Love Will Bring You Home

2021 - Jen

Jen was nervous as she walked around stage 24 for the first time in 17 years. Seeing the sets so perfectly reconstructed took her breath away. She was surprised how hard it was to see  everything exactly like it used to be, knowing that her castmates and herself were all so different now. They had all lived so much life and endured so much heartache since then. Something about being there made her long for the carefree innocence of that time in their lives when this place was their home and each other were their family. It was so unfair that the world looked so different now. It wasn't until that moment that she realized how reuniting with the past was also an opportunity to face her demons.

She quickly fell into a familiar rhythm with the cast and enjoyed the incessant laughter she had missed so much. Everything felt so natural, except with David. She could hardly bring herself to make eye contact with him. After the ordeal earlier in the day, she was embarrassed. But mainly, she was scared to look at him because of how she was feeling. Maybe it was the nostalgia, but the second she saw David standing on that set, every feeling she worked so hard to push away for all those years came rushing right back.

The day felt a bit tense, almost forced at times. She was obviously acting, which she didn't have to do much of back then, with him. How were they supposed to talk about old feelings for each other in the interview if she couldn't even look at him? Maybe they would need to change the interview questions. It's not like David would have disclosed much detail about it anyway.

She stood in the kitchen with Courteney and Matt as they reminisced about his practical jokes. She noticed David glance over in her direction from over by the couch. He used to do that often - it was something she always noticed. In an entire sea of faces, she would still notice his every time. As she felt his eyes on her, she lost all concentration on the conversation around her. She felt unapologetically drawn to him.

She wondered what he was thinking. She missed the days where their eyes could tell each other everything with just one look - like a secret language between the two of them. They were completely different people now, having lived through marriages, divorces, children, success, failure, and fame. It was a long hard road to find herself and move forward but she was very happy with the life she built and the strength she discovered inside of her.

She wondered how this all came about. Maybe the universe had placed people in her life just to take them away - to teach her the things that beauty could not. Maybe the universe was trying to teach her that all the things she ached for that didn't work out, didn't ruin her, but built her. They led her to the person she was meant to be, and they guided her towards what was meant for her.

She had known heartbreak enough to shatter her mind, and she knew she didn't want to be another tragedy of two hearts afraid to love.

In that moment she was faced with the stark realization that she didn't need him anymore... she wanted him.

As the rest of the cast reminisced about pranks in the kitchen, she slowly walked towards him as they slipped into their own little world near the couch.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't think it would be this hard when I got here", she said quietly.

He acknowledged her with a nod of his head as to not attract any attention to them. Their friends had been in their business for years. For some reason this seemed like something that should stay between them this time. "Can we talk later?"

"Sure. Usual place?"

Her heart fluttered. She had to blink her eyes to make sure it was still 2021.

A fleeting glimmer of hope escaped her voice. "Yeah, same place..."

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{ 2004 }