The One With the Gazebo" 10

11A. BOARDINGHOUSE KITCHEN -- THEN NEXT MORNING

(A.J. BOUNDS INTO THE KITCHEN.)

A.J.: Mom, what's for... (HE STOPS WHEN HE SEES SHE'S NOT THERE.) She can't still be sleeping. (SMILES) Maybe I should check Dad's room. (HE HEARS THE TV IN THE OTHER ROOM AND IS OBVIOUSLY DISAPPOINTED.) Or maybe she's just watching the news. (HE WANDERS INTO THE TV ROOM AND BREAKS INTO A HUGE SMILE AT THE SIGHT OF QUINTON AND NOLA ASLEEP IN EACH OTHER'S ARMS. HE BACKS OUT OF THE ROOM AND ON HIS WAY BACK INTO THE KITCHEN RUNS INTO TONY, WHO IS COMING IN THE DOOR.)

TONY: Mornin'

A.J.: Uncle Tony, come here, look.

TONY: Look at what?

A.J.: Come on, come on.

(HE PULLS HIS ARM.)

TONY: A.J., you're like a kid at Christmas.

A.J.: This is better than Christmas. Look.

(HE POINTS INTO THE TV ROOM.)

TONY: Why am I spying on your parents?

A.J.: They're together again.

(TONY PUTS HIS ARM AROUND A.J.'S SHOULDERS AND LEADS HIM TO THE KITCHEN.)

TONY: Don't get your hopes up just yet.

A.J.: Why not? You saw them. They'd never be like that if Mom hadn't forgiven him.

TONY: Maybe they just fell asleep watching TV.

A.J.: I don't cae what the excuse is, I'm just glad to see them close again.

TONY: They still have a lot of things to work out.

A.J.: She can't stay at him forever about the psycho tramp.

TONY: You know she wasn't the only problem.

A.J.: Yes she was. Mom and Dad never fought before we moved to California.

TONY: Never?

A.J.: Never seriously. Mom would get angry at him sometimes, but I think they just fought because they liked making up so much. They could never stay mad at each other. Then we settled down in California and everything went to hell. I told Dad we never should have stopped moving around.

TONY: Your mom couldn't have dragged the twins around the world with you guys.

A.J.: Why not? She carted Stacy and I all over when we were practically babies.

TONY: Where would she have had them -- in a field or a desert somewhere?

A.J.: Anything would have been better than the way she did have them, wouldn't it? (TONY'S THROWN BY THIS COMMENT.) I'm sorry, Uncle Tony, I should have said that.

TONY: I've never heard you talk about the twins before.

A.J.: It upset Mom too much to talk about them, so we all learned real fast not to bring up the subject.

TONY: You never talked to your dad? Or Stacy?

A.J.: Dad had his hands full with Mom. And you know Stacy -- she never talks about anything.

TONY: I think she would have if you'd asked her.

A.J.: What was there to talk about anyway? I didn't even know them. I never even saw Sean, I saw Stephanie for half a minute. It's not like I had time to get attached.

TONY: They were still your brother and sister.

A.J.: For less than a week.

TONY: So you decided to act like they never existed?

A.J.: Everyone else did.

TONY: Yeah, and look what happened. That's why things went to hell -- it had nothing to do with California.

A.J.: Well all that's behind us now. Mom and Dad are back together, and everything's going to be okay now. I just know it will be.

CUT TO:

11B. BOARDINGHOUSE TV ROOM

(A SLEEPY-EYED BUT AWAKE QUINTON IS STILL HOLDING NOLA ON HIS LAP. AS HE STROKES HER HAIR SOFTLY, NOLA AWAKENS WITH A SIGH. QUINTON LAUGHS AT THE SOUND.)

NOLA: What?

QUINTON: You probably don't even realize it, but you wake up like that every morning, with that little sigh. I didn't realize how much I've missed that, but hearing it just now...

NOLA: That's what you've missed the most about me -- the way I sigh?

QUINTON: No. But it's a part of waking up next to you every morning, which is what I've missed the most.

NOLA: Quinton, wasn't I sitting on the sofa when I fell asleep?

QUINTON: I don't know, were you?

NOLA: I'm pretty sure I was.

QUINTON: You must have crawled up here in the middle of the night.

NOLA: Quinton, it's not like you to take advantage of a woman when she's asleep.

QUINTON: I wasn't taking advantage, I swear. I just needed to be close to you.

(SHE BRUSHES A STRAY STRAND OF HAIR AWAY FROM HIS FACE.)

NOLA: It's okay. Last night was actually the best night's sleep I've had in a really long time.

QUINTON: I'm glad.

NOLA: I wish you could say the same.

QUINTON: I slept okay.

NOLA: Yeah, you look real rested.

QUINTON: Everything that's happened the past two days has made me think about some things I haven't let myself think about for awhile. I had a hard time getting to sleep after that.

NOLA: I was thinking about the same thing. That's why I came down here last night, to distract myself from those memories.

QUINTON: Maybe we should stop ignoring them and deal with them.

NOLA: We will. But not today. Today's going to be hard enough as it is.

(QUINTON NODS.)

QUINTON: I've said goodbye to Vanessa at least a hundred times, but I've never thought about the last time I'd have to say it.

NOLA: You're going to get through today.

QUINTON: I will with you around.

NOLA: I'm not going anywhere. Except to make breakfast. I think I hear a hungry A.J. rattling around in there.

QUINTON: What's he going to think when he sees the two of us walk into the kitchen together?

NOLA: That we're back together.

QUINTON: Should we let him get his hopes up like that?

NOLA: Is he going to end up disappointed?

QUINTON: Not if I have anything to say about it.

NOLA: Then I don't think it will be a problem. (SHE GETS UP OFF THE SOFA.) You feel like waffles this morning?

QUINTON: You know I can never say no to your waffles. And I think a family breakfast is exactly what I need this morning.

(HE GETS UP AND FOLLOWS NOLA INTO THE KITCHEN, WHERE THEY SEE TONY AND A.J. AT THE STOVE MAKING BREAKFAST.)

A.J.: Hi Mom, hi Dad. Hope you're hungry. Uncle Tony and I are making waffles.

(QUINTON AND NOLA LAUGH.)

NOLA: That's just what I was coming to do.

QUINTON: Great minds think alike.

(THEY HEAR PETER CALLING FROM UPSTAIRS.)

PETER: Mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy.

(NOLA LOOKS AT QUINTON, TONY AND A.J.)

NOLA: I guess I'm the closest thing to that here. Can you guys handle breakfast?

A.J.: Only you and Grandma make these waffles better than me.

NOLA: Great.

(SHE DISAPPEARS UP THE STAIRS. TONY AND A.J. BOTH TURN TO QUINTON.)

QUINTON: What?

TONY: You tell us.

A.J.: You and Mom are back together, right?

QUINTON: A.J...

TONY: I told him you guys may have just fallen asleep watching TV.

QUINTON: We did. (A.J. CAN'T HIDE HIS DISAPPOINTMENT.) But that doesn't mean things aren't better between your mother and I, son.

A.J.: Really? (QUINTON NODS WITH A SMILE.) How much better is better?

QUINTON: Pretty good, I think.

A.J.: You think?

TONY: I don't think Nola's going to just forgive and forget so easily, no matter how much she still loves your dad.

A.J.: She hasn't made it easy. You've been here for five months trying to prove yourself, Dad. Why can't Mom get it through her thick head that you're not going to hurt her anymore?

QUINTON: Anthony James, don't talk about your mother like that.

TONY: Yeah, she can't help being stubborn. She's a Reardon.

A.J.: How much longer can she keep this stubborness up?

QUINTON AND TONY: Forever.

A.J.: I'm being serious, Dad. I want our family back.

QUINTON: So do I.

A.J.: Then get it.

QUINTON: You know I'm trying. But this isn't just a bad fight we have to get past, A.J., it's two years of pain and anger.

A.J.: But I know you and Mom will work things out. She's so much happier now than she's been in a long time, even if she won't admit that to you. You just can't give up on her.

QUINTON: I would never give up on her, A.J.

A.J.: Do you swear?

QUINTON: Of course. Why would you think I would?

A.J.: You have before.

QUINTON: I never gave up hope that your mom and I would work things out, even when she did. I knew that if we could just find a way to start talking again everything would be okay.

TONY: Did you get her to open up last night?

(QUINTON SHAKES HIS HEAD.)

QUINTON: Neither of us was in the mood to talk about all the things we've lost, with Vanessa so heavy on our minds.

A.J.: You're not going to make Mom talk about the twins, are you?

QUINTON: I have to, A.J.

A.J.: Why? You're only going to make her run off again if you do that.

QUINTON: It's something she needs to do.

A.J.: She needs to hurt more?

QUINTON: She needs to let herself feel the hurt, so that she can get past it.

A.J.: She's already felt it. You have no idea of everything she went through.

QUINTON: What are you talking about?

A.J.: Nothing.

QUINTON: I know you have something you want to say. Say it.

(A.J. LOOKS AT TONY.)

TONY: Nola didn't want you to know, but she had a really hard time after you went back to work.

QUINTON: She had a problem with my teaching?

TONY: The problem was it didn't include her.

A.J.: You had your teaching to distract you from everything. Mom didn't have anything like that. She tried to concentrate on finishing her thesis, her publisher tried to get her to do another one of her children's books, but everytime she'd start to focus, she'd have to walk past the room where the nursery was supposed to be. I used to come home from school and find her just standing there in a daze. A couple times I'd find her sitting in the car, too. She was too terrified to drive it.

QUINTON: Why didn't you ever tell me this?

A.J.: Mom didn't want you to know how bad things really were. She didn't want to make you feel anymore guilty than you already were.

QUINTON (TO TONY): But you knew about all this?

TONY: A.J. wasn't sure what to do for her, so he called me to help.

QUINTON: You should have told me.

A.J.: Maybe if you'd been around a little more I would have.

(QUINTON IS TAKEN ABACK.)

QUINTON: I can't take back that mistake, no matter how much I wish I could.

A.J.: Why couldn't you just listen to me?

QUINTON: Maybe I would have if you'd told me why you were so anxious to leave California.

A.J.: I just thought that if we could get away from that house and all the things that reminded her of Sean and Stephanie, and if she could work with you the way she always had when we were traveling, then things would go back to normal. And I was right. Look how much better she's gotten since she came back here and especially since she started helping you out at the site. Please don't ruin that by making her relive all the things she's finally been able to get past, Dad. Please.

(NOLA ENTERS WITH PETER BEFORE QUINTON CAN ANSWER.)

NOLA: Hi, is breakfast ready?

TONY: Almost. We got a little distracted.

NOLA: Is everything okay?

A.J.: Everything's fine, Mom. Everything's great. And from now on it's going to stay that way, right Dad?

QUINTON: I hope so, A.J.

(NOLA NOTICES THE LOOK PASSING BETWEEN THE TWO.)

NOLA: Why do I get the feeling I missed something here.

A.J.: We were just having a father/son chat. A father/son/uncle chat.

NOLA: Oh, manly talk. Sorry I missed it. Quinton, I called over to the dig site and asked Reno to send you a suit to wear today. He's going to have someone drop it off, so you won't have to go all the way out there.

QUINTON: Thank you, Nola.

NOLA: No problem.

A.J.: That means we can all go to the memorial service together. As a family.

NOLA: Didn't I ever teach you subtlety?

A.J.: No.

TONY: It's not exactly your strongpoint, Nol.

NOLA: Shut up.

PETER: Mommy says don't say that.

TONY: Yeah, Aunt Nola, don't say that.

PETER: Where's Mommy?

NOLA: She went to see Uncle Matt, honey.

PETER: Where's my other mommy? (NO ONE KNOWS WHAT TO SAY FOR A MOMENT. FINALLY, QUINTON KNEELS DOWN NEXT TO PETER.)

QUINTON: Mommy Vanessa went to see the angels, Peter.

PETER: Mommy says Grandpop is with the angels.

QUINTON: Yes he is. He and Mommy Vanessa are both with the angels. And we can't see them anymore, but we can still think about them anytime we want and still love them as much as we always have.

PETER: Why didn't my other mommy say bye?

QUINTON: She didn't have the chance, Petey. But that doesn't mean she loved you any less.

PETER: Will she be happy with the angels?

QUINTON: I'm sure she'll be very happy.

PETER: Can I see the angels?

QUINTON: No, we can't see the angels, Peter. We have to wait until God says it's okay.

PETER: Oh, okay. I eat breakfast now.

TONY: That's a good idea, Peter. Why don't we all eat. A.J., help me get everybody a plate.

(TONY AND A.J. PUT THE WAFFLES ON PLATES AS QUINTON PUTS PETER IN A BOOSTER SEAT. NOLA PULLS QUINTON ASIDE.)

NOLA: You really handled that well.

QUINTON: Thanks. Think he understands what's happened?

NOLA: I don't think so. But that's probably for the best. He's too young to have to know about the bad things in life.

(A.J. OVERHEARS THIS REMARK.)

A.J.: No talking about the bad things in life -- this is a happy breakfast. Now sit down and eat.

(HE SMILES AS HE HANDS THEM PLATES OF WAFFLES. THEY CAN'T HELP BUT SMILE BACK.) =============================================================================

12. SPAULDING GARDENS GREENHOUSE -- NOON

(MATT ENTERS AND SEES MOST OF SPRINGFIELD GATHERED TO REMEMBER VANESSA. HE'S OVERCOME BY BEING IN THE PLACE WHERE HE AND VANESSA WERE MARRIED AND STARTS OUT. JOSH STOPS HIM.)

JOSH: Matt...

MATT: I can't do this.

(HE RUNS OUT. JOSH IS ABOUT TO GO AFTER HIM WHEN ANNIE ENTERS.)

ANNIE: Josh, we should....

JOSH: I have to go after Matt.

(HE RUNS OUT. ANNIE LOOKS AROUND THE ROOM A BIT UNCOMFORABLY. HER EYES SETTLE ON REVA TALKING TO BILLY AND BILL AND SHE SIGHS.)

TONY: Don't let her get to you.

ANNIE: Who, Reva? She doesn't get to me.

TONY: Good. Because you're the one Josh chose to be with.

ANNIE: How do you know what happened with Josh and I?

TONY: My sister Nola has a big mouth. Were you and Vanessa close?

ANNIE: We were getting there. How about you?

TONY: Vanessa and I go way back, but we haven't been in touch for awhile, since she called to tell me she was marrying Matt.

ANNIE: Oh.

TONY: It wasn't like that.

ANNIE: It's none of my business.

TONY: But it really wasn't. It's just that we only got in touch when something big happened in our lives. She helped me through some very rough times.

ANNIE: She was good at that.

(TONY NODS.)

TONY: I saw Josh leaving as we were coming in. Is everything okay?

ANNIE: Of course. He was just going after Matt.

TONY: Yeah, my nephew's taking this pretty hard.

ANNIE: He really loved Vanessa.

TONY: I can see that now.

ANNIE: You didn't believe it before?

TONY: My brother Sean is not exactly big on commitment, and I thought Matt might be following in his footsteps.

ANNIE: From what I hear, he was until he met Vanessa....I forgot that Matt was your nephew.

TONY: We're not close. Bridget used to come stay with my ex-wife and me once in awhile, but Matt preferred to go off on his own.

ANNIE: Does Matt know you and Vanessa were...close?

TONY: As far as I know, the subject never came up. And I'd like to keep it that way.

ANNIE: Good idea. But it is kind of interesting that you and Matt were both involved with Vanessa, and your sister was married to Vanessa's brother.

TONY: As far as I know she still is.

ANNIE: Oh really? I thought they were....I didn't know they were together still. Whenever I see Nola she's usually alone. (SHE STOPS, REALIZING WHAT SHE'S SAYING.) I'm sorry, that didn't sound too nice.

TONY: She was on her own for awhile, but now Quint's got a job here so they're able to be together.

ANNIE: I'm glad for them. It's not much fun being alone. (SHE LOOKS AROUND THE ROOM.) I'm going to go find Josh. Bye Tony.

(SHE WALKS OFF.)

TONY: See ya Annie.

(TONY SHAKES HIS HEAD AS BILLY APPROACHES.)

BILLY: She's a strange one, isn't she? (HE CLAMPS A HAND DOWN ON TONY'S SHOULDER.) How the hell are you, Reardon?

TONY: Billy, good to see you. (THEY SHAKE HANDS WARMLY.) I never got the chance to speak to you yesterday.

BILLY: Yeah, I had lots of people to catch up with.

TONY: I wasn't sure you'd be able to make it today.

BILLY: I don't have to be back in the pokey 'til tonight. It was a surprise seeing you.

TONY: I was in Chicago on business when I heard about Vanessa. It didn't seem right not to come. She was so good to us when we lost Maureen, and she really helped me when Nola was in the hospital.

BILLY: Nola's bounced back pretty good, huh? And she and Quint seem to be working things out.

TONY: Yeah, it looks like they might.

BILLY: That's good, that's good. He loves her a hell of a lot. Even tried to take me on once when I said something about Nola he didn't like.

TONY: You insulted my sister?

BILLY: Hey, it was a long time ago. How long you in town for?

TONY: I'm not sure -- as long as people here need me.

BILLY: Business must be good if you can take time off like that.

TONY: It's no Lewis Oil, but it pays the bills.

BILLY: Pays them pretty well from what I've heard. I'm sorry I didn't get in on the action when I had the chance.

TONY: You should be.

(THEY BOTH LAUGH. BILL INTERRUPTS THEM.)

BILL: Hi Uncle Tony. Dad, we're getting ready to start.

BILLY: Okay, son, I'll be right there. Tony, good to see you again. (HE SHAKES TONY'S HAND.) I hope we get the chance to talk again before I have to go.

TONY: I hope so. (BILLY HEADS IN BILL'S DIRECTION AS TONY APPROACHES A.J. AND AN UPSET MICHELLE. HE TAKES MICHELLE INTO HIS ARMS.) Hey there, beautiful, don't cry.

MICHELLE: It's so unfair, Uncle Tony.

TONY: I know honey, I know.

MICHELLE: There are so many awful people in the world -- why does it always have to be the good people who die? First Mom, now Vanessa. It's just not fair.

A.J.: It's going to be okay, Shell. (HE TAKES MICHELLE FROM TONY.) Come on, why don't we go check on Bill?

(MICHELLE NODS.)

TONY: A.J., where did your mom and dad go?

A.J.: Don't know, they were here a minute ago.

CUT TO:

13. EXT. SPAULDING GARDENS

(QUINTON HAS HIS ARMS AROUND A SHAKY NOLA.)

NOLA: I'm sorry.

QUINTON: Don't be. I was starting to worry because you weren't getting upset.

NOLA: It's been so long since I let myself.

QUINTON: You were afraid of what might happen if you did.

NOLA: What if I let those feelings out and I can't control them again? It's much safer to just keep them inside.

QUINTON: But it's not good for you.

NOLA: I shouldn't be doing this here, though. Dinah didn't want this to be a sad occasion.

QUINTON: It's a funeral for Christ's sake.

NOLA: But she wants it to be a celebration of Vanessa's life.

QUINTON: I'm sorry, but I find it very difficult to celebrate losing my sister. Maybe if she'd been sick and I'd had some time to get used to the idea before we lost her... (NOLA TURNS AWAY, OBVIOUSLY UPSET.) Nola, what is it?

NOLA: Nothing. We better get inside.

(SHE STARTS TO WALK AWAY, BUT QUINTON STOPS HER.)

QUINTON: Not until you tell me why you got so upset when I mentioned Vanessa being sick.

NOLA: It's nothing.

QUINTON: You were acting strange the other night, too, when I asked about Vanessa. What's going on, Nola?

NOLA: I can't tell you.

QUINTON: You can tell me anything.

NOLA: No I can't. I promised Vanessa.

QUINTON: Promised her what?

NOLA (muttering): Oh. Oh. I can't tell you. She got so mad when I told Zachary.

QUINTON: Nola, I'm sure Vanessa wouldn't want you to keep anything from me.

NOLA: She didn't want you or Matt to know.

QUINTON: Know what? (NOLA DOESN'T ANSWER.) Nola, if you know something about Vanessa's accident, you have to tell me.

NOLA: It's not about the accident. I mean not really. Although it was probably the reason... (SHE BREAKS DOWN.) I told her she shouldn't drive anymore, that it was too dangerous and she should let me or Matt or Bill take her wherever she wanted to go. Why didn't she listen to me, Quinton? Why did she have to go off on her own when she was so sick?

QUINTON: Sick? Nola, what are you talking about?

NOLA: She didn't want you to know. She didn't want anyone to know, not even me, but I happened to be there when she heard, so she couldn't keep it secret...

(SHE'S CRYING TOO MUCH TO GO ON. QUINTON TAKES HER IN HIS ARMS AS TONY APPROACHES.)

TONY: Nol, you okay? (NOLA NODS.) I just wanted to let you guys know that we're about to get started in there.

QUINTON: We need another minute, Tony.

TONY: Sorry, but Josh finally got Matt in there, and I don't think he's going to last long.

NOLA: We'll be right there, Tony.

(TONY NODS AND HEADS BACK INSIDE.)

QUINTON: Nola...

NOLA: Now isn't the time to talk about this, Quinton.

QUINTON: I need to know.

NOLA: I know you do, I know you do. And I'll tell you everything I know. Just not right now. Right now we have to get inside.

(SHE TAKES HIS HAND AND PULLS HIM TOWARD THE DOOR. EVEN WHEN QUINTON FOLLOWS, NOLA DOESN'T LET GO OF HIS HAND. THE SIGHT OF THEM ENTERING HAND-IN-HAND GETS A REACTION AMONG THE MOURNERS, ALTHOUGH THEY TRY NOT TO BE TOO OBVIOUS. BUT MICHELLE, WHO IS SEATED NEXT TO A.J. CAN'T RESIST HER CURIOSITY.)

MICHELLE: Are your parents back together?

A.J.: Yeah, but they won't admit it. (QUINTON AND NOLA SIT DOWN NEXT TO A.J., WHO TURNS TO NOLA WORRIEDLY.) Mom, are you okay?

NOLA: I'm fine, honey. I guess it all just finally hit me.

(THE ATTENTION SHIFTS TO DINAH, WHO STEPS UP TO A PODIUM SET UP IN FRONT OF A PORTRAIT OF VANESSA.)

DINAH: Hi everybody, thanks for coming today. It really means a lot to me to have all of you here to honor my mother. I think she'd be surprised to see so many of you. She never realized how wonderful people thought she was. I was lucky enough to have had the chance to tell her how much I loved her before she was taken away. (SHE STARTS TO GET UPSET.) It's no secret that my mother and I had our problems. Fortunately we were able to get past them in the last couple months. She said the problem was that I was too much like her when she was my age. I can only hope she was right, and that I'll be lucky enough to turn out like her. I'd settle for just being half the person she was. (SHE STOPS A MOMENT TO COMPOSE HERSELF.) Sorry. I didn't want this to be a sad occasion. My mother was never a sad person. Even in the most horrible of times, like when we lost dear Grampiere, she always found the strength to go on and to help the rest of us go on, too. I'm trying to find some of that strength today. It not easy to do without her here, but it helps seeing all of you and seeing how much you loved her, too....Thanks again for coming. I'm going to turn things over to... (SHE LOOKS AT MATT, WHO SHAKES HIS HEAD.) I'm going to turn things over to my Uncle Quint now, and to anyone else who might want to speak. Uncle Quint. (SHE STEPS AWAY FROM THE PODIUM. NOLA GIVES QUINT'S HAND A SQUEEZE BEFORE HE STEPS UP TO THE FRONT OF THE ROOM.)

QUINTON: I don't have to tell you what kind of person my sister was. Many of you knew her better than I did. I didn't meet Vanessa until we were both adults, and when I did, I didn't like her very much. (SMILES) We were just two very different people. At least I thought we were. Turns out we actually had a lot more in common than either of us wanted to admit....I think the first time I realized that was when Nola was pregnant with A.J. Vanessa wasn't very happy about father having another heir, but I caught her in a vulnerable moment and got her to admit that she was excited for me. She also admitted her desire to have a family of her own someday. Back then Vanessa didn't think she'd be very good at mothering, which is hard to believe now, as I look at these beautiful children she raised. I can't say I was surprised by her parenting skills, though. Afterall, she learned from the very best -- our father....I've lost a lot these last few years, but it never gets any easier. The only comfort I can take in the loss of Vanessa is the thought that she's with Father again, so I know that she's happy and in very good hands.

DISSOLVE TO:

BILL: When I heard about my mom I was angry. Angry at her for leaving me, angry at God for taking away another person I loved, angry at myself because I hadn't been there to stop her from getting into the accident. I guess maybe I'm still angry. It just all seems to unfair....I can't help thinking about something my mom told me after Grandpa Henry died. I was angry then, too, and I really wanted to act on that anger. But she stopped me by telling me that Granda Henry was a part of me, and that he would never let his anger get the best of him. My mom is a part of me, too. The part that is making me strong enough to go on without her, and to become the man I know she would have wanted me to be, a gentleman just like my grandfather.

DISSOLVE TO:

BILLY: I've known lots of interesting women in my life, but none could compare to Vanessa. I knew from the first moment we met that I wanted her in my life. Not that she gave me an easy time of it. I had to work hard as hell to win her. Unfortunately, I didn't realize until it was too late that I had to work just as hard to keep her. Even when I was lucky enough to get a second chance with Vanessa, I couldn't find the same strong will my boy did and let my anger get the best of me. I was punished greatly for this, not by the time I've had to spend in jail but by the loss of the woman I loved more than anything and the memory of how much pain I caused her. Most women would have booted me out on my rear if I'd given them all the trouble I gave Vanessa, but she always found it in her heart to forgive me. She was as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside, and I'm going to miss her a hell of a lot.

DISSOLVE TO:

NOLA: Even when I didn't like Vanessa, I always respected her. She was one of the classiest people I knew. Nothing could get to her. Believe me, I know, because I tried everything. Vanessa was my sister-in-law for almost twenty years, but it was only in the last year that we became friends. Well, I don't know if you could go so far as to call us friends, but we finally seemed to be understanding each other. We'd learned to put aside our petty differences and focus on the things we had in common, like our love for our family and especially our children. I only wish we'd learned to do it a lot sooner. I think both of us would have been a lot richer for it.

ROSS: ============================================================================= 14. VANESSA'S BACK YARD -- FOUR HOURS LATER

(QUINTON IS SITTING ALONE ON THE PATIO WHEN NOLA EXITS FROM THE HOUSE.)

NOLA: Quinton? (QUINT IS A MILLION MILES AWAY AND DOESN'T ANSWER. NOLA CROSSES TO HIM AND PUTS A HAND ON HIS SHOULDER.) Are you okay? (QUINTON SHRUGS.) Are you still angry with me?

QUINTON: Why would I be angry with you?

NOLA: For not telling you about Vanessa.

QUINTON: I'm not angry with you, Nola. You made Vanessa a promise and you kept it. I respect that. I know it must have been have been very difficult for you.

NOLA: I'm better at keeping secrets than people give me credit for.

QUINTON: I know that better than anyone. But what I meant is that it must have been difficult knowing that she was sick and not being able to do anything about it.

NOLA: It was. But it was even more difficult knowing she was so sick and not being able to tell you.

QUINTON: Why didn't she want me to know? I know I wasn't a very good brother, but I would have been there for her.

NOLA: I know you would have. And she knew, too.

QUINTON: So why didn't she come to me?

NOLA: She didn't want to be a burden to you or to Matt or to any of us. She wanted to deal with this all on her own.

QUINTON: Like she did everything else. (NOLA NODS.) Is everyone gone?

NOLA: Bridget's still here.

QUINTON: Are you going to have Peter again tonight?

NOLA: No, Bridget doesn't want to be away from him anymore, in case he has more questions about Vanessa. Are you almost ready to go home?

QUINTON: Where's home? The dig site's certainly not a home, the boardinghouse is your home, not mine.

NOLA: I was talking about Henry's. After you mentioned yesterday that you were thinking of moving back in there, I had the servants get the place ready. So you won't have to sleep in a tent or on a sofa tonight. You'll be in a comfortable house with everything you could possibly need.

QUINTON: Except you.

NOLA: I'll come over to help you get settled in.

QUINTON: I don't want you to just visit, I want you to stay. I hate the idea of you living in the boardinghouse. I know it's where you were raised, but it's also the place that you always dreamed of getting away from, and I feel like I forced you back there.

NOLA: You didn't force me back there, I needed to go back. I needed to reconnect with the person I used to be, to find the strength that I used to have, to remind myself that I could stand on my own.

QUINTON: But you wouldn't have had to stand on your own if I hadn't hurt you so badly.

NOLA: Yes I would have. I had to learn how to stand on my own again. I was losing myself, Quinton. People saw me as your wife or your assistant, or Stacy and A.J.'s mom. I wasn't Nola Reardon anymore. I had pushed her aside to make room for everyone else. And I had to come back and find her.

QUINTON: Have you?

NOLA: I found that strength I was looking for. But I realized I didn't want to go back to being Nola Reardon. At least not the Nola Reardon I was the last time I was living at the boardinghouse. QUINTON: Then why have you stayed there so long?

NOLA: I didn't think I had anywhere else to go.

QUINTON: You do now.

NOLA: I can't move into Henry's with you. It's too soon.

QUINTON: You can stay in the other wing if you want. I just want you in the same house with me again. Please, Nola.

NOLA: Can we talk about his later?

QUINTON: No, I want you to come back with me tonight.

NOLA: I can't just pick up and move out of the boardinghouse.

QUINTON: Why not? What's keeping you there? Bridget? She was fine before you came, and she'll be fine if you go.

NOLA: What about A.J.?

QUINTON: I want him to come live at the house with us. Tony can stay there, too, if he's planning to be in town awhile.

NOLA: You're starting your own boardinghouse.

QUINTON: If I call it that, will you move in?

NOLA: I can't. Not yet.

QUINTON: You know, Nola, it's a big house. Don't you think we could both live there and not even see each other if we didn't want to?

NOLA (smiling): Somehow I don't think that would happen.

QUINTON: Please, just stay for a couple days. You can always go back to the boardinghouse if you're not happy.

NOLA: I'll stay there tonight, because I know you're upset.

QUINTON: And after tonight?

NOLA: We'll talk about that later.

QUINTON: Is there any chance of you saying yes in the near future?

NOLA: I'm not a betting person, but I'd say your odds were pretty good.

FADE OUT

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