The D-Word

"Don't think that! You hear me? Don't you even dare," Tinsley warned Bridget. "You're one of the most successful people I know. You put yourself through medical school, residency, and opened a thriving practice while raising two kids from the start."

"I could say the same about you, dental school, and three kids," Bridget countered.

"Oh, please! I'm a natural at shutting people's big mouths. But we're talking about your achievements. Leo has never been a partner like Ned. So don't undersell yourself, bitch!"

"But I feel that way," Bridget admitted.

"Well, fucking don't!" Tinsley screamed through the phone. "I'm not going to let you wallow in despair. Got that? Dammit, I should be there for you and Cassie. This is a critical time for my best friends."

"No, I won't let you blame yourself either. You need to be there for Ned. Heart scares are nothing to sneeze at."

"I know, I know. Still, I, at least, should be there kicking Leo's dumb ass. Hmm, maybe I should sic Nate on the selfish prick."

"Tin!" Bridget exclaimed, and her childhood next-door neighbor knew it to be an admonishment.

"Fine. But we're going to get you dolled up and laid. Don't interrupt me, Bee," Tinny warned. "How long has it been since you had a good fucking? Way too long! So, what I'm saying is that you better get ready and be hitting the bedsheets with a stud by Valentine's Day. I'll put the word out to the girls."

"No, you're not!" Bridget screeched. "I just asked for a divorce. I'm not ready to jump back into dating."

"Who said anything about dating?" Tinny questioned in a teasing tone. "Shit, I'm talking about setting up a plan to get you fucked. You need to de-stress. Hell, we just can alter the plan we had for Lauren after her divorce."

"We never used the plan, remember?"

"Well, yeah, that's because she lives on the other side of the country. None of us were in Regal Crest to help. The only people around her from town were a couple of Sugarbees."

"Talissa helped," Bridget pointed out.

"Danika's pretentious ass didn't," Tinley countered. "Hey, I have an idea! If you refuse to put yourself out there, I'll fake a challenge to Gemma on your behalf. A little sequel action from high school."

"You do that...and I'll sic Brandy...and Bev on you," Bridget threatened.

"Bitch, please. You would never sic Bev on me," Tinsley scoffed.

Bridget's non-answer confirmed her BFF's assumption. Still, the soon-to-be-divorced woman needed to reason with Tinny to slow down her plans. Then it struck her that it was about a previous conversation in the evening.

"Maybe your plan could wait. Lauren mentioned moving back home if the--"

"She did?!" Tinny interrupted. "Why? When did she say that?"

"If you would let me finish. Lauren mentioned it earlier tonight. The decision depends on which college the triplets attend next fall. If they choose a school near here, then, she--"

"They'd better fucking choose Zurbrugg. Or at least Breakwater. Hell, they can go to Sandbar, and Lo can be my new bestie."

"I told Ren about the Simovic house getting listed," Bridget responded, emphasizing her nickname for Lauren. "She'd live down the street from me."

"Oh, I'd better warn her off. I do know how awful it is to have you as a neighbor."

"Me?"

"Yeah, you. Such a crazy family," Tinsley teased. "Lo should be prepared for screaming matches and cops showing up at the door."

"Haha. Bev and Brandy don't live with me any longer."

"Bev doesn't, but with Leo out the door, Brandy will worm her way into staying on her visits."

"Shit, she will, won't she?" Bridget asked, despite knowing the answer.

"You know it," Tinny cackled before shifting back to the previous topic. "Wow, if Lo is really moving back, we need Rachel to put together a list of eligible bachelors."

"Not now!" Bridget exclaimed. "You have no idea how serious Lacey is about her matchmaking. I don't want her to get a whiff of an idea for me. Besides, I plan for her to find Sean a girl after he's done sowing his wild oats before leaving this fall."

"That's an insane plan, Bee. I love it!" Tinsley squealed as another tease came to mind. "Mother and son, hitting the town for sexy times. Nosy Nectar, watch out!"

"Alright, I'm not going there," Bridget replied. "Thanks, Tin. You cheered me up for a few minutes, but I should go. I need to tell the kids. I hate doing it tonight, but they need to know before Leo does something."

"I promise to fly out there as soon as I can. You know how it is with rescheduling patients. So it might take a month or so, but I'm coming."

"I know. Take care of Ned and the twins first, okay? Love ya," Bridget said.

"Love ya, too."

KNOCK KNOCK

Bridget glanced up at the bathroom mirror. After ending her call with Tinsley, she went into the bathroom to make herself presentable again. That turned out to be a good call, as the tears had done a number on her makeup. Now, she wondered who might be at the door.

Any questions ended as another round of knocks commenced. This time, they had a sequence and cadence that Bridget would never forget. Walking over, she opened the hotel room's door without even checking. Stand behind the open door, Bridget spoke.

"She had to call you, didn't she? I told her not to tell anyone."

"Tinsley did not call me," Pepper replied, waking into the hotel suite. "Ned called Virginia, who told me."

"Great. Now everyone knows," Bridget grumbled, shutting the door behind her mother.

"No, only Ginny, Theo, and your father know," Pepper revealed.

"I want to tell the kids before they find out from elsewhere."

"Sean's still engaged in his lap dances, while Peyton--"

"Wait, what?"

"Oh, you didn't know? Harvey's daughter set up some of their classmates to dance on your son as he can't dance himself. I believe your friend Addison's stepdaughter also took a turn. Beverly started to march over there to end it, but I told her to let him have his fun. It appears fairly tame so far," Pepper recounted. "And I was saying Peyton is watching the commotion outside with Lana."

As Bridget hadn't heard about the produce pelting and fight outside, Pepper filled her in briefly. Once finished, she asked her daughter how she was doing.

"I'm fine. I'm more worried about how the kids will react," Bridget replied.

Pepper didn't say a word. Instead, she stared at her middle child. Bridget had never liked the silent treatment since her earliest days. She always preferred to be scolded, lectured, and yelled at. Those she could counter; silence, she couldn't.

"What? I said I was fine, Mom."

"And now is not the time for fake reassurances," Pepper stated. "Now, how are you really feeling?"

"I feel fi...I f-feel like a...failure," Bridget admitted before her facade of strength crumbled. As that mask dropped, so did her body as she sank to the edge of the bed.

Of all the replies Pepper expected, failure hadn't been one. Still, as a former ER and surgical nurse, she recovered from the unexpected development in two seconds. Pepper grabbed the desk chair and placed it in front of Bridget. Sitting down on it, the concerned mother reached for her daughter's hands.

"Don't you ever call yourself that. Don't you dare. You hear me?"

Bridget surprised her mom by smiling slightly through her sniffles. "You sound like Tin."

"I think Virginia rubbed off on both of us," Pepper speculated. "And she's a nervous wreck downstairs. You know how much she also views Peyton and Sean as her grandkids."

"That's why I needle Tin and call them her favorites," Bridget revealed, laughing.

"Now you sound like your sister, and I do mean Beverly."

"Mom!"

"Good! There is the fiery daughter I know. Not the one I just saw wallowing in nonsense. Why in the world would you think yourself a failure?"

"Because I couldn't keep my marriage together. I'm not Bev. I can't **** my husband to do what I want," Bridget admitted, sounding defeated.

"Let's not talk about your sister's marriage. This is about you and Leonard."

"Who you never liked nor wanted me to marry," Bridget stated.

"Yes, I never cared for the Tarver family much," Pepper began.

"You detest them."

"That's a way to put it. However, I have my reasons, and I--"

"I know, Mom. You hated how they carried themselves at the hospital. They treated staff like servants and their patients not much better," Bridget recounted, never forgetting how often a Dr. Tarver's behavior got dissected at the dinner table.

"What I was trying to tell my rude daughter before she cut me off is that I disliked the Tarvers but learned all are not the same. Your father taught me that with Garrison, and I hoped that Leonard--despite all evidence--would turn out like his uncle and surprise me."

"And it's my fault for getting knocked up and marrying him," Bridget responded with a loud sigh. "My reckless behavior finally caught up with me, as you always warned."

"Did I ever say that? No, I didn't. That's because it wasn't your fault. It was that fool at the Student Health Center who misprescribed your flu antibiotics. Have you really thought I blamed you for all these years? How could I? Many of your friends and classmates also got pregnant for the same reason at the same time," Pepper pointed out.

"Well, I guess I picked the wrong boyfriend at the time," the blonde doctor muttered.

"Honey, circumstances **** you into marrying Leonard. I regret it, but not for the reason you think. Peyton came out of those circumstances, and later Sean. I can never blame you nor Leo for giving me my two favorite grandchildren."

"Don't let Bev hear that."

"I love Gino and Brynn, but your sister's attitude kept me from growing closer to them."

"Yeah, well, at least she can make a marriage work in her own messed-up way," Bridget said, reverting to her whiny teenage self.

"Bee, your marriage far exceeded my expectations. Your father won our bet many, many years ago," Pepper revealed. Then, she threw up a hand to stop the comeback comment. "And no, it's not because of you. Frankly, Leonard wasn't your type, and you weren't his. However, I knew you would stick it out as long as you could because you're loyal. It's Leo that I thought would break first. I assumed--wrongly--that your adventurous nature and insistence on staying in Honey Hollow would be what broke your marriage."

"The last part is kinda right. Leo revealed that he expected us to up and move with Sean leaving for college. He gave no thought to my practice, patients, or my life here," Bridget revealed. "He didn't even fight for our marriage. He...He just said okay when I asked for a divorce."

Pepper leaned in to console her sobbing daughter. They stayed that way for several minutes, with the mother saying nothing. She sensed that her tough daughter needed a good cry. Eventually, Pepper broke the hug and moved backward.

"Bridget, don't you ever put this on you. You've led an amazing life so far, mostly by yourself. Nobody is blind. Everyone knows that you raised those two wonderful children, not Leonard. And you did that all while becoming a respected doctor. I am so proud of you."

"Yeah, but not as proud as you are of Bev."

"Stop that! Why do you always bring up your sister?"

"Cause she's your favorite."

"My favorite? Is that what you honestly think?" Pepper asked incredulously.

"Brandy thinks so, too," Bridget declared as if that was enough evidence. "Bev's your mini-me."

"Brandy only thinks that because you think so. And Beverly is not my mini-me. Each of you has some of my qualities. Yes, you do," Pepper insisted as Bridget scoffed at the notion. "I'll admit that I see my stubbornness in Bev. Yet, I also view it as one of her weaknesses. It's what caused so much friction between you two growing up."

"I'd say so," Bridget mumbled.

"That's my fault. I put too much responsibility on Bev when you were little. As the oldest, I needed her to keep the house from burning down when your dad and I were at work. Your sister also has my protectiveness for family, but she goes about it in a far more controlling way. Not recognizing it until years later is a regret I have. I'm sorry for how bossy she could be to you."

"Bev took glee in ordering my friends and me around. She also loves to say what's on her mind without considering the consequences. That reminds me of you, Mom," Bridget said.

"Somewhat. Your sister is smarter than I am in that she doesn't confront her work superiors as I did. Yet, I also don't like what I've heard over the years. Beverly is overly critical of those she sees as her underlings. I've tried to talk about my concerns, but her stubbornness gets in the way. So that's my fault on some level," Pepper admitted. "Bev turned into the type of hospital bureaucrat I hated as a nurse."

"I-I didn't know that, Mom. I thought you...you know, Bev became what you wanted," Bridget said, struggling over the revelation.

"A hospital bean counter? Your sister's fear of blood led her in the opposite direction of what I wanted. Still, I'm not disappointed in her career choice, just her attitude at times."

"Oh, Bev would freak out at the sight of a blood drop!" Bridget chuckled. "I remember her refusing to leave the nurses' station whenever Dad got injured on the job."

"And we couldn't keep you out of his room, no matter how hard we tried," Pepper chuckled as well. "I remember how shocked I felt when Saul took you up to the observation deck for your father's one surgery."

"Dr. Culbertson was so nice!" Bridget gushed, sounding like a little girl again.

"And he could've lost his hospital privileges. Bringing anyone, especially a child, in there during a surgery is a huge no-no."

"Other nurses and doctors let me watch as I grew older, too."

"And yet you were shocked the night I suggested you could be more than a nurse," Pepper recalled, shaking her head at that conversation. "You're a natural leader, cool under pressure. A quality you get from your father."

"You too, Mom."

"I don't know about that. I do know you get your loyalty to your friends from your father. The same goes for the loyalty they show you. No, don't argue. I'm surprised and delighted by how many long-term friendships you still have. Not many people are like you girls," Pepper pointed out. "The same goes for your bedside manner. Unlike the Tarvers, you care deeply for your patients and fight for them. Another quality from your father."

"From Dad? Mom, I get that from you. No, I do," Bridget insisted. "I have so many memories of sitting at the dinner table, listening to you complain about how a doctor or nurse failed a patient. That's why I initially wanted to be a nurse. And why I've made sure to help Summer with her bedside manner. Leo, sure as hell, won't."

"Maybe you're onto something," Pepper admitted, smiling warmly at her middle child.

"Besides, we know all of Brandy's behavior comes from Dad," Bridget declared, causing both women to laugh.

"True in many ways," Pepper said after their laughter died down. "Still, Brandy also learned from watching another person."

"Yeah, she learned to misbehave from Tinny," Bridget grumbled.

"That too. But, I'm talking about you," Pepper stated, earning a shocked expression. "Don't give me that look, Bee. Brandy always admired you. She's the one who wanted to be your mini-me. Why do you think she insisted on the Dee nickname? Or that she wanted to be on your cheerleading squad as the grade school member so badly? Not to mention, she copied many of Tinsley's mannerisms because she's one of your best friends. I don't think she could sit still long enough to copy Cassandra."

"I guess I knew some of that. Yet, it's so weird to hear you think it. About as weird as Sean saying that Brandy's a natural detective," Bridget admitted begrudgingly.

"Your son is right, as well. Brandy takes after you and your father. I knew the latter, for sure, when the police showed up at our door for her. Only your father's daughter would have that happen when she's an eight-year-old."

"Oh, I remember that! Both you and Bev looked at me first."

"Were we wrong to? I didn't think so," Pepper said after Bridget shrugged her shoulders. "Bee, if I see any of myself in my daughters more, it's you. You're the one who took my life goals and surpassed them far more than I ever dreamed."

"R-Really?" Bridget queried, her voice cracking.

"Yes, really," Pepper replied, wrapping her daughter up in another hug.

"I-I can't believe you see me as the family member most like you," Bridget commented after a couple of minutes.

"Whoa! I said daughter, not family member. Cleary, Peyton is my mini-me," Pepper responded, flashing a smirk.

"You know...definitely," Bridget admitted, breaking into a giggle fit.

"Sean's always been the perplexing one until this week. I've always recognized elements of your friends in him, especially Cassie. But, now, I finally see your father in him," Pepper proclaimed. "I'm both proud and frightened. I only hope that he's more cautious than Seamus."

"I never saw it either. However, Harvey saw the similarities even before he rescued Whitney. I'll admit to being blind abour his inner strength. I guess in my eyes, Sean's always going to be my little boy."

"Both your children are strong inside. You don't need to worry about their reactions to the divorce. Peyton and Sean will understand," Pepper remarked.

"I hope so."

Pepper watched as she and Bridget entered the ballroom. As expected, her daughter's old clique rushed forward to swarm her. Bridget grumbled about Tinny, but her expression showed that she didn't mean it.

With her composure breaking, Bridget speed-walked forward. Rachel reached her first, throwing a loving embrace around her close friend. Impatient as always, Gabriela eventually **** her way into the hug too. With Lauren immediately replacing the pair, Pepper smiled as Shayla bounced on her feet, waiting for her turn to show her love.

"We did good in raising her, didn't we?" Seamus asked, sliding in next to his wife.

"Yes, we did," Pepper acknowledged, wiping her eyes. "So you had to go blab the news, huh?"

"Me? I'm sure that Tinny--"

"Bridget asked Tinsley not to tell anyone yet. Tinny is many things, but she'd never break her word to Bee," Pepper commented. "Besides, you're the gossip in the family."

"Alright, I might have mentioned the news to CeCe Bank...and Rachel," Seamus confessed.

"Not Beverly, right?"

"Have I gone senile?!?"

"I don't know, have you?" Pepper cracked. Then, a cloud of concern washed over her face, leading her to scan the ballroom. "Have you seen Brandy lately? She disappeared well before I went upstairs."

"Nope, haven't seen her since...Oh, hell!"

"Let's cross our fingers and count on Fawn and Wrenn," Pepper wished.