home. And I think she'll be staying around for a while.

"Carolyn is still working at the antique shop. I know, she doesn't need to work, anymore than I do. But it's something she needs to do, just like I need to heal people.

"Her time working with Phillip and Megan at the antique shop was such an important time in her life. It's where she met Jeb, after all. And she loves it. She has a real talent for finding beautiful things. And restoring things, too. But she'll tell you more about her latest acquisitions and things when she comes in. She's waiting out in the hall right now.

"Beth has moved in with us at Collinwood, as you know. She works with Carolyn at the antique shop, and seems to have some of her mother's magical touch with antiques.

"There's a new 'Collins' at Collinwood, too. Actually, he's not a Collins at all, by birth or marriage, or anything else, but he's been with us so long, that he feels like part of the family. Like Vicki, I guess. His name's Javier de la Cruz, and he works with Sarah at the software company.

"Look, Aunt Elizabeth, I know that you've seen a lot of tragedy in your life. Losing Vicki, my father's death, Grandfather's death, 18 years thinking you'd killed your husband . . .

"But don't you think that it just might be time to move on? To come back home?"

Subj: Collinsport -- 83
Date: 4/30/01 1:06:45 AM Central Daylight Time
From: DSRules

NOTE: The "dour-looking salesman" is played by Tony Jay, who played Paracelsus on Beauty and the Beast (http://www.poetsonbroadway.com/szw_sty/4/szw/home_banner.gif)

==========

Javier answered the door when Quentin and Azura knocked. "Quentin! Azura!" He smiled, then he turned and called out up the stairs, "Zoe! Your folks are here!"

Like a streak, Zoe was down the eastern flight of stairs. "Daddy! Momma!" she yelled as she threw herself into their arms. "I told them all about you getting engaged." She informed them.

Javier looked startled. "Engaged?" He asked. "Well, congratulations!" He shook Quentin's hand and exchanged a quick hug with Azura.

"I thought you said you'd told them." Quentin said with mock displeasure.

"I did, but Javier had already left for work."

Quentin gave Javier an inquiring look.

"Oh! Well, David, Carolyn, Sarah and Vicki all had appointments, Beth was manning the antique store all by herself and couldn't get away, and David just didn't feel right imposing on his sister, so in light of what happened to Penni, I agreed to come home and keep an eye on her until you could come and get her."

"You didn't have to do that. They could just have called us and we would've come over sooner." Quentin assured him.

"It was really OK," Javier insisted. "After that party last night, and the late-night run to the baby store, I wasn't able to focus on work anyway."

"So, where are we going?" Zoe insisted as she danced around her parents.

"How'd you like to go shopping for an engagement ring for your mother?" Quentin asked.

"Really? Let's get going!" Zoe responded as she bolted out the door.

Azura headed immediately after her daughter, as Javier stood in the doorway and laughed.

Quentin turned to him and shook his finger sternly at him. "Just you wait. Someday you'll have a daughter. Or a son. And you'll find yourself running after her. Or him. Constantly."

Then, with a warm laugh, Quentin followed his fiancee and daughter to the car.

* * *

When David came out of Liz's room, Carolyn was waiting breathlessly for him.

"So?" She asked. "How's she doing?"

David shrugged. "Physically, she's just fine. Mentally, she's about the same. But, I've tried something different with her this time, so we'll just have to see if it makes any change in her condition."

Carolyn gave her cousin a lopsided smile. "Thanks for everything you've done for us, David." She gave him a brief hug and a peck on the cheek.

"It's my pleasure, of course, Carolyn." He responded. "I just hope that someday she'll come back to us."

"Well, wish me luck." Carolyn said with a smile that never came near her eyes as she crossed her fingers and opened the door to her mother's room.

* * *

Holding Penni carefully in one arm, Sarah quietly knocked on Adam's office door.

"Come in." He called out.

She gently opened the door, and then shifted Penni back to the traditional two-arm baby hold.

"Sarah!" Adam called out as he stood from behind his desk. "You look so happy." He glanced from mother to baby. "And it's so good to see little Penni again, too. She looks just like you."

Then he saw Vicki lurking back in the doorway. The first words out of his mouth were "Miss Winters! Or is it Clark now? Bradford?"

Vicki shook her head slightly. "I was widowed a long time ago. Several long times ago, in fact. My name's Victoria Anthony now."

"'Several long times ago'?" Adam quoted back to her.

Vicki looked at Sarah, who took over. "That's what we're here to talk to you about. What do you know about immortality?"

* * *

"Good morning. May I help you?" The dour-looking salesman asked as the trio as they entered the jewelry store.

"Yes. We're looking for an engagement ring for my mother." Zoe responded enthusiastically.

Azura braced herself for the salesman's disapproval, torn between a desire to explain that she was adopting Quentin's daughter from a previous relationship, and the feeling that it was none of his business why she was unmarried with a nine-year-old daughter.

The salesman surprised her by breaking out into a warm, genuine smile. "Best wishes, my dear!" He took her hand in his, clasping it warmly.

He released her hand, and looked at them both. "What kind of ring would the two of you be looking for?"

"The biggest one you've got." Quentin responded. "One with a diamond so large she won't be able to raise her hand."

"Quentin! Stop that!" Azura responded, shoving him playfully.

Then she addressed the salesman. "Probably something fairly traditional. Though . . ."

Quentin could tell that Azura was tempted, so he egged her on. "Go on, ask for whatever you want."

Azura made a "mmm" sound in her throat as she thought. "How about two opals, and a diamond?"

The salesman blinked. "Who are the October birthdays?" He looked from Quentin, to Azura, to Zoe.

"I am. And he is." Azura indicated Quentin.

"Ah! So you," he addressed Zoe, "must be the April birthday?"

Zoe beamed and blushed in response.

"All right, how about this?" The salesman took out a piece of paper and pen and began to draw.

* * *

"Hello, mother." Carolyn said as she gingerly sat down on the edge of her mother's bed.

Elizabeth's only response was the steady beep, beep, beep of her heart monitor, making sure her vital signs were still functioning properly.

"I'm here for my weekly visit." Carolyn smiled.

"I brought some new pictures of the family to show you."

Beep, beep, beep.

"Here's Beth and Javier. He's becoming just like family. Since things just sort of faded away between Beth and Devin, she's free, and who knows? Maybe he'll be joining the family someday."

Beep, beep, beep.

"This is Sarah with her new baby, Penni. She named the baby for Quentin. Penni's full name is Penthea, which is Greek for 'fifth,' just like Quentin is Latin for 'fifth.' Isn't that nice? Since Quentin went to all the trouble of . . .," Carolyn remembered David's admonition to keep the conversation positive. "Well, he helped them out when Penni was little, is all."

Beep, beep, beep.

"And here's David and Sarah with Penni. Aren't they a beautiful family?"

Beep, beep, beep.

"And here's Roger, and Laura, and Burke, with their new little sister."

Beep, beep, beep.

"And Barnabas and Julia, with Sarah. Sarah gave Julia that emerald brooch last Christmas. Doesn't it bring out the color of her eyes?"

Beep, beep, beep.

"Quentin was at the party, but I didn't get any pictures of him. I got this nice picture of Azura and Zoe now. Did David tell you that Quentin and Azura are engaged? Well, he proposed and she accepted. I think they're out shopping for engagement rings today."

Beep, beep, beep.

"And here's Chris, Sabrina, and Tom and Ted. Tom and Ted seem to be doing well in high school. They're freshmen this year."

Beep, beep, beep.

"And this is the last picture that I brought with me. You remember Letty Hargraves, don't you? She's Penni's pediatrician."

Carolyn put her reading glasses on and squinted at the picture. "You know what, Mother? I think you can see Vicki in the background of this picture." Carolyn pointed to the dark-haired woman in the background.

Beep, beep, beep.

Just then, a nurse came into the room, wheeling a cart before her. "Mrs. Hawkes?"

"Yes?" Carolyn looked up, then removed her reading glasses. "May I help you?"

"It's just that it's time for your mother's bath."

"Oh. Is it?" Carolyn glanced at her watch.

"You're welcome to wait in the hallway until we're done."

"No. I'd better be getting back home. My daughter's covering the antique shop for me, and this close to Christmas, things always start to really pick up. I'd better be getting there, too."

"Well, you drive carefully, Mrs. Hawkes. It's starting to snow out there."

Carolyn smiled. "It's always snowing in Maine. You have a nice day."

"You, too."

Carolyn left the room.

The nurse looked around. "Now where did I put my pen?" She felt the breast pocket of her scrub suit and shook her head.

"I must have left it at the nurses' station." She mumbled as she opened the door and stepped into the hallway.

Beep, beep-beep, beep.