Blurred Lines

Chapter 15 - Everybody Knows

The Brady Pub, Salem

September 21, 1992

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Tell me now if you came sneaking up behind

Would you know me and see behind the smile?

I can change like colors on a wall

Hoping no one else will find what lies beneath it all

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Marlena stood outside the pub, staring up at the full moon while listening to the cacophony of voices from within. The opening was a huge success. It was full of patrons and jovial spirit. The whole family was there, except for Roman, of course. Bo had been released from the hospital, and his girlfriend seemed happy about it, hanging on his arm, and beaming up at him with a wide smile. Although Marlena didn't remember her, she'd been told by Kim that they were great friends.

She'd been in the back kitchen, helping Caroline with the food, and when she'd finally come out into the main area, she'd been uncomfortable almost immediately. Isabella seemed to be staring daggers at her across the room, and Marlena felt uncomfortable. As if Isabella were trying to prove that she had such close relationships with everyone. Marlena knew that Isabella was trying to intentionally alienate her, but that was because Isabella was insecure. Marlena didn't have the energy or the inclination to play childish games.

Isabella held Brady in her arms, and as much as Marlena had wanted to see the child, she didn't feel as if her presence was welcomed. It was confusing. Isabella's behavior didn't seem like something that John would be attracted to, but as Marlena watched her, she realized that with everyone else in the room Isbella was pleasant and kind. She only seemed angry, and standoffish with Marlena.

After meeting Caroline's kind eyes, Marlena had taken a deep breath, and walked outside. Very often over the last few days she's found herself overwhelmed. The only thing that seemed to help was long walks, fresh air, and sitting on the pier.

Caroline had watched her go with sadness. Prior to Marlena's recent amnesia, Caroline wouldn't have thought that Isabella had a mean bone in her body, but as she watched Marlena leave the pub, she turned to look at Isabella with hard eyes. Looking away quickly, Isabella smiled when Kayla reached for Brady. Maybe she was imagining things. Caroline looked through the front window of the pub, and saw Marlena standing alone in the moonlight. She was a picture of loneliness.

"She's okay, ye know," Shawn murmured softly in her ear. "Marlena is a strong woman, and this will all work itself out."

"I don't know, Shawn. I saw something just now... in Isabella's face," Caroline replied.

"She's jealous. Things are confusin' right now fer everyone. That's all." Shawn put his arm around his wife in an effort to reassure her. "You'll see, Caroline. It'll all work itself out. Roman will come home, and all of this will smooth out."

Caroline's eyes were drawn again to Marlena's standing outside with her face tipped to the night sky.

Less optimistic than Shawn, Caroline didn't have the heart to tell him that she thought that Roman coming home would ultimately change nothing, because when he chose to leave he'd set the wheels in motion for their lives to take a completely different turn.

Marlena rubbed at her shoulders briskly, trying to ignore the growing chill in her skin. Glancing at her watch with a sigh she knew it was too early to disappear for the night. It was difficult, trying to maintain distance from John, when all she wanted to do was find him, and tell him about how adorable Sami and Eric were earlier as they discussed having their own rooms. She wanted to tell him about Carrie agreeing to move into the new house with them, because Marlena had worried that once she'd told Carrie about the divorce she would refuse. She wanted to share all of the goings on of her day with him, because she loved him. Every fiber of her being craved it, but she couldn't.