Chapter 4

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Lacy had been running for what seemed like ages. Her legs ached and her lungs were starting to burn. She had no idea where she was. Finally she saw a park up ahead and slowed down. She ran into the park and collapsed on the first empty bench she saw.

She realized she had been crying the whole time she had been running. "Stupid fucking idiot!" she muttered to herself. She raised her hands and wiped away the tears. She wasn't going to let him get to her like this. She had made a life for herself. She was strong and independent and she didn't need anyone, especially not him.

But where had he come from? He must have seen her picture in the newspaper. That had to be it. And he had actually come after her. She found that so hard to comprehend. But none of that mattered now. She would never talk to him, never let him weasel out of what he had done. She would make it very clear that she had no intention of ever speaking to him. She would make him go away. She could do that … or else she would just run away again. She could do that … if she had to. She had done it before.

She slumped down on the bench, all the fight draining out of her. She had worked so hard to make something of herself. Ever since Hunter had found her and given her a second chance at a normal life. She had worked so very hard. She had done her best to leave all the pain and fear and unhappiness of her teenage years behind her … and she had almost accomplished that. And now here he was.

Her father! Her fucking father!

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"Justin."

"Hi, you know people are going to start to talk."

"What? Why?"

"They're going to wonder why I'm always meeting an attractive woman here."

"Attrac...Justin Taylor! Are you flirting with me?" Susan asked in astonishment. Justin smiled a very sunny and flirtatious smile. "You must get that from your father. He can be a real charmer when he wants to be."

"I bet he can. So what's up?" Justin asked with a gleam in his eye.

"I was wondering if Molly has said anything to you."

"No. I've been so wrapped up in this show that I haven't spoken to her very much since Christmas. Why?"

"She and Craig had another fight the other day. A real knock down drag out. I'm afraid if this keeps up she and Owen are going to elope."

"Elope! Oh no, that would break my mother's heart. She so wants Molly to have this wedding. She's looking forward to it. I haven't seen her this happy since Bree was christened."

"I know. Jennifer and I, well as strange as this may sound, we've gotten to know one another better since Molly and Owen got engaged."

"Really?"

"Yes. We talk all the time and we go to lunch."

"Well, I'll be damned."

"I have to admit being wife number two is not very easy. Some of Craig's friends still believe I broke up your parents' marriage."

"But that's not true. It was Craig's pig-headedness that did it."

"Justin."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean that how it sounded. They were having problems long before I came out. That only made it worse. You were never the 'other woman'.

"We know that but..."

"But Craig has always based his own self esteem on what his friends and colleagues think of him. If Molly runs away to elope..."

"It would hurt him deeply."

"Maybe the bastard deserves it," Justin said bitterly.

"Maybe, but Molly doesn't."

"You're right, she doesn't and neither does my mom or you."

"Or you and Brian, and certainly not Briana. Molly wants Bree to be her flower girl."

"And Bree is looking forward to it too. She calls it her job. A day doesn't go by that Bree doesn't ask if it's time to go to work. I've caught her practicing her walk." Justin imitated his daughter's exaggerated slow steps and wiggle. Susan laughed as Justin nearly toppled over.

"We have to find a way of cracking Craig's shell, if only for that one day. But I'm not expecting another miracle, not this soon."

"What do you mean, another miracle?"

"Joan Kinney, Brian's mother. For most of his life, Joan hated her son. Hated what he is, hated that he became so successful. She condemned Brian and me to hell with her religion and nearly included Bree and Gus in her condemnation. But somehow, something changed. Maybe it was Bree, maybe Joan finally realized that all of her religion wasn't going to make her happy. She was going to live out the rest of her life as a lonely old woman. Then she saw Briana and that's all it took."

"Even though Bree isn't really related to her?"

"Yup. Briana smiled that smile and it was all over. It took time though; Brian and Joan worked hard to come to terms with their feelings. It's not easy reversing forty plus years of hurt and hate but they were determined. For Bree's sake and their own."

Justin paused for a moment, unsure how much to reveal then he lowered his voice to a whisper.

"Brian has always had Debbie for a surrogate mother as he was growing up, then my mom, and Claire, John's mother. They all tried to give Brian the love and support he never got from Joan. But I'll never forget what Brian said to me one night before the christening. He said he was tired of borrowing everyone else's mother. He wanted one of his own."

"And you want your father back."

"Yes, I do, but more important than that, I want Briana to have a grandfather."

"Then we have to work together to find a way to make that happen." Susan hugged Justin then gently kissed his cheek. "I'll see you soon."

Justin nodded.

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Danny walked into the Liberty Bowling Alley. He took a look around the renovated bowling alley with awe.

"I can't believe this place is still standing," Danny muttered to himself.

"It almost wasn't," a fresh faced kid said proudly. He was one of the alley attendants and one of Hunter's success stories.

"What do you mean?"

"Hunter and Mr. Kinney were responsible for renovating this place as well as the theater next door and the bathhouse clinic. We're having a fundraiser soon."

"I know. I happen to be one of the stars! Ms. Divina Devore at your service." When the kid gave Danny a crossed eyed look, he laughed. "Minus the makeup and feathers, of course."

"Of course," the kid said while taking a step backwards from the strange man. "Um, well, if you're one of the drag queens then I guess you want to talk to Hunter. That's him at the snack counter." The boy pointed to Hunter who was chatting to another one of his lost now found boys.

"Thank you, young man!" Danny mustered up his courage to walk to the counter. "Hunter Montgomery, I presume," Danny said with a flourish then extended his hand.

"Yes, I am and you are…?" Hunter eyed the older gentleman warily.

"Danny Devore, also known as..."

"Divina Devore! I've heard all about you. It's an honor to meet you. Thank you for taking part in our fundraiser."

"And I've heard a lot about you and what your clinic has done for the community. I'm happy to help. But that's not the only reason. I grew up here in Pittsburgh. I used to bowl here too."

"You did? I never knew."

"There's a lot you don't know about me. There's a lot that I don't know about you and the clinic but I'd like to learn. Divina's thinking of retiring; this may turn out to be her last performance. I'd like the chance to get to know you better."

"Me? Why?"

"She's going to kill me or at the very least deafen me with that sharp tongue of hers, but I'll take the chance."

"Who? Who's going to kill you?"

"Debbie."

"Debbie? My grandmother Debbie? Short woman, red hair, waitress at the diner? That Debbie?"

"The very same."

"You know her?"

"Know her! I dated her."

"Holy fuck!"

"Interesting choice of words but not far off from the truth."

"Eiw, that's my grandmother you're talking about. But I thought you were..."

"I am, son. But she was a good woman and a good friend. I thought if there was anyone who could turn me straight, it would be her. But in the end, well, I am what I am. I think she finally forgave me."

"At least you survived. Have you ever been on the receiving end of one of her bops to the head?"

Danny laughed as Hunter took on a sour look to his face. "No, I can't say that I have."

"She still is a good woman. Took me in, gave me a home and a job when I needed it."

"And now, you're doing the same for the lost kids in the neighborhood."

"Me and a lot of other people."

"If you have the time, I'd like to learn more about you and how this all got started."

"I have the time and I'd love to give you the fifty-cent tour of the place and the theater as well as the clinic."

Danny followed Hunter, listening intently as Hunter informed Danny of the history and inspiration for the Jason Kemp Clinic. They toured the bowling alley, theater, clinic and the bathhouse. A few hours later, Hunter and Danny wound up at the diner.

"Danny!" Debbie shrieked as she walked into the diner to pull the dinner shift. "You swore to me that you weren't going to talk to anyone." Before Danny could respond, Michael and Carl strolled in.

"Hey, Ma! Look who I found at the comic book store...Danny?"

"Michael?" Debbie and Danny shouted at once.

"Danny?" Carl asked as he looked back and forth from Debbie to Danny.

"Carl!" Debbie shouted.

"Carl? Your Carl?" Danny asked Debbie with eyes widening.

"Ma?"

"Debbie?" Carl and Hunter said in unison as they both stared at Debbie.

"Oh shit!" Justin and Brian said as the tinkling of the bell over the diner door announced their arrival with Bree in Brian's arms. They were stopping for some lemon bars on their way home to the cottage.

"Shit!" Bree repeated as she smiled at the adults all standing in the middle of the diner staring at each other.

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Just down the street from the diner where this little comedy of errors was taking place, Lacy was hurrying along the sidewalk. She was supposed to have the night shift at the diner starting with the dinner rush. She needed to check in right away.

"Lucinda!" the voice from her past called and she jerked her head around to see her father rushing up behind her.

"Fuck!" Lacy muttered to herself. She had debated whether to take this shift or beg off sick, but she knew that Debbie wouldn't buy the sick story and Lacy needed the money. She had been praying that her fucking father would have got the message that she didn't want to see or talk to him. She had hoped he had gone home. "What do you want, Dad? I'm late," she said hoping to get this over with quickly.

"I need to talk to you," the man said rushing up to her out of breath.

"I thought I made it clear that I don't want to talk to you," Lacy spat at him.

"I need to explain."

"Explain what?" Lacy demanded. "How you didn't have a minute for me or my problems? How you and Mom were so busy yelling at each other that you couldn't see I needed you? Well, I'm doing fine on my own now, so fuck off!"

Lacy whirled around and ran for the diner. When she reached the door she turned to look back. Her father was standing rooted to the spot where she had left him. At least he wasn't following her.

She reached for the handle of the door only to find it flung open. Out poured Brian and Justin with their daughter, Briana, followed by Michael and Hunter and some man that she didn't recognize. She watched them all rush away without even acknowledging that she was standing there.

When the rush of people was finally over, she looked down the street to see if her father was still there. There was no sign of him. She felt herself let out a breath. Maybe he had gone home like she had told him to do, but she didn't think she'd be that lucky.

She grabbed the door handle of the diner and pushed it open. Debbie and Carl were standing in the middle of the diner with stunned expressions on their faces.

"Wha … what's going on?" she asked.

Debbie gave herself a shake and turned to face Lacy. "Your shift already started, and so did mine. We'll talk later."

They needed to relieve Alice who had been working all day. Debbie grabbed Lacy's arm and dragged her back to the break room to get rid of their coats.