After the dark of sadness comes the glory of happiness!

An opening and a surprise!

Today was the big day, the opening celebration was supposed to take place tonight. While at the store everyone was busily scurrying around, Taylor and Susan were relaxing over their brunch.
"I was a little surprised, you invited me for breakfast today. I thought you'd already be at the store helping out. There must be all kinds of things to do now."
"Am I crazy?! You've never seen Ridge on the day of such a big event. He turns into Dr. Jekyll and yells at anyone who crosses his path. I really don't need this."
"You're right, it's so much more comfortable sitting here in harmony!"

The doorbell rang, Taylor was taken off guard. She wasn't expecting anyone. Susan came from the terrace.
"Who was there?"
"A package, strange I haven't ordered anything in the last few days."
"Well, just open it!" Taylor unwrapped it and got wide-eyed, Susan was amazed too. Inside was a beautiful white dress with a blue floral pattern. "Wow, incredible. Is that from Ridge's latest collection." Taylor nodded, a card caught her eye. A thank-you gift for your invaluable support! Ridge "What a great bonus and a very sweet gesture to show you his appreciation."
"I didn't do that much after all."
"Come on, everyone says without you the store would never have gotten done so quickly." Taylor didn't quite know what to say. The dress was exactly the one she immediately fell in love with, when she had looked at the collection the other day. She hadn't noticed that Ridge obviously had been watching her. "I need to get home right now and go through my closets to find something smashing, so I can compete with you tonight." and off she went.

Later, when Taylor was just about to run a bath, her phone rang. It was Ridge.
"Hey. Are you still alive or have you already had your first heart attack?"
"Very funny!"
"Hey, I'm just concerned about your health. By the way, thank you so much for the dress, it's stunning and I really appreciate the gesture."
"I'm glad you like it, but that's not why I'm calling. I actually need to tell you something, I need to give you a heads up!"
"What is it?" Taylor was getting anxious. Ridge sounded so serious.
"I don't know how to say it. It was a shock for me, too. Dad and Mother just arrived, they wanted to surprise me." Taylor took a deep breath.
"Eric and Stephanie are in town? That is indeed a surprise whereby actually not really. We could have assumed they would come to celebrate with you."
"I just wanted to give you a fair warning so you are prepared when you see them tonight."
"Oh...yes of course..sure, very thoughtful." Ridge noticed Taylors stammering and her confusion.
"You're still coming to the opening, right?" he asked with a concerned voice.
"Honestly, I don't know. I mean, it's not that easy after everything that's happened and after all this time."
"But you have to come, besides, you can't avoid them forever. They are the grandparents of your children and maybe tonight is the perfect time to meet them. And you're not alone, you have me, Rosa and the others with you."
"Yes, that's right. Still, I really don't know."
"Now don't be like that, or I'll come and get you by myself." Taylor had to laugh against her will. "I really want you to be here by my side. I will talk to them first and explain everything. I will make sure that they back off. Everything will be fine, I promise! Even with mother!" Taylor conceded defeat.
"All right, I'll be there! See you later."

Taylor flopped down on the couch, she needed to process this news. As she took her bath, her mind was circling around the evening. Her heart was pounding at the thought to meet her former in-laws again.
Susan knocked at her door to pick her up. They had agreed to ride together. Susan immediately recognized Taylors foul mood. She told her what had happened.
"Oh, you'll be fine. Don't be so afraid. I mean, they're not going to make a scene in front of all these people. All you have to do is to be polite and say hello and the rest of the evening you will spend with us." Taylor smiled, but was still not convinced.

Stephanie and Eric had rested and freshened up at their hotel before coming back to the store. On the spur of the moment they had made the decision to take the jet and come to San Francisco for the celebration. Ridge welcomed them and asked them to join him into his office. He explained briefly, Taylor also lived here in town. He told them they had met a few weeks ago and she was also coming tonight. His parents were stunned.
"Taylor lives here in San Francisco and you've known this all along now and didn't tell us."
"She asked me not to do it, besides what difference would it have made. Taylors whereabouts are solely her business mother."
"But if she's coming tonight, that means you two are on a better path now?"
"Yes, Dad! We had a serious and open heart to heart and came to a peaceful understanding."
"Do you guys see each other on a regular basis?"
"Well from time to time." Ridge knew he stretched the truth a little bit, but he didn't want to go too deep into this with his parents.
"Anyway, I'm asking you to be discreet, especially you mother! I don't want any scandal or tumult!"
"Don't worry Ridge, your mother and I will handle the situation very gently." Stephanie still couldn't believe it. Taylor had lived so close to LA all these months and yet never contacted her and the fact that Ridge hadn't told her anything offended her. She couldn't understand all this secrecy. But Ridge and Eric were right, tonight was not the time to deal with it.

Taylor and Susan met Marc and Steven outside the boutique. Everything was decorated with balloons and lights.There were already a few guests there, Taylor's anxiety increased as she tried to appear calm on the outside. At first, they were greeted effusively by Rosa. Ridge spotted the group and approached them.

After greeting everyone, he pulled Taylor with him.
"Are you ready?" he said.
"Not really but I'm fine, you're not leaving me alone with them, okay?"
"Don't worry, I'll make sure they don't eat you." Taylor frowned at him. Even in a situation like this, he couldn't help making jokes.
"How did they react?"
"Stunned, surprised, but then very composed. Now come on, it's going to be alright." Along with Ridge, Taylor walked up to Eric and Stephanie and greeted them. Eric warmly embraced her.
"Hello Taylor, good to see you again. You look great."
"Thanks! You look distinguished as well." Eric rebuffed, looking down at Taylor.
"Remarkable dress and brand-new I suppose." He winked at his son. Ridge and Taylor looked at each other in horror, then Taylor hastily added.
"I promised Steffy to wear it tonight, sort of as a living model."
"Well Steffy always has good PR strategies." Stephanie kept herself quiet, she was way too overwhelmed finally facing Taylor again so she didn't really know what to say. Eric asked Taylor some general questions about how she was holding up and what she was doing for a living. Taylor congratulated both of them on their wedding. She had learned from Ridge that his parents had remarried a few months ago. After a few more polite remarks, Taylor said her goodbye and rejoined her friends. She was relieved, everything had actually gone quite well. For the rest of the evening, she felt Stephanie's eyes on her, but tried to ignore it.

The celebration went off without a hitch and both the fashion and the ambiance were well received. Taylor picked up on a journalist praising Ridge for the summer flair, saying it feels like being in the middle of a Caribbean vacation. Ridge replied he had just followed the advice of an expert and winked at her. It was getting late and not many people were around. Marc and Steven had already left. Susan and Taylor were chatting with Rosa when Taylor noticed Stephanie stared at her more intrusively, just waiting for an opportunity to speak with her. She whispered to Susan.
"Let's get out of here, now!" She pointed with her eyes at her former mother-in-law. Susan immediately got the hint and the two said their goodbye to Rosa. They casually waved goodbye to Ridge, who was standing with his parents and before anyone could react, Taylor had already pushed Susan out of the store.
"Whew, that was close!"

The next morning, Ridge rang her doorbell at the crack of dawn.
"Ridge? I wasn't expecting you today, and especially not so early. Would you like some coffee?"
"Oh yes, I'd love some!"
"It was really a nice party last night."
"Yes, I thought so too, the reviews were quite satisfactory. But that's not the reason why I'm here. Mother sent me. She would like to meet you, today."
"What?"
"Well, she didn't get a chance to talk to you yesterday and there's probably a lot she'd like to tell you." Ridge handed Taylor a card with the address of the hotel. "She's at the hotel all day and hopes you'll stop by."
"Let me get this straight. She's sending you ahead so you can talk me into this meeting?"
"No, it's not like that at all. She just didn't know how to reach you, or was I supposed to give her your address?"
"Oh God, no way!" Ridge realized Taylor wasn't fond of this idea.
"I'm not going to talk you into anything. That's your decision. But if you want my opinion, I think you should go. I'm sure there is a chance you two can work it out. I mean look at us. Without our talk we would definitely not sit here together, drinking coffee."
"Okay that's true but the thing between us was very different from the one between Stephanie and me. But all right, I'll go. But don't get your hopes up. I don't guarantee you a happy ending."
"I'll stay out of it. But I appreciate that you're doing it. I only have one request. Keep her alive." Taylor punched him into the shoulder.
"I'll try! But I can't promise you anything!"