Faces of Forresters

Brooke kissed Logan on his soft cheek before pulling the covers up over his sleeping body. She caressed his hair while lovingly smiling. He was fast asleep with dreams of happiness in his head. She always hoped her youngest son would have happiness for he was the son that would never know his father. She quietly crept out of his room and moved toward RJ’s room. He was getting at the age where he didn’t want her to tuck him in. “ It isn’t cool mom. I’m growing up.” He had said six months ago and although it broke her heart Brooke didn’t argue with him. However each night while he slept she checked on him. She opened his door and began to pick up the discarded toys on the floor placing them where they belonged. Her son hadn’t gotten his messiness from her, she honestly wasn’t sure where it had come from Ridge had always been fastidious in nature . RJ was sleeping in a strange twisted form, the latest Erogon book opened to the page he had fallen asleep reading. She took the book, placed it on the nightstand and turned off the light. There was no need to move RJ, he’d only move back to his strange nightly sleeping from. “Goodnight my prince.” She said as she had each and every night since the night that he had been born across the hall ten years ago. RJ had always been special, in a way. His life had been chaotic since his existence starting with the mess with Nick and Ridge to his kicking and screaming into the world. That was her son and yes sometimes he could be a pain, he was competitive with the other boys always wanting to best them. Mouthy wanting the last word until she gave him that look that said enough but at the same time he was caring. Always trying to be the man of the house and look after her. “ You don’t need anybody mom, you’ve got us. I’ll make sure you are okay.” He'd say kissing her when no one was around. Whether she was patching him from some cut or bruise, or picking up his discarded toys or drawings or fussing at him for sneaking too many cookies, she loved her prince. He was dark and handsome boy just like his father but he sometimes pissed people off, just like his father. He also was going to be her hell raiser, she knew it and was ready. God had a way of paying you back her mother said, you’ve gotten lucky with Rick, Bridget and Hope and sweet Logan. It’s going to be RJ who is going to give you gray hairs. Her mother was right RJ spent more time in the hospital with broken bones, knocked out teeth for testing his torpedo dive or who swallowed money. Then there were the girls, her son liked to play “doctor” and Brooke had to ground him for trying to get a look where he shouldn’t be looking. She wouldn’t change her son because he reminded her of her beloved Ridge. Still there were pieces of herself in RJ, thank God, she could see it when he forgave others quickly or was the kid who took up for others in need. RJ had a really big heart and he hated bullies more than anything. He was always willing to take them on even if they were bigger than him, probably because his big sister Hope would then come to HIS rescue. Brooke’s fingers strayed on the photo next to RJ’s bed. It was one of he, Ridge and Eric. When RJ had been seven years old. They had gone on some skiing trip up at Big Bear, they had looked so happy with the slopes in the background. Little did they know that that would be the last father, son and grandfather trip that they’d ever take. Brooke paused as a sliver of pain sliced through her. “ Oh Ridge….if only you could see how wonderful our children turned out.” She tried to push past her pain although it was always there deep down underneath the surface. How unfair it had been. Turning back to her son, she kissed him and headed to Hope’s room. Hope, was deep in sleep. She stood there watching her daughter. Hope was growing more and more beautiful each day. There was something about her, her vivid personality, her wit, her natural beauty nd inqusitive nature. She was amazed that she and Deacon could have created such a child. After kissing her daughter, picking up some dirty clothes and placing it in the hamper, Brooke went to her bedroom. She quickly disposed of her jeans and sweater and ran the water for a hot bath. Pouring Este’ Lauder’s new bath gel into the huge bath she poured herself a glass of Chardonnay. From time to time, she’d unwind with a glass though not every day and never more than that. Sipping her wine, she went out to her bedroom. Sitting on her bed, her eyes settled on her wedding picture even in black and white it was startling. She in one frame wearing the most beautiful double strapped empress style dress with a heave V cut for the bodice. Her gown had been all white made of finest chiffon, so long it had a hand sewn train made out of the finest lace.. Ridge had spent countless hours sewing that dress himself. The gown had made her feel so beautiful the wedding unforgettable. Ridge had flown them to the most beautiful hotel in Sydney. There in the garden, in front of family and a few friends, and their children, they vowed their love to each other. Stephanie had surprised her not only with her support but by speaking about them at the wedding. “ I was unfair to you for so many years Brooke. I blamed you for everything that went wrong with my family. I just couldn’t see it….” “ I just wouldn’t see it. That it has always been you. For my son, you have been his love, his life, his muse. As the mother of his children and as his best friend. I vow to you, God and everyone that I open my heart to you. I will try to love you the way that my son always has and always will.”
Brooke smiled remembering that night. The running water caught Brooke’s attention. “Shit.” She ran to the tub catching the water before it could spill onto the floor. In her haste she knocked over the bottle of wine, it shattered and glass broke as wine spilled on the floor. Suddenly Brooke’s mind wasn’t on the broken bottle of wine but the sound of the glass shattering. It reminded Brooke of the accident….the horrible accident that had taken her husband away from her.

{Flashback}

Brooke tried to open her eyes but she had difficultly. Her head hurt her so badly and she couldn’t move her neck. “ Ridge….” She heard a sound but that couldn’t be coming from her. It wasn’t her voice. At least it didn’t sound like hers but it was. What was going on? Something was wrong.
“ Brooke…Thank God. We thought…..” She felt something wet touch her hand. “ We thought that you weren’t going to make it.” She heard Stephanie’s voice.
“Stephanie?”
“ That’s right sweetheart. It’s me.”
“ Where am I?”
A sound of a door opened. “ She’s awake.” She heard Stephanie call out.
‘ Thank God.” Mom, can you hear me?”
Brooke tried to open her eyes again. Her eyes stung as she saw the faces of her daughter and Stephanie looking down at her. “ Yes…”
“ Where am I?”
Bridget looked at Stephanie . She shook her head. Brooke was so tired she closed her eyes again. “ You don’t remember.”
Brooke thought for a moment. “No.”
“ You are at a hospital.”
“ Hospital.” Brooke repeated her mind trying to figure out what she was saying.
“ Do you? Do you remember how you got here?”
Brooke tried to remember. Flashes came. “ It was late.” Brooke’s mouth was dry her throat hurt. “ Logan was up. I was breast feeding him.” Brooke stopped. She tried to remember. “ A phone call. It was an emergency. But I can’t remember what. Ridge….he…uh….he got out of bed. I…uh….I went with him. It was so late.”
“ That’s right mom, you went with Ridge. Do you remember anything else?”
Brooke was silent. Her head and neck were hurting. She couldn’t move. There were tubes in her nose. “ A car….we were driving when suddenly….” Flashes came back. Ridge was driving, someone hit them head on, Ridge… “Ridge…..” Brooke remembered. “ Ridge….” Glass broke and then he was gone as if sucked out of car and something else heavy hit them. Then rolling a sound a screaming that was her.
“ No…” Brooke tried to move. Pain radiated through her body. “ No…No…”
“ She remembers.” She heard Stephanie say.
“ Where is he? Where is he Bridget?”
Tears filled up Bridget’s eyes. They had been so worried, her mother had been in a coma for the last two weeks and Ridge had died. A drunk driver had hit them, killing Ridge instantly when he was thrown through the front windshield. He hadn’t had his seat belt on. His car then went over the embankment of PHC highway. How could this have happened again? Bridget didn’t know. But fate had turned back the clock and struck again. The drunk driver had been out of her mind with a level of alcohol 6 levels over the legal limits. She hadn’t even known until the next day when she sobered up that she had killed her ex-husband and father of her children, leaving his wife in a coma fighting for her life.