Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 05:26:34 -0700 (PDT)
From: Justin Richardson <justinr_88@yahoo.com>
Subject: Love is All that Matters chapter 21

Do not read further if you are not of legal age. All the
usual disclaimers and copyright laws apply. The medical
conditions portrayed in this chapter and the previous one
are not intended to be representative of actual conditions.


LOVE IS ALL THAT MATTERS
~ Chapter 21 ~


From the Narrative of Joshua Spencer:

"Harry, what happened?" I asked him for the third time. I
was kneeling in front of him on the floor of the General
Hospital's emergency department.

His only reply was to rock back and forth on the waiting
room chair. Tears rolled silently down his cheeks.

His silence was what worried me the most. He hadn't
responded to a single word I'd said since I saw him at the
hospital. I couldn't understand what had gone wrong. Things
had been wonderful this past week. Harry had been more
cheerful than ever since he'd started work at that
accounting firm. Marcia had seemed equally happy with her
new life, baking for the cafe and looking after her three
"boys", as she liked to call Harry, Reid and me. But now all
of a sudden she'd been rushed to hospital and her son
refused to tell me what was going on, or talk to me at all.

The door behind me opened and Phoebe came out. It had been
her phone call that had brought me here, although she hadn't
had any time to explain anything to me. I got up quickly.

"Is everything alright?" I asked her. Behind me I sensed
Harry looking up from the floor. "It's just an anxiety
attack, right?"

Phoebe shook her head slowly, sending a jolt of fear down my
spine. "I'm afraid not. It was a myocardial infarction."

I stared at her in disbelief. "You mean - a heart attack?"

But Phoebe was looking away from me, at her brother. "How
could you?" she asked him.

I looked from Phoebe to Harry. "What? Look, I don't know
what's going on but there's no way Harry is to blame."

She didn't pay any attention to me. Instead she said to her
brother, "Because of you, our mother is in there fighting
for her life. You knew how much she loved you. You knew she
wasn't up to exertions like this. How could you do that to
our mother?"


Harry, without looking up, mumbled, "She's not my mother."

There was an eerie silence as Phoebe and I both stared at
him. Then she raised her hand and slapped him across the
face.

It all happened so quickly it took me a moment to process
what was going on. Harry had just said Marcia wasn't his
mother. And Phoebe had slapped him. The same Phoebe who'd
warned me not so long ago that her brother was emotionally
fragile. Coming to my senses, I quickly grabbed her hand to
stop her from slapping him again.

"What did you do that for?" I questioned her angrily.

Harry just stood motionless; he didn't even touch his cheek
on which the red imprint of Phoebe's hand could be clearly
seen.

Phoebe directed her answer at Harry. "She loved you all the
same. She was even fonder of you than she was of me." She
said quietly, "Is this how you repay her?"

Harry looked like he was being torn apart by guilt and
started sobbing louder. His whole body shook. "I'm sorry! I
never meant to hurt her," he cried. I let go of Phoebe's
hands and reached out to comfort him. Harry pushed past me
and ran off down the corridor.

"Harry!" I called after him. He didn't stop. The nurse at
the counter glared at me. I ignored her.

I wanted to go after Harry but I realized I didn't have a
clue as to what was going on. I turned back to Phoebe. "What
is going on here? Why did you slap Harry? I thought you
loved your brother. And on top of that you're blaming him
for Marcia's heart attack?"

Phoebe closed her eyes as if it pained her. "I can't believe
I did that. I was just so upset seeing Mom like that. I
don't really blame him ... I suppose it must have been a
shock for him to learn of it like that."

"Learn of what?" I asked insistently, although I now had a
good idea what was going on.

"That he's adopted."

I repeated slowly, "Harry is adopted? You mean, he isn't
..." My voice trailed off. Everything fell into place. I
recalled how, after she'd learnt about the congressman's
beatings of their son, Marcia had made Harry promise not to
leave her for any reason.


Phoebe nodded sadly. "Harrison isn't my brother - not
biologically. That's why Dad was never fond of him, but we
never knew he hated Harrison so much that he would actually
abuse him. And when Harry found out ... I don't know what he
said to her. I couldn't get it out of him, he just lapsed
into silence. But the stress was too much for Mom's heart -
she could never handle the thought of separation from
Harrison."

"But you knew all along?" I asked. I flashed back to a
conversation between Marcia and Phoebe that I'd overheard
without realizing its implication at the time.

. you know the truth as well as I do .

Now I knew that Marcia must have been referring to the
secret of Harry's adoption. I asked Phoebe, "Did your
parents tell you?"

She shook her head. "No, until a few years ago, I'd thought
Harrison was my biological brother. It wasn't until I
graduated from medical school that I learned the truth.
While compiling Mom's medical profile, I discovered that
she'd had a hysterectomy in '82. That would have made it
impossible for her to have had Harrison the following year."

"Oh ..." I wasn't an expert in medical science but I knew
what a hysterectomy was. "But you never told Harrison about
it?"

"No, of course not. When I asked Mom about it, she begged me
not to tell him. I wouldn't have dreamed of telling Harrison
he was adopted. He would have been crushed." Then she looked
horrified as realization fully dawned on her. "Oh God, and I
went and slapped him -"

I suppose I couldn't blame her. She was a doctor and seeing
patients fighting for their lives was probably common for
her, but it was still probably a great shock when it was her
own mother. "I can't believe I just did that to him, after
everything that happened ... he would have been devastated.
Josh, we have to find him. He can't be left alone, not in
this state."

I tried to reassure her. "Phoebe, it's okay. You just stay
here with your Mom. I'll find Harry and bring him back
safely."

"Will you?" She grasped both my hands pleadingly. "When Mom
wakes up, I just know she'll want to see Harrison. And I
have to apologize for slapping him. It's just so crazy ..."
She put her head in her hands.


I awkwardly put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll
find Harry and I know Aunt Marcia will get better. Okay?"

She gave a watery smile. "You're turning out to be an even
better boyfriend to my brother than I first imagined.
Alright, go," she said in reply to my wordless request for
permission to leave in search for Harry.

I nodded and hurried down the hospital corridor. I called
back over my shoulder, "If Reid comes by, please tell him to
wait here, okay?"

Phoebe nodded.

I went out through the sliding glass doors and looked
around. Harry couldn't have gotten very far in the few
minutes it had taken for me to seek clarification from
Phoebe. But there was no sign of him out in the garden where
I would have expected to see him.

No, I thought, Harry would have wanted someplace familiar to
cry his heart out. Where ...? Then it hit me. Of course -
there was one place he would go to at a time like this. I
got into my car and drove.

                            * * *

  By the time I reached the cliff, the sun was setting. But
  the dying light was sufficient for me to make out Harry's
 solitary figure sitting on the beach down below. I started
    to make my way down the cliff path, dislodging a few
                          pebbles.

 Harry looked up and saw me. "Don't come near me, Josh! Just
                      leave me alone."

I didn't listen to him and continued to make my way down the
   path. "I'm not leaving you alone, Harry. I've told you
before and I'll tell you again, I'll always be here for you.
  You don't need to run away to be by yourself when you're
     facing problems. We can get through them together."

 He didn't reply, just continued buried his head between his
  knees. It was heart-breaking to see him in so much pain.
          "Harry?" I placed a hand on his shoulder.

 He lashed out at me. "Don't call me that! It isn't my name.
   How can I be Harrison Ridgeway the Fourth when I'm not
      actually the son of Harrison Ridgeway the Third?"

  I said softly, "You'll always be Harry to me - my Harry."

   "You don't want me to be your anything," he cried. "You
              should just go - leave me here."


 I didn't intend to listen to him. I wrapped my arms around
him and said, "Don't be stupid, Harry. Nothing's happened so
  far that can't be fixed. Aunt Marcia is going to be fine,
                        you'll see."

 "You don't understand, Josh. If it doesn't happen today, it
will soon enough. Look at what happens to the people who get
close to me. I've put my - the woman who cared for me like a
mother - in the hospital. Now I know why Dad used to hit me.
    He must've known the terrible things I'm capable of."

 "No! Don't say that. You never deserved to be treated like
  that. It's true that a lot of bad things have happened in
your life, but it wasn't your fault. It's certainly not your
      fault that Aunt Marcia suffered a heart attack."

 "Even my sis-" He stopped himself and started again, "Even
               Phoebe says that was my fault."

 "She doesn't. She was upset and over-reacted and now she's
  sorry. She's begging you to come back to the hospital so
 that she can apologize to you in person. She says you have
            to be there when your Mom wakes up."

   "Mom wouldn't want to see me, not after all the hurtful
                       things I said."

 "Come on, Harry. We both know that's not true. Aunt Marcia
 asked you to promise her that you would never leave her, no
  matter what. She was afraid that you would when the truth
                         came out."

  "And that's just what I did. I threatened to do just that
  and look what happened. I'm a terrible person. Because of
me, Phoebe might not have a mother, or Alan his grandmother.
           Why do I always screw things up, Josh?"

  "Harry, look at me." He avoided my gaze. "Look at me," I
            repeated, more insistently this time.

  He looked up, reluctantly. I said firmly, "You are NOT a
 terrible person. If you're looking for a fault in yourself,
the only one that I can think of is that you feel things too
 deeply. Because of what you've been through, because of the
 way the congressman made you think everything bad was your
    fault - but it's not. You can't stop some things from
                         happening."

 "Josh, I couldn't have stopped it because I was the one who
 caused Mom to have a heart attack. And nothing I can do now
will change that. Oh God - sometimes I think how much better
  it would be if I was dead. All of you would have perfect
                  lives without me in it -"


I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Perfect lives? I
spent the last four fucking years without you and let me
tell you - it was far from perfect!"

He flinched at my raised voice.

I calmed myself down. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have shouted.
But I just couldn't - you were being ridiculous. How could
you think that my life was perfect when I didn't have the
guy I'd been madly in love with since junior high?"

I saw him raise his head ever so slightly and blink. I was
finally getting through to him.

I continued, "And what about your Mom? Why do you think she
wanted to adopt you in the first place and spent the last 22
years trying to keep it a secret from you? Or Phoebe who's
known about it for the last couple of years but not treated
you any differently than when she thought you were her
biological brother? All our lives may not be perfect now,
and let's face it, just who does have a perfect life? But I
can tell you, as sure as hell, they wouldn't perfect without
you."

I waited for him to say something. He smiled wanly at me.
"You're very good at this - talking me through my problems.
But I'll never be able to do the same for you."

"Just having you with me makes everything else seem trivial,
Harry," I told him.

"That's not something I actually do to help you," he said
skeptically.

"Of course it is, whether you do it consciously or
otherwise. Is it really so hard for you to believe that?"

He shook his head. "You're crazy, you know that? If I were
in your shoes, I'd run like hell from a whacked-up case like
myself. You know what they say about damaged goods -"

I didn't let him finish. "Have you been paying attention to
a single thing I've said? I don't care about your past. It
doesn't matter to me if you aren't really the son of a
wealthy congressman. Hell, I prefer it this way. Harry, you
have to face it - the guy's a homophobe who used to beat
you."

His lower lip quivered. "You see? Even you admit I'm an
idiot."

"No, I never said that. You gave in to him because you
believed he was your father. I hate what he did to you, but
I'm actually kind of impressed by how you handled it. I
didn't understand at first - why you'd defend someone who
was such monster to you. But now I realize it shows just how
great your capacity for love and affection was. You loved
both your parents unconditionally; even the father who you
had to realize didn't care for you. That's why I know, you
didn't mean whatever you said to Aunt Marcia."

Tears rolled down his cheeks. "Why did I do it? I should've
seen - the moment she walked through that door. She didn't
look herself. But I was too busy wallowing in self-pity. I
didn't hate her - I could never. It was me that I hated.
What happened wasn't Mom's fault; she didn't know what was
going on. I was the one who could've stopped it, but I
didn't. I was too weak."

"No, on the contrary, you're one of the strongest people
I've met. You've been through so much, but you've still
managed to remain the same Harry I fell in love with. Now
come on, I'll take you back to the hospital."

"Is she awake yet?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Not when I left. I'm sure they'll call if
she does."

He snuggled closer to me. "Then can we stay here a bit
longer; just for a couple of minutes? It's just so ...
peaceful here - so removed from the craziness of the world."

"Okay," I whispered. He laid his head against my shoulder
and closed his eyes. I felt breathing quietly next to me -
virtually the only sound other than the waves. Harry was
right; it was very restful on the beach. The sun had by now
sunk completely below the horizon.

After a few moments, Harry opened his eyes. I was, as
always, struck by how brilliantly blue they were. "Okay,
let's go now." He started to get up, brushing sand off his
pants. He stopped halfway, and said at me, "Josh?"

"Yes?"

He looked soulfully at me. "I just want you to know, I'm
glad to have you. I wouldn't have been able to survive this
otherwise."

I smiled and bent down to kiss his forehead. "Oh, you'd
survive alright. You just might not have looked as cute
doing it," I joked. I was relieved to see him grin for the
first time that evening. We walked up the cliff path
together.



From the Narrative of Harrison Ridgeway IV:

The white-tiled corridors of the General Hospital seemed
cold and unforgiving after the still-warm sand on our little
beach. I gripped Josh's hand tighter as we approached the
Emergency ward. I saw Reid pacing up and down the corridor.
He looked up as we approached.

"How is she?" Josh asked him.

He replied, "Not conscious yet. Phoebe is inside, talking
with the doctor." He looked at me in concern. "How're you
doing? I - I heard what happened. Your sister told me."

"I'll be okay," I told him. "I just want to know that Mom's
better."

Reid put a friendly arm around my shoulder. "Listen,
Harrison - I just wanted to say, if you or your Mom ever
need anything, you can always ask me. I'd be glad to help.
You know that, right?" He looked at me sincerely.

I smiled gratefully at him. "Yeah, I know. Thanks." We all
sat down in the waiting room.

After a short while, the door opened and Phoebe came out.
She ran up to hug me. I automatically took a step back to
avoid her embrace. She looked ashamed.

"Harrison, I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. I
didn't mean to -"

I realized I was being stupid. I couldn't blame her for
reacting that way; after all I'd felt the same way myself. I
stepped forward and returned her embrace. "It's okay," I
told her. "I'm sorry, too."

"You don't have to apologize. I was a heartless bitch to
blame it on you." She looked at me with tears in her eyes.
"You'll always be my little brother - I've never thought
otherwise."

I hugged her more tightly. "I love you too, sis."

We broke apart and she wiped her eyes. "Mom's out of danger;
she's awake and wants to see you." She moved towards the
door. When she realized I wasn't following, she turned back.
"Well? Aren't you coming?"

She spotted my hand still firmly grasping Josh's. "You can
come in as well, Josh. Two visitors allowed per patient. I
don't count since I'm a doctor here." She looked
apologetically at Reid. "I'm sorry, you'll have to wait -"


Reid shrugged. "No, it's okay. I'm just glad to hear
Marcia's fine. Don't hurry on my account. I'll just get
something from the vending machine; I think I saw one near
the reception."

"Right. Harry, come on." Josh took my hand and led me into
the emergency ward.

I know I should have been prepared for it, but it was still
difficult to see Mom in a hospital bed, looking pale and
haggard, feeling that I had in some way caused it. But Mom
smiled to see me.

"Harrison." It was only one word but I immediately felt my
remorse wash over me.

Everything I wanted to say came out in a torrent of words.
"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. Please say you
forgive me. I never meant any of those things I said. I
couldn't imagine anyone else as my Mom ..."

Mom laid one hand on my arm to stop me. "Harrison, I knew
you'd blame yourself but it's not your fault. I'd been
having chest pains earlier in the evening. I didn't pay any
attention to it, but it got worse when Alistair came by the
house."

I stared at her. "What?" I said weakly.

Mom shook her head. "It doesn't matter now. Doctor Mayer
says I should make a full recovery."

"But -" I was at a loss for words. Suddenly the burden of
guilt seemed to lighten.

"Harrison, I don't want you thinking that it was your
fault."

"That's exactly what he was beating himself up over," Josh
said. "Next he'll be thinking global warming is his fault,
too."

Mom smiled wryly. "That would be just like Harrison. I can't
really blame anyone, not even Alistair." She looked at me
cautiously. "Harrison, what you found out today - I never
meant for you to know. We were supposed to tell you, when
you were older. But I couldn't bring myself to. If I'd know
how you'd let Alistair treat you, I would never have kept it
from you." She stopped for breath.

"Mom, if you're not up to it -" Phoebe began.

"No, let me finish. It was selfishness that kept me from
telling you the truth. I wanted to be always able to regard
you as my son. I was afraid I would lose you if you knew.
I've heard of so many cases where adopted children, who are
wonderfully affectionate to their foster parents, start to
drift apart from them when they find out the truth. I didn't
want that to happen with us. When I first set eyes on you, I
felt like you were asking me to adopt you. I know it was a
ridiculous thought - it's not like a newborn baby would
actually want to be separated from his birth mother." She
paused. "I suppose you want to know about her?"

"No." I said it so forcefully that everyone in the room
looked at me. I said, more quietly this time, "Maybe some
day, but not now. Now all I want to know is that the only
mother I've known is going to be okay." I let go of Josh's
hand and held Mom's instead. "You'll always be my Mom, no
matter what. You're the only mother I've ever known. And I
don't care what Dad did, but you were the best parent anyone
could ever have."

Mom smiled as she blinked back tears. "I don't think I was
but people always say the proof of good parenting is the
children you raise. You were all wonderful children and the
most precious gifts I could ever have." Phoebe leaned her
head next to Mom's. There were tears in her eyes and I
realized my own eyes were wet.

Mom smiled at Josh, who was standing nearby and looking
awkward. "You shouldn't feel left out, Josh. When I said
wonderful children, I meant you as well." Josh looked
grateful. "I know how much you love my son, and he loves
you. It would be thoughtless of me if I didn't consider you
as one of my kids." I saw Josh's eyes fill with tears.

Mom continued, "And Reid, too. He is really such a polite
and charming boy, despite his own sorrows. Which reminds me,
where is he?"

I began to explain, "They wouldn't allow more than two-"

It was at that moment Reid suddenly burst into the room. We
all turned to stare at him.

"Um, I'm sorry but ... Phoebe, Harrison, I think your
father's on his way here. I overheard a man asking the
receptionist which room his wife Marcia was in."

I felt a chill go down my spine. I should have known better
than to expect this happy moment to last. And it did not
come as a surprise that Dad would be the one to ruin it.

Mom was the first to speak. "I can't see him. Phoebe, please
send him away."

A worried look passed over Phoebe's face. I didn't blame
her. She might be Dad's golden child, but that didn't mean
he listened to her. It was one of the reasons I'd never told
her about the abuse.

Then Josh surprised me by announcing he'd accompany Phoebe.

"Josh ..." I said warningly. I knew how he felt and was
afraid he might get physical.

Josh smiled reassuringly at me. "Don't worry. I'm not going
to punch him in the face, even if I feel he deserves it.
Trust me, okay?"

I nodded reluctantly, just as a nurse walked in.
"Congressman Ridgeway is waiting outside to see his wife,
but I'm afraid I can only allow two visitors at a time." She
seemed to suddenly realize that there was more than that
number in the room. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask
some of you to -"

Josh interrupted, "I was just leaving. Come on, Phoebe." He
gave me another brief smile and left with Phoebe; the nurse
followed them out.

There was an uncomfortable silence. I was wondering how
Phoebe and Josh were getting on with Dad. Reid brought me
back to earth when he asked Mom how she was feeling.

"I think I'll live," Mom replied, smiling. Reid still looked
anxious. "The doctor said I'd make a full recovery, with
lots of rest."

Reid's solemn face broke into a grin. "That's great. Because
it would've been awful if you weren't -" He stopped and
swallowed hard.

"Reid," Mom said his name gently. "Joshua told us ... what
happened before, with your Mom."

Reid looked down at the floor.

"Take it from me, Reid. There is nothing a mother would want
more than for her child to be happy. I may have never met
your Mom, but I'm sure if she was alive today, she wouldn't
want you to be miserable, thinking her death was your fault.
After seeing Harrison blame himself for what happened
tonight, I know what you must have gone through. But you
mustn't think it was your fault, despite what your father
might have said. Your mother was short of time - otherwise
she would have told you that she accepted the fact that you
were gay and that she was happy for you."

Reid's voice cracked as he said, "You're just saying that.
You - you can't know for sure."


"There are some things that a mother knows. I've only known
you for less than a week, but I've seen your concern for two
people who've just come into your life. I know it because
I've often seen it in Harrison too - you're both very alike,
except you try to hide it under the devil-may-care attitude.
So I can definitely tell you, as Harrison's mother, that
your mother would have loved you no matter what and that in
no way did you cause her death."

Reid stared at her for a second, and then, to my absolute
amazement, he broke down crying. It was Reid's most powerful
display of emotion that I would ever see. And I'd been so
full of self-pity earlier, but now my heart went out to him.
I knew all too well now how he must have felt. But my mom
had survived to dispel any negative notions I'd had. Reid
had lived with them for seven years.

Between sobs he managed to say, "I was so scared ... that
everything would repeat itself ... and Harrison would lose
his mother and - and -" He paused and added, so softly I
barely heard him, "I would too."

While Reid was busy wiping his eyes, I saw Mom glance at me.
I knew what she was asking, and I nodded. The guilt I'd felt
earlier had been so painful; I never wanted anyone to go
through that. I remembered what Reid had told me outside the
Emergency ward. He'd been awesome enough to look out for me
after I'd practically stolen his boyfriend away from him. It
was the least I could do to share my Mom with him.

Mom held her arms wide open and Reid looked at me
questioningly. I smiled my approval. That was enough for
Reid who fervently hugged her back. Then they broke apart
and Reid said to me, "Thanks, Harrison."

"No problem. I've had Mom all to myself for the last 22
years and in light of the truth, I probably shouldn't have.
So I don't mind sharing her with you, Reid."

Mom smiled at me, her way of saying that she was proud of
me. But in truth, I was more impressed by how Mom had helped
Reid to confront his demons. It was why I would always love
her, even if she wasn't my real mom.


From the Narrative of Reid Scott:

I was still wiping the tears from my eyes when Josh and
Phoebe returned, both of them looking exultant.

"Is he ...?" asked Harrison, looking fearful, as if he
expected the congressman to barge in from behind them.


Josh replied with a smile, "Don't worry, he left."

"Without insisting on seeing Mom?" asked Harrison, sounding
incredulous.

"I don't think he'll be bothering either of you again, Aunt
Marcia. You should get that divorce without any more
trouble."

Marcia and Harrison both stared at him. I had to agree with
them; how had Josh managed to work such a miracle in so
little time?

Harrison asked, "What did you say to him?"

Josh just grinned. Phoebe said, "Harrison, I have to say,
your boyfriend would've made an excellent negotiator."

Harrison looked puzzled. "But ... what did you-"

Josh cut him off. "Harrison, you said you'd trust me,
right?"

Harrison nodded, although a little reluctantly.

"Okay, so just trust me on this - the congressman won't
bother you again. But as for what we talked about - don't
worry your pretty little head about it, okay?"

He turned to me and said, "Reid, I'm afraid we'll have to
wait outside before the nurse starts up again. Aunt Marcia,
we'll see you again later, alright?"

                            * * *

Josh and I were back in the waiting room. The nurse at the
reception desk smiled shyly at me, which didn't go unnoticed
by Josh.

"So ... I saw the look that nurse gave you. I'm guessing you
used your trademark smile to charm your ward into Marcia's
room earlier, huh? Well, she's going to be in for a
disappointment when she finds out you're gay. "

I shrugged. Then I asked him the same question Harrison had.
"So what exactly did you say to the congressman?

Josh looked at me with his intense grey eyes. "Well, I'll
tell you, but Harry must never know about it, okay?" I
nodded.

Josh took a deep breath and said, "I basically told him, if
he didn't back off, I'd tell the world what a hypocrite he
really was - how he used to beat his adopted son, and that
he actually didn't support the gay community."

"You actually said all that to a Congressman?" I asked in
disbelief. "But you weren't really going to-"

"Of course not. I know what that would do to Harry. But the
congressman doesn't know that. He thinks gays are as
heartless as he is. He even said I was only sheltering
Marcia because I expected something from her hefty divorce
settlement."

"What?" I was shocked. "But you've never been the least bit
concerned about money!"

"Yeah, well, you have to admit, both you and Harry are the
sons of very wealthy men and also been my boyfriends. The
congressman is firmly convinced I'm Harry's boyfriend only
so that I can get a stake of the Ridgeway fortune."

I shook my head in disbelief at the congressman's attitude.
I knew how much Josh loved Harrison. It wouldn't have made a
difference to him if Harrison was penniless. "So what did he
say?"

"Well, it really all boils down to which he valued more - a
chance to get back his wife and family, or his political
ambitions. At least now we know, for once and for all, where
the chips lie. I think even Phoebe was disgusted by his self-
serving ways. She really tried to give him the benefit of
the doubt, but -"

I felt angry. Both Harrison and Marcia had deserved better
than Alistair Ridgeway. At least now they would be free of
him. "What about Phoebe?"

"Ah ... it's going to be a little harder for her. He is her
biological father, her son's grandfather. But hey, she's
Marcia's daughter too, right? I'm sure she'll figure
something out." He looked sideways at me. "You were scared
back there, weren't you?"

"How'd you -"

"Reid, I've lived with you for a year now. Even if you don't
show it, I can tell you were distraught. She reminded you of
your own Mom, didn't she?"

"More than that," I said, firmly.

Josh glanced at me. I explained what had happened while he'd
been outside. "She told me the one thing I've wanted to hear
for a long time."

Josh grinned and hooked an arm around my shoulder. "See, I
told you it'll get better. And I always keep my word."

"Well, except for the part where I'm still without a
boyfriend."

"Don't worry, I'm sure Harrison's working on that."

I pretended to groan. "I thought I told you to keep your
boyfriend under control. He has less talent at matchmaking
than Alicia Silverstone did."

Josh grinned. "Hey! Remember that's my boyfriend you're
talking about. If we weren't in a hospital, you'd be begging
for mercy for that. Consider yourself lucky."

My retort got caught in my throat. I realized how fitting
his last sentence was. I replied softly, "Yeah, I am. All
three of us are." I could see that Josh understood.


                     To be continued ...


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