Previously…
– Molly was surprised to find Sarah having a covert meeting with Conrad, who explained that Sarah had been asking questions about the end of her probation term.
– Sarah vowed to take action to get Zane out of Tori’s life for good.
– Jason balked at Natalie’s extravagant plans for their wedding and finally confessed that the thought of another wedding day fills him with fear, given what happened on his last one.

“You’re free to go.”

With those words and the authoritative rap of a gavel, an enormous weight lifts from Sarah Fisher Gray‘s shoulders. It seems anticlimactic, as she has discovered most big moments tend to feel — from graduations to getting jobs to marriages — and yet it changes her life entirely. She turns to the small group gathered beside her, including the sister who was just awarded the same freedom.

“I can’t believe it’s over,” Sarah says.

The others agree, and they file out of the courtroom, full of other people awaiting their own decisions, and through the corridor to exit into the gloomy but dry winter day. Outside the courthouse, they pause on the wide cement steps.

“Congratulations,” Matt Gray‘s says as he kisses his wife on the cheek. “Still can’t believe I’m congratulating you for getting off probation.”

“Hey, the bar is very low,” Sarah says, and in spite of the joking grin on her face, her innards twist nervously.

“I’m so relieved,” Molly Taylor comments. “All in all, that could have been a much worse year of punishment. Or longer than that. But it was like this force always hanging over me…” Molly reaches down and takes Conrad Halston’s hand, which she squeezes. “But it’s over.”

“You heard the judge,” Conrad says. “You’ve both been exemplary participants in the probation system.”

Sarah lets out a heavy sigh as her stomach again flip-flops. “Thanks for all your help, though. I couldn’t have gotten through this without knowing we had you to lean on.”

Molly gazes out at the clouds resting over King’s Bay. “Just think: in a few more weeks, Mom’s ankle monitor comes off, and then we can officially all go back to normal.”

“That sounds really good,” Matt says.

Sarah looks over at him, taking in the purity of his happiness. It is almost painful to see, in light of what she knows she must do.

“Fingers crossed,” she says.

The blade slices into the ice, carving overlapping circles as a mini-blizzard of snow sprays into the air. The leg presses down, spinning steadily as the skater moves his leg from the raised camel position into a lower sit spin. He raises up, finishing another revolution before gliding out of the spin and gathering his bearings.

The soft sound of applause from the side of the ice grabs Jason Fisher’s attention.

It is an off hour at Edge of Winter Arena — too late for the morning figure skaters, too early for the lunchtime hockey players. Every now and then, Jason takes advantage of this lull, as well as a light workload, to get back on the ice and enjoy some time reconnecting with the sport that he has loved since he was a child. Of course, he is accustomed to others walking through the arena while he skates, but they rarely stop and pay him much attention.

“That was great,” Sabrina Gage says. “You’ve still got it.”

Jason smiles as he glides toward the rink’s boards. “I don’t know about that.”

“It looked good to me. But I don’t exactly have a trained eye.” Her dark hair is pulled back into a short ponytail, and she wears the signature apron of the attached Thaw Coffee & Tea shop. “I was about to take my break and saw you out here. I thought I would come say hi.”

“Well, hi,” he says as he catches his breath. He might still be able to do the tricks, but his stamina certainly isn’t what it used to be.

Sabrina stands on the opposite side of the boards, folding her arms against the rink’s cold. “It’s nice that you’re still able to get out there and skate.”

“It is. Kind of gets me out of my head, you know? When I’m on the ice, all I think about are the edges and what I need to do to get through the next move. Do you skate?”

“I grew up in the midwest. Of course I skate!” A doleful expression settles over her face. “It’s been a long time, though. That wasn’t exactly the doctors’ highest priority when I woke up. And now it’s been so long…”

“We’ll get you out here sometime. I promise not to let you get hurt.”

“We’ll see.”

Jason gazes over the empty ice surface, marked up from the morning’s last freestyle session. “It’s still my favorite way to clear my head, after all these years.”

“Is everything okay?” Sabrina asks softly.

“I guess. Yeah.” He shrugs noncommittally. “Just a lot going on. We’re in the thick of wedding planning…”

“That explains it.”

“It’s tough. Natalie wants this grand wedding, and I’m like…” He trails off, focused on his blades softly sawing at the ice as he slides his feet back and forth.

“Does it make you nervous?” she asks.

He looks up abruptly.

“Not actually getting married,” Sabrina says. “But the wedding itself. Because of…” The way that she widens her eyes says it all.

“Yeah. That’s exactly it. I know that I want to marry her, but having the actual wedding–” He runs a hand over his brown hair. “All I can think about is what happened to Courtney.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Thanks.”

They stand in uncertain, reflective silence for a moment before Sabrina turns to her left and climbs into the nearby penalty box.

“What are you doing?” Jason asks.

She takes a seat and pats the bench beside herself. “Come here.”

“What? Why?”

“I want you to tell me about her,” she says. “If you want to, that is. I have my whole break.”

“You don’t have to–”

“I want to. Come on.” Again her palm thumps against the bench, and this time, Jason finds himself joining her, as thoughts and words already seem poised to spill out.

—–

Sarah marches down the dingy hallway of the apartment building, holding onto her resolve about as easily as she might hold onto a handful of water. It was hard enough to part ways with Matt, but the fact that he had to go to the restaurant for work forced her hand in that regard; otherwise, she could have easily sat around with him all day, basking in her freedom and delaying the inevitable. But when her daughter texted her back, she knew that she had to take action.

She knocks on the door and waits. She has only been to Zane Tanaka’s apartment once, but it was a simple transaction that had the power to change lives forever — not unlike the judge pounding his gavel and completely altering Sarah’s legal standing. What the judge didn’t realize, of course, is that he was also granting her the freedom to do what she came here to do.

She hears the lock being undone and stiffens.

“Uh, hi,” Zane says with confusion as he opens the door. “What can I…”

“Where’s Tori?” Sarah demands.

“Mom?” Tori emerges from behind Zane. She wears a black hoodie sweatshirt that is so oversized that Sarah knows it must be Zane’s, and for some reason, the sight fills her with nearly unmanageable rage. She has had to bite her tongue so many times over these past several months, as she tried to convince herself that the situation might work itself out. But now she is certain that it will not — not unless she does something.

“I need to talk to you,” Sarah says, not waiting for an invitation before entering the apartment.

“What are you doing here?” Tori asks. “How did you even know– oh, god. Did you, like, P.I. Zane’s address? Have you been keeping tabs on me?”

“I’ve been here before.”

“Mrs. Gray, are you okay?” Zane asks, though it’s more of a suggestion than a question. Sarah stares him down. Despite his attempt at a poker face, she can see the fear in his eyes.

“I’ll be a lot better after I say what I came here to say,” Sarah announces.

“Wow. I can’t believe how much better I feel.”

Molly leans back in a frayed, cushy armchair at Cassie’s Coffee House, which is buzzing with midmorning activity. Across a small table from her, Conrad sits in a similar but entirely mismatched chair, drinking his own coffee.

“It’s a big psychological burden to carry around something like that,” he says. “You can go about your business and act as if everything is normal, but…”

“But it’s still there,” Molly finishes for him. “Exactly.”

“Well, it’s done now. As far as the state is concerned, you’re a completely free woman.”

She smiles at him over the rim of her mug. “I can’t thank you enough for all your help with this.”

“It’s been my pleasure. Well, not so much the legal parts of it… but this case has turned out to have some other perks.”

“I feel the same way. And it’s good to see you back to your old self.”

“It feels even better,” Conrad says, “although I’ll admit I have a little bit of nostalgia for the days when I could hang around your house, waiting for you to get in from the office…”

“That was kind of nice,” she agrees, still grinning as she takes a sip of her coffee. “I’m just so relieved that this is all almost over. I made one impulsive decision two years ago, and it spiraled into all this.”

“Do you regret what you did for your mother? Now that you’re on the other side of it?” Conrad asks.

“No. Absolutely not. Who knows what that D.A. would’ve done to her had she been the one to go on trial?” Molly shakes her head decisively. “I might’ve gotten in over my head, but if I had to… I would do it all again.”

“Luckily, that isn’t the case. Now we can focus on moving forward.”

“That sounds great,” Molly says, beaming. “I can’t wait to see what comes next.”

—–

Jason and Sabrina sit on the wooden bench in the penalty box. The vast arena is quiet and still all around them as Jason talks.

“So she could be stubborn. Really stubborn. I see it in Sophie so often,” he says through a chuckle. “I know you aren’t supposed to say stuff like that about people after they die, but…”

“You say it lovingly, though,” Sabrina responds. “Maybe there’s a more flattering word. Like… ‘headstrong.’”

“I like that. Headstrong.” Jason nods as he processes it. “Yeah, that’s good.” He glances up at the scoreboard, where the time is displayed in large, orange numerals. “Sorry. I’ve been talking your head off.”

“You don’t have to apologize. It’s… it’s nice to hear. She sounds great.”

“Because she was so stubborn?”

Sabrina laughs. “Maybe. But I can tell how much you loved her. How much you still do.”

“Yeah,” Jason says slowly. “I do. I always will. It’s weird…” One of his shoulders rises to his ear and then falls. “I feel like, because I’m marrying someone else, I’m only supposed to talk about Courtney as if she’s this thing from the distant past, or as Sophie’s mom. Like it’s disrespectful to Natalie somehow.”

“It isn’t. As long as you love Natalie, too.”

“I do.”

“Life is complicated,” Sabrina says. “There’s no point pretending everything is black and white.”

The creaking of the heavy front door interrupts them, and they both look up as a man in his 20s with a hockey equipment bag enters. The sound of the door slamming behind him — which keeps happening, no matter how many repairs Jason does — echoes throughout the arena.

Jason refocuses on Sabrina. “So, while we’re on the subject… kind of… I have a proposal for you.”

“For me? What?”

“It’s about the wedding.”

Sabrina narrows her gaze at him. “I don’t follow.”

“You’re still interested in photography, right?”

“Yeah…”

“What if we wanted to hire you to take photos at the wedding? I thought you might not mind the extra cash, or the chance to start building a portfolio.”

She springs forward. “No, that would be so cool! I can’t believe you would even think to ask me — thank you.”

“Then you’ve got the job.” He smiles as another hockey player arrives, followed by the thunderous slamming of the door. “Why don’t you do some thinking about what your rate would be and let me know, and we can go from there? But consider yourself hired.”

“Oh, Jason! Thank you.” She stands as well, her whole body humming with excitement.

“It’s the least I can do for monopolizing your break,” he says.

“I don’t mind. I promise. It’s nice to have someone to talk to.”

“Well, you’re a great listening ear,” Jason says, “and a great friend. I’ll have to return the favor sometime soon.”

“I’d like that.” She lingers awkwardly for a moment before moving toward the box’s exit. “I should get back to work.”

“Yeah. Of course. Go ahead.” He steps out of the way so that she can climb out, and then he follows her. “I’ll check in with you about the rates.”

A group of hockey players comes barreling through the doors, bringing an official end to Jason’s peaceful morning on the ice. Across the way, he hears the Zamboni revving up.

“That sounds great,” Sabrina says before disappearing back into Thaw.

—–

“Mom, what are you talking about?” Tori asks with annoyance.

“I just came from the courthouse,” Sarah explains. “My probation is officially over.”

“That’s good,” her daughter says. “It sounded like it was just a formality, right?”

“Yeah. But an important one.” Sarah’s gaze flashes toward Zane. “Because now they can’t retroactively charge me with any violations — even if someone tried to get them to.”

“What, were you planning to go on some kind of crime spree?”

“I’m not the one who’s been breaking laws,” Sarah says. “That’s why I’m here. I can’t let this go on a second longer than it has to.”

“Mrs. Gray,” Zane says, his voice noticeably off-kilter, “if you aren’t feeling well, I can get you some water, or some tea—”

“I don’t want any damn tea!” Sarah snaps. “It’s time Tori knows the truth.”

Tori’s head swivels urgently between the two of them. “What truth? What the hell is going on? Zane?”

“You’re out of your mind,” Zane tells Sarah.

“Actually, I’m thinking very rationally,” Sarah says. “That’s how I’ve worked out that this is my only option. I tried to play by your rules, Zane, as much as I didn’t want to — and you even broke that trust. But no more.”

“Mom, you’re freaking me out,” Tori says.

“I’m sorry.” Sarah pauses and takes a look at her daughter. Even the thought of hurting her isn’t enough to keep putting this off, not when the alternative is having Tori be swept up into a lie of a life with this criminal.

“Zane, do you want to explain to Tori all about the $100,000 you blackmailed me into paying you?” Sarah asks. “Or should I do it?”

END OF EPISODE 912

Will Zane be able to wiggle out of this one?
Will Paula’s sentence end as smoothly as her daughters’?
How will Natalie feel about Jason hiring Sabrina?
Talk about it all in the comments below!

 

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