Part Five:

A month has passed and Nora is well on her way to recovery, physically at least. All aftereffects of the cesarean have healed, and her cast has been removed. Larry and Bo were no closer to getting Nora to open up and talked to anyone, not even her own sister, about losing the baby, than they were a month ago. Bo had spoken to Susannah a few times in the past month and she suggested that a memorial service for Sarah might help Nora find a little closure.

The morning of the memorial service dawned sunny and warm. Bo awoke first, rolling onto his side, propping himself up on his elbow, to watch her as she slept. Only in sleep did she seem at peace. After watching her sleep for a few minutes he climbs out of bed and dresses for the memorial. When he emerged from the bathroom he found himself alone in the bedroom. He found her downstairs sitting on the couch sipping a cup of coffee, staring straight ahead at the blank TV screen.

He walked around and sat down on the ottoman across from her, for a moment she stared straight through him, before noticing him, “Coffee’s ready in the kitchen, I’ll go get you some.”

She stands but he grabs her hand, stopping her, “That’s okay, honey. I’ll get it in a little while.” He sits her down onto the couch and then sits down next to her, still holding her hand in his.

They sit in silence for a few minutes, she stands again, dropping his hand; “I’m going to go get dressed for the service.”

Bo stands up and watches her make her way to the stairs, he calls her name, causing her to stop and turn around, “Loving you, Red.”

She smiles a small smile and nods, “Meaning it,” she adds quietly.

She came back downstairs a half hour later dressed in a simple black dress. He stood up and walked over to her, taking her hand. He brought their intertwined hands up to his lips, placing a soft kiss on the top of her hand.

They arrived at St. James twenty minutes later. They sat together in the front row, their family and friends behind them. Len, Selma and Susannah all came to town for the service. Clint came in from London.

She stares straight ahead, her eyes fixed on the wall behind Andrew. Bo reaches for her hand, hoping she would make contact. He sets his hand back down on top of his leg when she doesn’t respond to his touch, keeping her eyes fixed straight ahead.

She stood when she felt Bo stand. She turned around and let him lead her out to the lobby. Renee walked up to her and laid a hand on her arm, “I’m so sorry, honey.” Nora nodded, giving her friend a small smile, “If there’s anything we can do for you or Bo, please just ask.” She pulled Nora into a tight embrace, Nora’s arms remaining at her side, unable to respond to her friends embrace.

Viki watches from across the room, her heart breaking for her friends. She walks up to Bo, laying a hand on his shoulder. He turns and steps into the embrace she was offering, “I’m so sorry, darling. How are you holding up?”

“Taking it one day at a time, Viki,” he said, looking over at Nora, “Nora on the other hand isn’t handling it at all.”

Viki looked over at Nora and then back over at Bo, “Give her time, Bo.”

“I am Viki; I just wish she would let me in. There’s something going on with her.”

Viki looked at him confused, “I don’t understand.”

He looks back over at Nora, “I don’t know, Viki, something’s bugging me and I just can’t put my finger on it.”

They arrived back at the house an hour later. She laid her purse down on the desk and walked upstairs. He watched her as she climbed the stairs, sighing when he heard the bedroom door close. Bo grabbed his keys and left for the station.

Bo walked into the station without a word to anyone. He walked into his office and closed the door, throwing his suit jacket and tie onto the couch before making his way behind his desk, pulling a file from his in box and laying it down in front of him. He looked down at the case file, running his fingers over the names on the front; Nora Buchanan, Sarah Victoria Buchanan.

Nora walked downstairs an hour later, still dressed in her simple black dress. She looked around the empty living room, feeling just as empty inside. She walked over to the wet bar and pulled out another bottle of wine. She picked up a glass and walked over to the couch and sat down, pouring herself a glass. She tucked her legs underneath her and pulled one of the throw pillows tight against her chest.

Bo came home just before six that evening and found her asleep on the couch. He walked over to her, noticing as he got closer, the empty bottle of wine sitting on the floor and the glass sitting beside it. He sat down on the ottoman and picked up the bottle and glass. He looked down at her, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. He took the bottle and the glass over to the wet bar and set them down. He kneeled down, noticing the three empty slots on the wine rack. He turned and looked back over at her, “Oh Red,” he said quietly, “this isn’t the answer.”

She started to stir, slowly sitting up. She looked around the room, noticing him standing in front of the wet bar. He turned when he heard her stir. He walked over to the couch and sat down on the ottoman across from her. More silence he thought as they just sat there across from each other. After a few minutes she stood up, straightening her dress, “Pizza or Chinese?”

Bo looked up at her, “What…”

“For dinner,” she said matter of factly, “do you want pizza or Chinese?”

“You decide,” he said quietly. He knew she was avoiding the subject of what he found when he came home. He watched her as she placed their order. She hung up the phone and turned back to face him, “I’m going to go change into something more comfortable. I’ll be down in a minute.”

She came back down a few minutes later wearing a pair of shorts and an LPD t-shirt. She walked around him and sat down on the couch, once again pulling her legs underneath her. He walked over and once again sat down across from her. He reached out and placed a hand on her knee, “I think we need to talk, Red.”

“About?” He reached behind him and picked up the empty bottle of wine that he brought back over from the bar and held it up between them. She looked at the bottle and then back up at Bo, “Oh, that…that’s nothing. I…I just needed to unwind after the memorial service.”

“From the looks of the empty slots on the wine rack, you’ve been doing a lot of unwinding lately.”

She stands up and walks over, stopping in front of the large window on the far wall, she turns around and looks at him, “It’s no big deal, Bo. It’s under control. I have it under control.”

He walks over to where she’s standing and stops in front of her, “I’m worried about you, Red.”

“I told you, I’m fine. It just helps me relax that’s all.” The doorbell rings, saving her from anymore questions.

Bo walks over and accepts their delivery. He turns back around and finds the living room empty. She comes back into the living room a few minutes later with plates and two bottles of root beer. They sat on the floor together, using the ottoman as a table, like they’ve done so many times in the past. They ate and they talked. She told him about the phone call she had had with Rachel earlier that day, and how she was adjusting to life in Chicago, since she’d been released.

Bo wanted to talk to her some more but with dinner no longer a distraction she retreated to their bedroom, claiming she was tired. He cleaned up the remains of their dinner and locked up the house before heading up to their bedroom. He quietly undressed and climbed into bed beside her.

She rolled onto her side, and looked at him in the darkness, the moonlight illuminating his face. She reached out and laid her hand on his face. He kissed her palm before leaning in and placing a soft kiss on her lips. Their kiss soon turned passionate causing a fire to quickly ignite between them. He slowly moved above her, their hands taking in the feel of one another as their mouths continued their passionate dance. Before long they were completely lost in one another, and for the first time since before the accident, they made contact.

TBC…