Drew watched her surroundings as they drove into town only thing different this time then the first time she saw it was that she felt like it was home and her heart ached thinking that she might not ever see it again. It was no longer the ‘hellhole´ she once considered it but the place se had hoped to spend the rest of her life. The life she wanted to share with Buck but that dream had been shattered. She had grown up over the past few months she was no longer the spoiled little girl who drove into town with a bang, she was a woman who learned what it meant to have a family and a home.

She looked to Buck as he pulled to a stop in front of the cemetery. “Buck? Oh my God! Ezra? Mother she would have told me right? Trina? Karol? Ridley? Laura? Who?”

Buck got out of the truck and then walked over to the passenger side. “Not them Sunshine.” He took her hand and led her over to the tiny tombstone. It was light blue with tiny angels on it.

Drew looked to Buck then down to what he wanted her to see. She felt her knees buckled from underneath her. The tombstone read: Brandon William Wilmington. January 1, 2002. Beloved son.

Buck caught Drew in his arms as she broke out in sobs. “Sunshine, I´m so sorry. Your mother, she lied. Lacey she didn´t come to the hospital. I held Brandon he was so precious. He had your beautiful face. I wanted so much to hold you too but your mother took that away. She didn´t even allow you to be there to bury our son, she lied. We had a funeral. Ezra arranged it. He and JD were pallbearers. I figure you would have wanted that. She lied can´t you see that now?” He held her as she sobbed into his chest.
 

“Oh God, why?! I should have--I should have been here.” Drew wailed as she clung tightly to Buck. This just could not be happening. Her mother told her, she had told her. Those thoughts kept echoing through Drew´s mind.

“I know, Sunshine, I know.” He sat down cradling her to him. Rocking her and comforting her, what he should have been able to do the night they lost Brandon.

An hour later the two were back at the apartment. Buck having explained to her all he could even telling her what had happened to Trina.

Drew was hurt and confused but somewhat relieved at the same time. Her mother had been the one to betray her and for that she was upset yet thankful. Buck never hurt her, not intentionally.

Buck placed a kiss on the top of her head. “I should call Ezra and let him know.”

Drew nodded, “think Trina will forgive me?”

“Yeah Sunshine, she will everyone understands.”

Drew turned to face him. “What about you? Have you forgiven me for running? Will you ever be able too?”

Buck shrugged then looked into her eyes. “I love you Sunshine. I´ve never once betrayed you and I have no desire for any other woman. I don´t know if you´ll ever trust me and that hurts. Have I forgiven you? You were misled, Sunshine, fact of the matter is I will NEVER be able to forgive your mother. I´m convinced she had a hand in that set-up with Lacey too.”

Drew nodded.

Buck placed his hand under Drew´s chin tilting her face up to his. “Don´t ever leave me again. Promise me that.”

“I won´t leave you Buck.”

“Drew--- I know you,” he smiled. “You run when you´re upset. But can´t you see what running did this time? Please if anything at all ever happens again don´t leave town. Go to Trina´s or Ezra´s. I don´t care. But don´t ever leave again. Not without giving me a chance to explain.”

Drew looked to him then threw her arms around him hugging him tightly. “I´m so sorry Buck-- I love you I never stopped lovin you.”

Buck ran his fingers through her hair and smiled to her tenderly. “You´re home now Sunshine. And I won´t ever stop lovin you either.” He placed his lips on hers kissing her passionately.

This time Drew responded and reached up touching his face as he lifted her up and carried her back towards their bedroom.

Within moments all clothes were discarded and the two were making love as if they were both too afraid to ever let go. Hands and mouths exploring each other claiming what was rightfully theirs.

The phone call to Ezra was temporarily put on hold. The only thing that mattered was that moment and it had been far too long for the both of them.

After a few hours of long overdue lovemaking Buck was finally making the call to Ezra. Drew wanted to see Trina.

Ezra picked up the phone on the third ring. He smiled over at Trina, who was in the kitchen. He was pretty sure that if he wasn't careful, he'd start gaining weight. Trina was entering the baking contest and had determined to test out several recipes on him. First it had been a flaming plum pudding, then a sumptuous and rich fruit cake. Right now, she was putting the final touches on something she'd called a turtle cake.

"Hello," Ezra said. He hoped it wasn't the office.

"Hey, Ezra," Buck's voice sounded. For the first time in weeks, Buck sounded alive. "Can you and Trina come over for a bit?"

"Certainly. Buck, are you all right?"

"Yeah, Ez. I'm good. Just come over, all right?"

"We're on the way." Ezra hung up and looked to Trina. "That was Buck. He wants us to come over.

She nodded. Then she stuck the cover on the cake and picked it up. "He's lost weight," was all she said when he looked at her questioningly.

Ezra took the cake from her and led her out to the car. He put it in the back then gave her a quick hug. Then the two headed back towards Oasis Apartments.

A few moments later, Ezra and Trina were knocking on the door.

Buck answered it. And he was smiling.

"We brought you a cake," Trina said, looking at him curiously. Buck smiled even more broadly. He took the cake and winked to Trina. "Come in."

Trina walked into the apartment and stopped. "DREW!" she shouted and ran towards his sister. "You're back!" Trina grabbed Drew and hugged her tightly. "I missed you so much!"

Drew just held on for a moment, surprised at the reception she'd gotten. It was home, but she had not realized that they missed her as much as she missed them. "I missed you too, Trina."

Ezra soon had his sister in a tight hug. "Don't you ever do that again," he said softly.

Drew just nodded.

"Where have you been?" Trina looked to her.

"And where is mother?"

"Australia she has a new beau, some entertainment executive. She was in New York that´s where I was.” She left out the fact that this new beau had promised her a job on a sitcom in Australia. She hadn´t got a chance to explain everything to Buck yet.

"And we ain't gonna talk about that viper. Not now," Buck said.

"I knew you'd come back," Trina said. "I'm just sorry I didn't take better care of Buck for you."

Drew just leaned over and pulled Trina into a hard hug, shaking her head. "I'm sorry I wasn't here when you needed me."

Trina looked up sharply, then turned to Buck.

"I told her, Trina."

Trina nodded. It wasn't that she didn't want Drew to know. She just had not expected that Drew already knew. "When did you get home?"

"A couple hours ago."

Trina smiled. "Then you're staying."

"Yeah. I am. This is my home."

Buck smiled broadly and pulled Drew to him holding her close. She was back and he vowed to never let anything come between them again even if it meant shutting her mother out of their lives forever.

~~~~

Laura sighed as she watched the girl rehearse. She rubbed wearily at her eyes when she noticed her volunteers showed up. It wasn´t necessary for them to be at the entire practice, so she always told them to come a couple hours before the four hour rehearsals were done. She walked over, having gathered together copies of the script and handed them out. She instructed to each of them that she needed them to look through the script, notice when the girls would be needed, etc.

“I´m going to be assigning each of you to a girl tonight,” she said. “You will be making sure that your girls are prepped and ready to be on stage. If they need help getting into their dresses, making sure that their dresses are ready for them to get into as soon as they step off the stage after their speech portion. You are also to make sure their suits are ready right after the dance number so they can do their speech portion. The girls don´t have much time to change so we want them to be able to get ready as quickly as possible. If you want to take on the responsibility also of making sure their hair is still in place and let them know if they need a touch up on their make up just a bit before going back on stage, that´s fine.”

“Tomorrow at rehearsal I want a chance to do a once through with everyone as if it was the night of the show,” Laura finished. She began to chit chat with the different women, explaining some of the set ups, what things would be needed when the time came for various things. Laura talked also with Margaret Selas, a local woman who had taken on the responsibility of getting the float ready for the parade. Laura was extremely grateful for the woman, it was one less hassle that was placed on Laura´s shoulders. Margaret was extremely talented too and had came up with an idea and a design for the float. It was almost completely done, with the volunteers working happily at making sure it was ready.

Laura turned back to the girls and made the necessary corrections to each one in their walks. A couple of the girls were wearing sheath gowns with sweeps or trains, so she had brought some sheets with her to this rehearsal, pinning them onto the girls with scarves attached to the back so they would get used to the turning and walking with the train behind them. One of the girls had a huge ballroom like gown, so Laura had brought on of her mother´s hoop skirts she had worn once during a play, which gave the young girl the feel of the width of the skirt that the layers of tulleing would create. She made a note in her head to bring sheets for the rest of the girls tomorrow. Even though the other girls were wearing dresses that had chiffon skirts, they were taking too wide of steps, and though Laura told them to take smaller steps, after a few moments they would forget and start taking larger ones again. She planned to use the sheets like the sheath dresses to get the girls accustomed to taking the tinier steps they needed to.

Jotting down a few notes, Laura then looked at her watch. Rehearsal was just about ready to end. She capped her pen and looked up. “All right ladies,” she said. “Rehearsal is just about done so let´s wind it down. Are their any questions tonight? If not you may go, and I´ll see you tomorrow. If there are, please let me know and I will answer them.” A couple girls came up to speak with Laura. The others gathered their things and waved to the volunteers and headed home. Laura answered the girls´ questions and shook her head as they walked away. They had asked the same questions the night before, but she couldn´t be annoyed with them. They were some of the sweetest girls in the competition, and if it weren´t for their bubbly personalities and the fun they were having, Laura would be very annoyed that they didn´t pay attention. But she couldn´t. They often were the comic reliefs at rehearsal, always making the other girls smile.

“See everyone tomorrow,” Laura called after all the women that were volunteering. She waved and gathered her things before she too headed home.

.