Anymore

Chapter 2

Carrie and Sami sat at the top of the stairs, still clad in their pajamas. Carrie yawned, "I am getting really tired of being woken up like this."

Sami rubbed her eyes. "Agreed. I don't remember mom and daddy fighting like this."

Carrie giggled, "Probably because you were a couple months old."

Sami turned to her. "Did they fight like this?"

Carrie smiled. "Nope... honestly I don't ever remember them fighting. If they did, they made up before I ever noticed." They sat up straight when Roman started shouting. Carrie groaned, "I need to start looking for my own place!"

Sami's eyes got big. "No! You can't leave me here to put up with this by myself everyday!"

"Sami, I am almost 19, I can't live at home forever." Carrie rubbed her hand over Sami's back.

Sami shrugged. "I know, it's just... I wish Eric would come home. Or maybe I should just go back to Colorado."

"No... THIS is your home. I'll make you a deal... we will work on getting Eric to come back before I make any moving plans...deal?"

Sami gave her a teary smile. "Deal!" They shook on it.

.....

Roman grumbled as he filled his thermos with black coffee. "Since when did you become such a nag?"

Marlena turned abruptly, from looking in the fridge to Roman who was turned away from her. "I beg your pardon?"

He turned to face her, leaning his backside against the counter. "You heard me... why must you constantly badger me about this?"

She stood straight, her hand firmly planted on her hip. "Badger you! My trying to get you to spend time with your family is BADGERING you?"

He nodded and emptied his coffee cup. "In this instance, yes! I have important cases that I am working on. I can't drop everything on a whim!"

She chuckled grimly. "Funny... seems to me you dropped everything to plan a surprise party on a whim yesterday!"

"That's different! And I did that for you, by the way!"

"Oh please... that whole party was for you and your ego, nothing else!"

Roman took two strides toward Marlena, his face becoming red with anger. "I beg YOUR pardon?"

Marlena stood indignantly. "You heard me correctly! You planned that whole thing hoping it would make me forget all our problems... not to mention making a show of 'finally having all your belongings back'."

Marlena went to open the fridge and Roman slammed it shut. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? My Belongings?"

She stepped around him and sat at the table. She sighed, "Just what I said, Roman. It's like some constant pissing match with you... I just don't know who you are trying to prove something too! No one is challenging you Roman, so..."

"NO ONE?" He shouted.

Marlena rubbed her temples. "Please... don't start with this..."

"Start with it? It never ENDS Doc!"

"Because you won't let it end..."

"No HE won't let it end! He is forever butting his nose in our business... into OUR family!"

Marlena couldn't take this anymore, starting to feel like she was being torn in two. She rose abruptly from the table, her chair falling to the floor. "ENOUGH!" Roman flinched at her uncharacteristic tone of voice. "This isn't an either or situation Roman! For heaven sake, is it written somewhere in the Salem bylaws that everyone must love and obey Roman Brady and refuse the existence of John Black?" She bent to pick up her chair, setting it upright. She gripped it so hard her knuckles were turning white, as she looked at him. "He was a part of this family... he RAISED our children... he was a SON to your parents... a SIBLING to Bo, Kayla and Kim..."

Roman growled, "A husband to you... we mustn't forget that!"

"That is neither here nor there! The POINT is... he has done nothing TO you! He willingly walked away from the only family he has ever had or remembers and gave it ALL back to you! Your job, your house, your children, your family... and all YOU have done for YEARS now is complain that John even has the slightest feelings or memories of his time thinking he was you! I mean seriously Roman, grow up!"

Roman drew a deep breath. Granted she made some good points, but he sure as hell wasn't going to acknowledge them. A smug smile creased his face. "Well it's all a moot point now..."

"Why is that?" She rolled her eyes.

"Because... he's gone! And I for one hope he never fucking comes back!"

Right at that moment Sami and Carrie entered the kitchen, tears running down Sami's face. She looked at her mother sheepishly. "He will come back... won't he mom?"

Marlena wiped the tears from her daughter's face and took her in her arms. "Oh Sami girl don't cry... I'm sure he will be back. Besides... We don't know for a fact that he left." Marlena glared at Roman over Sami's head. "Remember... he came to the party last night and he was supposed to have already left for his trip."

Sami nodded and smiled. Carrie walked up and put her arm around Sami's shoulder. "I have a great idea... since we are all up so early on a Saturday..." She glared at her father. "Why don't we go to the pub and have breakfast with Brady?"

Sami perked up and looked to her mother. "Oh that sounds like fun... Mom, will you come too?"

Marlena smiled brightly. "I think that sounds like a wonderful idea." She looked at Roman with a somewhat smug smile on her face. "Roman, would you like to join us?"

He rolled his eyes, and spoke with thinly veiled sarcasm. "Gosh jolly, would I... but I am late for work."

Sami looked sadly at him. "But Dad it's Saturday... remember you said you'd take me to the indoor batting cage so I can practice for softball tryouts?"

Roman put his mug in the sink and gathered his belongings. "Sorry kiddo, Mom or Carrie will have to take you... I've got a lot going on at work." He kissed her head quickly and walked out the door.

Marlena watched as Sami valiantly tried not to cry. "Come on girls... let's go have pancakes with the most handsome little boy in Salem!"