ONLY YOU - THE PLAY

PREVIOUSLY

She felt good. A bit tired, but cheered and excited. It felt like moving on. After having her life on pause the last few months, with this case coming up, and getting out on the town again, she felt like coming back to life. A nice feeling. Her life was her own once again, and she was moving steadily forward, leaving the past, and all the baggage with it, behind.

********************************************************************************************** The auditorium at St. James was filled with parents and families, waiting for the kids’ show to begin. It was the Llanview Summer Playhouse group, for early elementary children, which put on a little play every year to raise money for the church. The Rev. Andrew Carpenter was trying to assist the frazzled director as well as welcome the guests, and was worn out already.
He rushed over to greet Vicki with a warm hello and a friendly hug. "Good to see you! You DO emerge from The Banner once in awhile!"
"Now and then. We’ve been very busy. And it’s nice to see you too, Andrew."
"Hello, Andrew," said a breathy female voice. He hadn’t seen Tea walk over. Andrew looked slightly uncomfortable for a moment, but covered it well.
"Hi there, stranger.." he managed. The tension was clear. "Excuse me, ladies, but I need to go backstage and help out.." He rushed off, and the women exchanged looks.
Tea sighed as they looked for seats. "Vicki, I don’t know if Andrew and I can even be in the same room anymore without being.. uncomfortable."
"It’s natural. Once a friendship has changed into something more, it’s very hard to go back to the former state of affairs.."
"But it’s been even worse since.. since Todd left. It’s almost as if he expected me to go back to him once my marriage was over."
"I’m sure he would have known not to take advantage of the situation. And he’s more proud than you think; he doesn’t want to be a second choice."
"But that’s what he was all along." They found their seats. "I can’t believe I was so blind.. I was using him!"
"And he was using you. Tea," Vicki put a hand on her shoulder, "you were at a very confusing time in your life, and so was he. You both made a mistake, and you’ve moved on. But perhaps he is having trouble doing the same. Give it time, maybe one day you can forgive each other and regain what you once had."
Tea smiled at her former sister-in-law. "Another successful Vicki Carpenter counseling session. Everything seems so much clearer coming from you."
"That’s because I can have some objectivity. Believe me, when it comes to my own life," and Vicki gave a sigh of her own, "things are anything but clear." She changed the subject. "Oh look, we get programs!"
"Oh, let me see! Where’s Starr?" Tea eagerly perused her copy. "She has a speaking role!"
"Yes, apparently she is the only Tree with a line."
Tea was delighted. "I can’t wait! She must be so nervous! I wish I could go see her.."
"I’m sure her mother is doing just fine, getting her ready," Vicki reassured her. "We’ll go see her afterwards."
"I should have brought my camera.." The two of them continued to chat as the remaining seats filled. Blair emerged from backstage, casting a surprised glare at Tea, who smiled back brightly.
She joined Max in the front row, along with Cassie and Kelly. Dorian also sent dagger-filled glances at Tea, but was eventually quieted by Mel. Andrew eventually reappeared, sitting next to Cassie down in front. When it came to River, the two of them could always set aside their differences.
One more onlooker arrived once all the seats were filled; Todd strode silently into the auditorium and lingered in the back. He wouldn’t have taken a seat if there were one. He was there to see Starr, and then get the hell out of there before he had to face down his least favorite Llanview citizens. Such as Dorian Lord, who he could see near the front. He made a face. This was the snake pit, alright. Better not waste any time getting out of here once it was over. He did not see either Vicki or Tea.
The show went well, as children’s shows go. No major disasters. Starr, in her bulky tree costume, did indeed look exceedingly nervous, and Tea held her breath waiting for the little girl’s turn to speak. Blair, just below her in the front row, did the same. When it came time for her line, she spoke loudly and with confidence, and all three of her parents, in their various locations, beamed with pride.
After it was over, as the audience was applauding, Todd slipped unnoticed through the door.
He walked down the hallway thinking about his daughter. She was getting so big! And she had that same big charming smile as her mom. And the same fearless energy as her stepmom. He wondered what she would be like when she was bigger. If she would do anything like him. He stopped short, just before leaving the building, and turned back. He hurriedly slipped through the halls to find his way backstage.
The audience continued to applaud for some time, and when it finally died down Tea pulled hurriedly on Vicki’s sleeve. "C’mon, we have to hurry backstage before Blair gets done schmoozing!" She dragged Vicki through the crowd.
"You sound just like one of my kids dragging me through a store," she laughed. "Impatient and demanding." Vicki followed Tea through the crowd, spotting Blair on the way, who was indeed deep in conversation with a man she didn’t recognize. That should give Tea some time with the child. She also spotted Andrew again, and wanted to speak with him. "Tea, I’ll meet you in front, all right?" She broke off to catch the Reverend before he could disappear.
She hunted through a swarm of kids until she finally spotted Starr, who was stuck halfway in and out of her tree costume. "Help!" she squeaked when she saw her. Tea immediately went to work on the stubborn zipper, kneeling on the floor, and finally freed the trapped child.
"You were SO great, niña! You were the best tree ever!" Tea flooded her with praise.
"Did you hear me? I had a line!" Starr sprung into Tea’s arms, excited about the play, all the people here to see them, and seeing her stepmom again, who she never got to see anymore..
"I sure did! I heard you perfectly, you did it just right." Tea squeezed her tight.
Todd waded through the sea of kids going the other way, looking this way and that for his own child. Maybe she left already. He peered in a few doors, finally going through one and coming out a few feet away from a woman and child embracing on the floor.
Starr looked up suddenly. "Daddy!" she squirmed out of Tea’s arms, and threw her arms around her father’s legs. "Hey, there you are. Good job, kiddo. You were really good." He said fondly, mussing her hair with his hand.
Starr’s words had not yet registered when Tea looked up and over her shoulder, to see the man who had broken her heart standing over her. She froze.
Just then, Blair burst into the room. "Oh, Starr, you were just terrific!!" She opened her arms, and Starr ran right into them. She was ecstatic - all the people she liked best, right here in this room!
Todd watched his daughter run over to her mother, and smiled a little. But now he had to go.
Tea rose to her feet, her jaw clenched. She hadn’t taken her eyes off him. Todd turned and ran right into her, then caught her by the arms before he registered quite what was happening. "Tea-" he whispered.
"Don’t touch me," she said at the same time. Her voice was cold and jagged as ice.
He caught his breath. "How- how are you?" he tried to ask.
She jerked out of his grasp, and turned away. She walked over towards Blair, who hadn’t noticed a thing, gushing over her little girl. "Starr," she managed to say, "hey Starr, come here a second.." Starr trotted over, smiling. Tea got down to her height, and brushed her hair out of her face. "You’re coming to visit me next week, right?" Starr nodded. "Good. You were wonderful, sweetie. Can I get a big hug?" The child gave her a hug and a kiss. Tea tried hard to swallow the lump in her throat, and stood up.
Todd tried to intercept her before she could get through the door. "Hey look, can I talk to you?"
She did not look him in the eye, but stared straight ahead. "Get out of my way."
"Delgado-"
"I have nothing to say to you." So cold. He let her pass, and watched her walk away.
Blair sauntered over. "THAT didn’t go very well.." she snickered.
He didn’t say anything, just stared off in the direction Tea had just disappeared to. No, that didn’t go very well, he thought, numb. "I’ll come see you tomorrow, Starr," he said quietly. Then he too was gone.

End Part 9
Next: Meant To Be