Previously…
– Danielle was elated to welcome her daughter, Elly, back to town, and basked in the renewed success of her music career.
– Tori, still having not confided in anyone about her pregnancy, made an appointment to have an abortion.
– Rosie tailed Jesse’s associate and went to bust his customer in a drug deal, only to discover that it was Brent and Molly’s son, Caleb. 
Thick swirls of fog roll slowly through Bayside Cemetery, creeping and winding around the trees and tombstones as if performing a mysterious dance. The graveyard is eerily quiet, save for the gentle howl of the wind and the light scraping noises of loose leaves being blown along. 

At one plot, a hand sets down a bouquet of flowers. The figure then rises back to its full height, clutching the black coat closer to her body.

“Hi, Ryan,” Danielle Taylor says. The utter silence all around makes her more self-conscious about speaking aloud; even the softness of her voice sounds as though it could disturb the dead right now. 

“I like to think that you always know what’s going on here,” she continues as her eyes wash over the now-familiar letters etched into the stone. “So maybe you already know about the call I got. You probably do. I haven’t told anyone yet, though.”

She pauses as another orange-brown leaf skitters by. 

“I’m not sure what to do,” she says. “It’s been amazing being involved with music again. It’s great that people are hearing it — really hearing it — but just being so engaged with it is… it’s something that was missing from my life for so long.” She lets out a tiny laugh. “I know how silly it is for my voice to be on a song that kids are listening to, but the fact that Caleb and Christian and Elly all get to hear me like that — it’s been amazing.”

The autumn breeze blows against her hair, sending blonde strands flying out in all directions. 

“And now this. I don’t know what to do, or how to feel. Well… I know how I feel. It’s exciting. But it’s also terrifying. For so long, my life has been smaller, peaceful, and… even when things went off the rails, it was being here, with my family and my support system, that helped me get back on-track.”

She touches her hand to the top of the gravestone. She swears that she can feel something, a jolt of electricity, a pulsing wave of energy. Like Ryan is communicating with her. 

“I think I know what you’d tell me to do,” she says. “Just being here with you makes that so clear. But Ryan, I miss you. I miss you so much.” 

A sudden burst of emotion opens within her. She can see their first wedding day so clearly in her mind. It was a day so exciting, so full of promise. Like a dream. Until Diane and Natalie’s brawl — landing them in the wedding cake — brought it to a screeching halt, and Danielle realized what Ryan had been keeping from her. She often wonders if she should have gone easier on him or not broken things off then. They’d have had years of married life together then. Maybe it would have changed things entirely and prevented Ryan from being killed. 

She remembers their second wedding day, their true wedding day, just as vividly. She can feel Ryan’s hand holding hers as he spoke his vows, his voice so weak as he lay in his hospital bed. She can recall the absolute horror of seeing the doctor’s face not long afterward as she came out to the waiting room to see the family. Danielle knew the minute that she saw the doctor. She knew her husband was gone. 

“I will always love you,” she says as her fingers dwell atop his gravestone, desperate to feel him once more. 

—–

“This is a nightmare,” Molly Taylor says as she lets out a heavy sigh. “A total nightmare.”

Her ex-husband, seated across from her at the table in her dining room, leans back in his chair and folds his arms. “Everyone’s safe. That’s what’s important.”

“Our son was caught buying drugs,” Molly says, casting yet another look at Caleb, who sits between them at the head of the table, doing his best to disappear into his black hoodie. 

“I’ve explained to Caleb how lucky he is that Jimenez called me instead of placing him under arrest,” Brent says. 

“I just hope he realizes how easily this could have gone much, much worse.” Molly’s gaze remains locked upon their son as she speaks. 

“I do,” Caleb grumbles. 

“This could’ve kept you from going to college!” she says. “You could’ve wound up with actual jail time!”

“They don’t throw you in prison for buying as little as I was,” Caleb says, his tone as sharp-edged as a carving knife. “Grandma killed someone and only got house arrest!”

Molly brings her hand to her forehead in exasperation. “That was far from a normal set of circumstances.”

“Listen,” Brent interrupts. “As far as legal repercussions are concerned, this is over. Caleb gave us the information that we needed. The D.A. isn’t going to give two craps about a first-time, low-level offender, considering the info that Jimenez and I are handing her. But that doesn’t mean you’re out of the woods completely, Caleb.”

“I know you guys are mad, and I totally get it,” the teenager says. “I’m really, really sorry for what I did. Like I told you — Jasmine asked me to do her a favor, and I wanted to look cool, and I didn’t really get what it was gonna be. I’m sorry.”

“Who is this Jasmine, anyway? Why haven’t we heard of her before?” Molly asks.

Caleb shrugs. “She’s just this girl from school. We’ve hung out a few times. It’s not… it’s not a big deal.”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” Molly says. “All of this is a big deal. And if you think acting sorry is going to get you off the hook, you’ve got another thing coming.”

—–

Tori Gray’s eyes burst open. When they do, however, all they find is darkness. Lying on her back, Tori sways groggily, attempting to orient herself.

Finally, her vision adjusts enough to confirm that she is in Travis and Landon’s living room, on the pullout sofa. She has been very tired in the past few weeks — even before she found out that she is pregnant, really — but this is a new level. Her head feels like the thick, murky brew inside a witch’s cauldron. 

“I’ve been waiting for you,” a voice says at a volume just above a whisper. 

It doesn’t make any sense, but she places the voice immediately. Still, she has to drag her head to the side before she sees him standing there in the shadows. 

“Hello, Tori,” Philip Ragan says. 

Stabs of panic strike all over her body. She fights with her lethargic body to sit upright.

“What do you want?” she croaks out.

“I came back for you.” He steps a step closer to her, becoming ever-so-slightly more visible. She can make out the impeccable fit of his black suit and the stylish way that his hair is slicked back.

Tori tries to speak again. Her throat is suddenly so dry that she cannot push out words.

“Do you remember how badly you wanted me?” he asks. “Now I’m here. I’m here for you and your little baby.”

“Leave me alone.”

“You wanted to think you were better than all this,” Philip says. “Better than me. But you were too blind to see who your boyfriend was. Just like you were too blind to see what I was.”

“Leave me alone!” she screams, shocked at how the declaration pierces the air. 

“I’m sorry, but I can’t.” A stray beam of light illuminates his devilish grin. “Come with me, Tori. Let me help you and your baby. Let’s be together.”

He reaches out his hand.

“No!” she cries as she backs up as far as she can, deep into the sofa. The bed creaks beneath her.

“I’m here for you,” Philip whispers. “We’ll raise your baby together. You saw how I turned out… You know your child will be the same way… It’s all you know…”

“Go away!” Tori shrieks, but he is suddenly looming just above her, his hand grasping for her-

She awakens with a start.

Her breaths come rapidly and her heart is pounding. She looks around immediately. It is dim, thanks to the closed blinds, but less so than it seemed moments ago. The living room and the pullout sofa are as she remembers them. Most importantly, there is no sign of anyone else in the room. 

“He’s dead,” she tells herself as she sits up. “Philip is dead.”

Still, her hand drifts down to her slightly bulging stomach. Philip might not be real, but her baby is. And she cannot bring a child into this world who will turn out like Philip, or like Zane, or even like her. She doesn’t know how to prevent that. 

She is still trying to catch her breath as she pulls herself to a sitting position, knowing that she has to go through with the appointment she made at the clinic.

—–

“Just tell me how long I’m grounded for,” Caleb says, chin tucked to his chest and his arms crossed tightly. 

“Don’t be glib,” Brent replies.

Molly places both her palms down on the table. “Grounding is going to be the least of your worries, young man.”

“What does that mean?” the teen asks, rolling his eyes. “Are you gonna have me put to death?”

“It means you can forget about soccer this season,” she says.

Caleb’s head snaps toward her. “What?”

“Mol,” Brent says tentatively. 

“Playing sports is a privilege, not a right,” Molly says firmly. 

Brent tosses her an exasperated look, and it takes all of Molly’s willpower not to explode with irritation at him for undercutting her in front of Caleb. 

“I just…” Brent pauses and then looks at Caleb. “Why don’t you go up to your room for a few minutes? Your mom and I should talk.”

“You aren’t even gonna tell me what my punishment is?” Caleb asks with a groan.

“Sorry,” Brent tells him. “There’s no right to a verdict within a certain timeframe here. We’ll get you when we’re ready.”

The two parents sit in tense silence as Caleb pushes out his chair and shuffles up the stairs.

“We need to make a point here,” Molly says after they hear the bedroom door close — barely shy of a slam — upstairs. “This isn’t like he missed curfew.”

“I’m not saying it isn’t serious,” Brent responds. “Let’s ground him. Take away his cell phone. All of that. But I think it’s a mistake to cut soccer.”

“Why? It’s a big part of his social life.”

“It’s also something positive and structured in his life. Without that—”

“Well, with that, he wound up buying ecstasy in a park because some girl asked him to, so—”

“All I’m saying is that I don’t want to create a situation where the grounding is over and he has nothing to go back to,” Brent says. “That’s asking for him to get into trouble.”

Molly sighs again. “I don’t know…”

As they stew in this stalemate, they hear the front door being unlocked and opened. Moments later, Danielle appears in the entry to the dining room.

“I have some news!” she announces. Then she stops at the sight of her brother. “Brent. Hi. What are you doing here?”

He rubs his hand over his eyes. “We’re having a little… issue with Caleb.”

“Oh no. What’s going on?” Danielle asks. 

“Have a seat, and we’ll fill you in,” Molly says. 

As Danielle pulls out a chair, Brent asks her, “What’s your news? You sounded excited.”

“Oh. It’s…” She hesitates and folds her hands together. “I got a call… from Rihanna’s record label.”

“What?” Molly says.

Brent’s eyes bulge. “Wow.”

“They want me to come to L.A. and join what they call a ‘writing camp’ for her next album,” Danielle explains, “and then stay in town to develop material for other artists.”

In spite of today’s other events, Molly’s face lights up. “That’s incredible, Danielle.”

“I’m so proud of you,” Brent says, beaming. 

“I wasn’t sure what to do at first,” Danielle tells them.

“You take it. Right this second.” Brent taps his index finger on the table for emphasis. “You’ve earned this. You are going to kill it.”

“I’ve been nervous about the idea of moving to L.A. and leaving all of you,” she says, “plus my sponsor. But…”

“But it’s an incredible opportunity, and you owe it to yourself to accept it,” Molly says.

Danielle nods, slowly at first and then more insistently. “I’m going to. I just visited Ryan’s grave to… I don’t know, think it out, talk it out, and… it made perfect sense. I’ll have to build a support system for myself down there — find a sponsor, go to meetings, visit my family — but I can’t not do this.”

“Glad you’re saying that,” Brent says as he stands up, “because otherwise I was going to drag you to the car and toss you on a plane myself.”

His sister laughs. “Not necessary. I’m going. I called them from the car to tell them I’ll be there.”

Molly and Brent both erupt into cheers, smothering Danielle with hugs and words of encouragement. Brent pulls back only when his phone begins to buzz incessantly on the tabletop. He quickly grabs it and answers.

“Oh. Jeez,” he says into the phone as both women watch. “I’m on my way to the station. Thanks.”

He hangs up and looks at his sister and ex-wife.

“There’s some lunatic running around with a mask and a chainsaw down by the waterfront,” he explains.

“What?” Danielle exclaims. “That’s nuts.”

“Like something out of a horror movie,” Molly says.

“Never a dull moment.” Brent grabs his keys and then looks at Molly. “I’ll call you later. We’ll figure this out.”

“Okay,” she tells him, and then he hurries out of the house.

“So,” Danielle says once the women are alone. “What happened with Caleb?”

Molly squeezes her eyes closed for a few seconds. “Talk about a horror movie. Are you ready for this?”

END OF EPISODE 947

Is moving to L.A. a good idea for Danielle?
How harsh should Molly and Brent be with Caleb?
Is Tori making the right decision?
Discuss it all in the comments below!

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