Beyond the end

Anniversary

One year later.
McKay's house.
"Happy anniversary, My Love."
Dylan woke her up with a kiss. Brenda stirred slowly and then opened her eyes. She smiled at him.
"Wow breakfast in bed" she said admired looking at the tray her husband was holding in his hands
"Of course Ms. Mckay. We have freshly brewed coffee, French croissants, an orange juice, some fruit cut into tiny pieces as she likes, and today's newspaper."
"Ah, full service though."
"Not really," Dylan lay down next to her, kissing her on the shoulder, "now the service is complete or otherwise to be completed," he said mischievously.
They kissed deeply.
"I have a surprise for you," he revealed to her.
"What a surprise?"
Dylan handed her an envelope.
Brenda looked at him with cheerful eyes, opened it.
"Thailand?" She said happily examining the destination of the tickets.
"It seems to be beautiful there," Dylan replied as he tasted some fruit.
"And when do we leave?"
"The day after Grace's birthday party."
"Dylan, it's Grace's birthday today as well as our anniversary."
"That's right," Dylan smiled, "so let's leave tomorrow."
Dylan kissed her once again and then jumped out of bed "don't be late, you have to pack, we have to go to Fox castings, buy the gift for Grace, go to the Walsh house party, and then we have to celebrate our anniversary. All clear?"
"Yes sir" Brenda replied smiling.
"Well, I'm going to take a shower, you finish your breakfast"
Brenda heard the water flowing in the bathroom and Dylan singing unthinkable songs, she had breakfast, looked at a couple of emails on her cell phone. Nothing important.
She felt full of life.
When he came back to her he found her in the kitchen. She was looking around the mess.
"I need to improve , right?" He asked her by raising an interlocutory eyebrow.
Brenda laughed "you can definitely get better."
"I'm going, I'll go to the accountant, I'll see if there's any offer to buy the Peach Pit."
"Do you really want to sell it to Dylan?" Brenda asked him.
"I actually wouldn't want to, but I'm not able to handle it. Joan least than ever, I just don't know how to push it forward on its own. And I don't want ties on the territory. Something that binds me."
"We could be looking for someone."
"Brenda is a year that we are looking for someone. We didn't find anyone. I stayed because I didn't want to fire the crew."
"That's right, it will be Willy's, all the employees."
Dylan leaned on the counter
"I thought about it and thought again I can't find solutions. I've been dealing with it for a year but it's not for me, with Nat it was different. He managed, I decided with him. But now... And don't look at me like that...I don't want to be the bad guy here," Dylan said sadly.
"I know," Brenda replied.
Dylan kissed her.
I4ever Office
Steve kept his head immersed in the bills to be paid. The office was empty and immersed in silence. The ringing of the phone took him away from his budgets.
Janet.
"Dad?"
It was Maddy.
"Hi baby, did I forget something?"
"No dad, don't worry," she laughed, "you haven't forgotten anything. But I wanted to ask you something."
"Tell me everything princess."
"Mom wants to go to Mexico a few days with Josh."
"Ah Josh" repeated Steve annoyed
"I don't want to go with her. Can I stay with you?"
"And does mom agree?"
"That's exactly why I secretly call you with her cell phone. You should call her back and tell her, propose something."
"Of course you have a smart mind you definitely haven't recovered from me."
"I took back the joy from you, dad."
"Ah that's possible," Steve laughed.
"If I tell her she will definitely be hurt and I don't want her to be hurt," Maddy replied, "so you'd better make her feel bad, but you not me"
"Ah great," Steve replied, "the fact is that I would have to work a lot this week. I have..." Steve couldn't finish the sentence.
Dad..." said the little girl "dad..."
"Okay," Steve replied that he couldn't resist the word "dad" "I'll talk to her about it tonight, something will come to my mind.
Casa Walsh.
Kelly woke up and found the place next to her empty. She looked at the clock and noticed how late it was.
"Hell," she exclaimed.
She ran into Grace's room finding the empty cot and so did Sammy's room.
From below she heard Brandon's, Sammy and Grace's.
When she went down she felt happy. The reverberation of the morning light and her three loves in the same room reassured her, made her feel happy.
'Good morning!' Brandon smiled at her.
"Good morning mom!" Sammy told her while Grace held a small piece of bread that softened with saliva and gums and looked at her with her big blue eyes.
'Good morning!' She replied with a smile "I slept too much".
"Sleeping a few more hours is just good for you. So" said Brandon clapping his hands "keet in his kitchen, Sammy and I made coffee and breakfast and Grace.. well Grace supervised. SHe's a great supervisor," Brandon exclaimed, "she drools a little but she's great. Is it true sweety?" He said turning to the little girl who gave him an immediate smile.
Kelly gave Brandon a kiss on the lips and then one on the cheek to her children. SHe settled down her robe by knotting it well and with a big smile.
"Why are you wearing a suit and a tie?" Asked him "didn't you take the day? Please don't tell me you have to go to work today."
"I know," Brandon replied regretting, "but I have some backlogs to do that I have to deliver on time, paperwork of various kinds, it won't take long and I'll be back in time to help you for the party. My parents will pass in an hour and help you. I don't really take long."
"Do you promise me?" Kelly asked him, raising her eyebrow.
"I promise you," he replied, kissing her once and then more deeply.
"Hey...there are kids here," Sammy said, covering his eyes.
Kelly laughed along with Brandon then whispered in his ear "I only forgive you for last night's talented experience," she said mischievously.
He replied, "uh, thank you, Professor Taylor."
Brandon took Grace from the high chair.
"I'm going to change her, you have breakfast calmly, it's going to be a long day today."
Brandon walks away with the little one as Kelly watches the kitchen in order. Brandon had already cleaned up everything.
She enjoyed her coffee, she talked to Sammy about the last days of school.
"You'll have to help me today," she said to his son, "we have to put balloons everywhere."
"I don't know how to inflate the balloons my jaws hurt"
"Yes to me too," Kelly laughed, "that's why I bought this," she revealed to his son. An electric inflator pulled out of the kitchen drawer.
"No jaw problems!" SHe told him "do you want to try?"
They immediately tried and Sammy was particularly pleased with it.
"I think I can appoint you to the artistic director of the balloons."
"Wow," Brandon said, returning to the kitchen with Grace.
"I think I'll start right away," Sammy said cheerfully as he walked away with his new responsibility in electrical format.
Brandon and Kelly stayed in the kitchen.
"Bran"
"Mmhh?" He said by reading the newspaper absent-mindedly.
"I'd like to go back to work," Kelly said.
Bran put the cup on the counter and paid attention to her "didn't you want to get there until September, next school year?"
"It's true," she said sighing, " and don't take it the wrong way. I love being with Grace and Sammy but I want to go back to work. I want to talk to adult people. Am I a monster?"
Brandon smiled at her "of course you're not a monster. I think that's right."
"Really?"
"Of course," he replied, "you gave up a lot, that's right"
Kelly felt relieved by Brandon's attitude.
"We just have to think of a solution for the guys, summer is approaching."
"Do you mean a nanny?" Brandon asked
"Then the cbs's kindergarden? We can go to and look around.."
Kelly didn't seem convinced.
OK, Brandon shorted. "Let's do this, I'll be back from work soon, we'll organize the party, let's spend this day, and then we'll think of some useful solution, okay?"
"Okay," Kelly smiled visibly relieved.
"Okay," Brandon smiled at her, giving her a kiss.
"Dad-dy" Grace spoke uncertainly but comprehensibly.
Brandon and Kelly turned to her at the same time.
"Have you heard?" Brandon whispered to her uncertain whether he had really felt or was just his imagination.
"She said it," Kelly whispered to him.
"Dad-dy" Grace repeated looking at him with her immense blue eyes.
Kelly smiled at Brandon. She didn't mind at all that the little girl had called her father. That happiness in her partner's eyes somehow filled her too. Grace hadn't said anything yet until then. Just a few gurgling. She seemed to keep the best speeches to herself. The doctors had said don't worry. The day would come and as soon as she started talking she would never stop.
"I can't believe it," Brandon exclaimed, picking up the little girl.
"I don't either," Kelly said, pretending to be disappointed, "she's with me all day and name you. Unbelievable," they laughed.
Brandon looked at Kelly and resumed the speech from before "will we find a solution, okay?"
Kelly nodded and took Grace with her
"I'm going," Brandon said, "bye Sammy," he shouted.
" See you later! Don't be late for mom to get angry," he replied from the busy garden inflating the first balloons for his sister.
Brandon and Kelly looked at each other.
"He's right, I'm getting angry," Kel pointed out.
Brandon smiled "message received. I'll be back soon."
He blew the keys into his hands like a game of magic and made her smile with a funny face.
McKay's
Brenda set the timer to five minutes.
The house was quiet. She sat on the toilet seat waiting for a response that she had been trying for a year now. SHe saw the liquid rise and the absorbent paper color the first line of pink. Tested successfully. She closed her eyes hoping that the second one would appear, to free her from anguish.
The timer rang and she opened her eyes again slowly.
Negative test.
Brenda sighed. She felt somehow empty and alone. SHe took some toilet paper where she wrapped the test so she wouldn't show it to Dylan. SHe threw everything in the trash and looked in the mirror. She saw the margins of herself.
SHe took a rimmel and began to pass the black brush on the eyelashes that strengthened and prepared for that new day.