Come back home, little bundle of joy 17/?
Sarah leaves Tabatha with Nora and moves to the studio to make a call. When Nora showed up, she explained everything again and then both daughter and mother kept asking questions about Bertha and her life with her. Tabatha felt so comfortable with them that when Nora put an arm around her, she rested her head on her shoulder. Sarah gasped and Nora didn't move a muscle but when Tabatha was about to move away and apologize, Sarah sat closer to her and grabbed her hand.
Now Nora is reading the letter Scotty wrote to his father when they found out they were expecting her. There is so much love in his words, Nora's mind traveled back to the day she herself found out she was going to be a grandmother. Tabata listened to her in silence as she filled the blanks in the story and smiled from time to time. Sarah closed the door of the studio and sat on her mother's desk.
- Justin? hi, it's sarah, listen... yes, fine, everything is fine listen Justin... ok but listen, I don't have much time... shut up Justin!!!.... ok.... no, sorry, it is just you are getting my nerves.... I have some interesting news, I need you and Kitty to come to mom's.... what do you mean when? an hour ago! .... walker emergency Justin, just do what I tell you for once, ok? ...listen I will explain when you guys get here. ok, bye.
- I tell you, in the middle of the grocery store, screaming and jumping like a crazy monkey. Security came to check on me...
- wow... you really were happy - Tabatha says with a smile on her face
- of course I was... Tabatha, you were so much wanted, so much loved from the very beginning. Your dad... Kevin cried for hours when he saw you for first time in the sonogram... your other dad, Scotty went mute, and Michelle started to statter. The poor doctor had no idea what to do, it was very awkward... they were so happy to have their dream come true and so grateful to Michelle for helping them. Scotty was so excited he told everybody he knew in a matter of hours... I forgot about my groceries and ran to the baby store to get everything I could possibly think of.
- so everybody knew right away?
- yes, Kevin called your aunt Kitty as soon as I hung up and I called Sarah... Sarah called Justin and Kitty called Tommy, your great-uncle Saul was with me and he called his partner... Saul is gay too... and the next day, Michelle was living in my house and we were having the baby shower...
- I thought you have that by the end of pregnancy
- that is how loved and wanted you were, none of us could wait...
- then why Tommy slammed the door on my face and got so mad? is it because some people have tried to discredit kevin as sarah said?
- Yes, he is very protective of Kevin, after... after you were taken away from your dads, Kevin got depressed, it was bad, it got to a point where he didn't shower in a month and we had to feed him through an IV, he went to... bertha's house every day and hid behind a tree to try to see you, The last time he was arrested, Tommy bailed him out, we all had come back to LA already but Tommy came back to visit him. Kevin finally came back to LA, he had tried everything he could to take you back to no avail and he was forbidden from seeing Scotty so he came back to my house. Tommy has a daughter, Elizabeth but she is not biologically his as he is sterile, he and his wife, your aunt Julia got a sperm donor but a few years later Julia died in a car accident and the man came and tried to take Elizabeth from him. Kevin first took the case to help his brother and have something to do with his time apart from feeling miserable but he realized he liked to help famillies andthen he decided to become a full time family lawyer, most of his cases were gay-related though. Tommy would have lost Elizabeth if it hadn't been for Kevin so when Kevin started doing well and winning cases for gay people, Tommy was always behind him, and when Kevin was falsely accused of being himself straight and having children with women as a way to discredit his work as a gay man working for gays, Tommy had enough, he even ended up in jail a few times for beating up reporters and people that were following Kevin around... Tommy knows how much he owes Kevin and he knows how much it hurts Kevin to be accused, you are not the first child that knocks at my door, or Kevin's door saying that you are his child... most times it's been boys, one time the boy's mother ended up admitting her idea was to accuse Kevin of sexually abusing the kid! can you believe it? people have done everything to put Kevin down, he is the best lawyer when it comes to gays vs straight people custody cases, you know, when one partner is gone and the family wants the custody of the child... and he has done it all for you, he has reunited all those kids with their real parents because of you, as a way to forgive himself for not having fought for you more...
- Wally's diary says he worked very hard on the case
- yes he did, I was there, he did his best and more but he thinks he failed, he feels he didn't do enough and it eats him every day, he blames himself and these cases are a way to deal with it
- he never forgot about me?
- No...he loves you lke the first day...
- then when can I see him? where is he?
- Justin and Kitty will be here any minute - Sarah enters the living room again and sits again next to Tabatha
- can we go to his house?
- he is not home, I just called, he is not picking up his cellphone either
- where is he?
- i don't know sweety.... he does this thing sometimes, he leaves for a few days. We never know where he goes but do not worry, he always come back
- are you telling me I came all the way from Arizona to not see him?
- of course not, you will stay here until he comes back.... it is never more than a week....
- wait a minute - Nora says as a light bulb goes on in her head - how did you get here? you are a minor
- i..... i got a fake id - tabatha looks down in shame
- does bertha knows you are here?
- of course not.... please do not call her... please, she will make me come back..... - tabatha starts to panic now
- of course we won't...... we are your real family, you belong here
- Kevin... - Cinthya stands in from of him across the table, he gets up and hugs her as his life depended on it
- God... it so good to see you...
- I got you pancakes - Cinthya points the plate she put in the table before the hug and Kevin didn't notice
- thank you...
- you still like those, right?
- always... - Kevin says with a smile
They sit and stay quiet for a few mintes, Cinthya examines his face, finally she leans over and caresses his cheek
- you look old
- it's been over 10 years
- no.... you look old
- yeah... I feel older than my age
- i've seen you on TV ...
- law is the only ting that makes sense... getting all those kids reunited with their parents.... - kevin sighs
- yeah..... it does make sense...- they stay quiet for a minte and then Cinthya breaks the silence - not thatI don't appreciate seeing an old friend but... what are yo doing here?
- I was hungry...congratulations on geting your own business by the way... I didn't realised it was your diner until I read the name in the menu...
- yeah.... it was that name or Cinthya's
Both friends start laughing and Cinthya grabs his hands
- what are you doing here in the middle of nowhere?
- I saw Scotty...
Cinthya gasps and Kevin sighs - I mean, in a dream.... - he elaborates - and then I saw our daughter in the ranchero.... somehow his car ended up in Colorado, I bought it. Bertha must have sold it, she claimed many of Scotty' possesions, I only got to keep some of his clothes...
- i remember...
- anyway, i have a case in colorado so i was there and saw scotty's car, i just had to get it and everything started to happen then... it is like scotty and baby bertha are trying to tell me somethingg.... so i decided to go back to colorado and talk with the guy i bought the ranchero from...
- what would you say?
- i have no idea.... god, this doesn't even make sense, it is not like he will know where scotty is..... i am such an idiot..... - kevin says getting up but Cynthia slammed the table with his palm and raised her voice.
- Kevin, sit - Kevin does as he is told and remains in silence with his head down, as a child who has been reprimended but knows there is more coming. - you are not the only one.... dreaming I mean
- what? - Kevin looks up
- a couple of weeks ago, i dreamed of baby bertha, she was a teenager now, and she was packing, she had some papers with your picture on them... i didn't see much, it was a very short dream but it seemed to me that she was on her way to meet you
- thanks.... but it is not possible, scotty's mother raised her to believe she was adopted from a druggie mother and unknown father...
- are you sure about that?
- it is not like bertha will tell her the truth
- maybe she didn't but....
- what are you talking about..
- kevin- cinthya squeezes his hands looks at him right in the eye - do you know if wally had a diary?
- a diary? like a "dear diary, let me tell you about my day" diary
- i see the sarcasm is still there... and yes, a dear diary
- ok, this is getting weird - kevin doesn't understand where this is going and he doesn't like Cinthya's look
- listen... in my dream, there was a diary next to her backpack, it was opened and even though i never saw wally's handwriting, something told me it was his. and your names were on it....
- what....
- kevin... i think i had that dream for a reason, i thought it was just me remembering about you guys like i do often but now that you are here... i think baby bertha knows about you and she is looking for you.
Kevin's back hits the back of his chair and let go of Cinthya's hands, his face is of complete confusion... and if Cinthya is not mistaken, some hope too.
Bertha thanks the police officer and turns around to meet Barbara who promptly puts her cellphone back in her purse and smiles
- so?
- Nothing yet, but they will keep looking
- good....
- good? is that all you will say? my daughter is missing, you knew this was happening and not only didn' tell me but neither you stop her! - bertha's mood swing got Barbara by surprise but she is done putting up with her.
- bertha, she is not missing, she is looking for her parents....
- how dare you!!! i am her mother!
- you are not bertha, you never were.... i blindly believed in you but not anymore.... you are not only not her mother, you have never been a mother, you were noever a mother for your real son scotty and then you stole his daughter from him and his husband..... you are cruel and devious and evil......
- what!!!! i did the best for her! what kind of life wold had she have living with a gay man! only god knows what would have happened to her!!!!
- she wold have had a loving parent taking care of her, a real one, not one that adopted her to tak back on a man whose only crime was to fall in love with another one.... your own son...
- i can't believe you are doing this!
- i am done bertha.... tabatha deserves better than you..... i hope you never find her.... - barbara gets up and turns in direction to the door
- you know something!!!! bertha screams at the top of her lungs making some officers stop what they are doing and walk towards them. Barbara, smirks and fixes her eyes on her.
- maybe, maybe not... you will never know
****** Make sure to check part 2: The Letter. *******