Facts Of Life: Brand New Day

Chapter 8

VIII

Sunrise, shine down a little love
On the world today
Make a morning so sweet
That it'll have to chase my blues away

Oh, the moon and stars have gone
And I can see the light of dawn
Like a golden smile
Brightening up the brand new day

Sunrise, come wrap me in the warmth
Of your crimson sky
I spent a long time believin'
In a dream that had passed me by

But the moon and stars have gone
And I can see the light of dawn
Like a golden smile
Brightening up the morning sky

From my bed I can hear the world outside
I get up, throw my window open wide
Take a breath of that fresh air
Take a breath of that fresh air
Fresh air

Sunrise, shine down a little love
On the world today
Make a morning so sweet
That it'll have to chase my blues away

Oh, the moon and stars have gone
And I can see the light of dawn
Like a golden smile
Brightening up the brand new day
Brand new day

Sunrise, Eric Carmen

Blair did call her physician first, then her financial advisor, and made appointments for Tuesday so that Jo could partake in them. Blair was leaning toward preemptively leaving her father's company in the near future. Her priorities in life had drastically changed over the last three years since Jo came back into her life.

Before Jo vanished, Blair was perfectly happy with the trajectory that had been pre-determined years earlier: go to school; get a business degree; immediately after graduation starting at Warner International, and, eventually, taking over as CEO. She didn't think twice about how much money she was already worth when she entered Eastland years ago. She thought it was her birthright.

Jo had entered her life like a hurricane, and the hurricane had never left Blair Warner. Jo had an enormous effect on her life even for the five years that Jo had vanished, leaving her feeling empty and questioning her place in life, and what was truly important. When Jo miraculously was found in California, Blair's heart had began to beat again. She didn't understand what her heart was feeling back then. It had been a slow, gradual realization that Joanna Marie Polniaczek wasn't just her best friend, but that she couldn't live her life without the unrefined, tough tomboy from The Bronx.

Jo Polniaczek challenged everything Blair had assumed about life, and her place in it. That first year they had met, Blair didn't like Jo very much, and the feeling was mutual. She had never been exposed to someone like Jo before. Natalie and Tootie weren't among the snobbish class that had their children at Eastland, but they had been part of decently well-off families.

Not Jo Polniaczek.

Her parents lived paycheck to paycheck, and never could have afforded to send Jo to Eastland on their own. Jo's own natural intelligence had done that, scoring better than even Blair on the entrance exam-Blair knowing that even had she fared poorly on the exam, she would have been allowed into the school, unlike Jo.

No longer did the lofty life of a corporate executive pave her yellow brick road. It was paved with the intense, insatiable love and desire she had for Jo. She'd give up every cent she had, all for Jo. And now, she'd go through a pregnancy to have their child.

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Tuesday

The first meeting was with Marla Raburn, one of Blair's financial advisors, Blair introducing Jo as her "partner" to Marla, who didn't bat an eye at the revelation. They immediately got down to business.