The Fullness of Time - Book Two

By Cordelia50

Sunday

Marlena reset her watch to Chicago/Salem time when the plane touched down. Both she and John had slept most of the flight.

Now, she didn't need to check her watch or her phone for the time. She simply looked at the dashboard Infotainment system between them, and the illuminated digits told her it was 6:24 a.m.

Heading south, they made excellent time in the sparse, early Sunday morning traffic. They expected to arrive at her townhouse in about an hour.

John had chosen a Chevy Cruze sedan at the rental agency. Marlena got a kick out of the exterior color name: Oakwood Metallic. She liked even more the interior's dual color scheme of jet black and umber. With John alert but relaxed at the wheel, the auto cruised at just above the speed limit.

They hadn't talked much. Instead, they'd listened to various kinds of music. Marlena still knew what John had liked years ago, but in the long interim, she found much had been added to his list. And he often asked her whether she enjoyed a certain piece of music, obviously getting a better feel for her tastes.

They also tuned into the news, since in the last few days neither had paid much attention to the larger outside world. Marlena was struck by the natural disasters. First, they heard about Typhoon Hagibis making landfall in Japan, and then, shockingly, the news reported about the spreading wildfires in Southern California. This alarmed Marlena. Carrie had mentioned fires in the dry California south yesterday after she'd asked John whether he was concerned about more fires in the north near his rural house. Were these fires threatening the condo where Austin and Carrie lived? She needed to text or call Carrie about that when Carrie got up in two or three hours.

Telling John her worries, he asked exactly where they lived. Hearing her answer he said, "According to the reports then, they aren't in danger, and haven't been told to evacuate. They are well inside city limits, giving them higher protection."

"But that could change. And, that, in turn, could affect their ability to travel to Salem. Not that that's my primary concern here."

John noted sensibly, "Carrie is still in Morgan Hill, isn't she?"

Marlena would have to find out when she spoke to or texted Carrie." At least we don't have those huge wildfires in Salem."

"You said you lived by the river, in a townhouse now, right?"

"Yes, they built two blocks back to back of narrow brownstone type townhouses about twenty years ago. I always admired them when I passed by. As luck would have it, one of them went on the market just as I decided to sell the house. The floor plan is quite simple. The ground floor houses a bedroom/bath to the right when you come in the front door. The two-car garage behind the bedroom is driven into from the street between the two rows of townhouses.

"On the second floor, the kitchen is in the back, over the garage, then the dining area. And the living room, above the first-floor bedroom, provides a view of the river. The third floor situates the master bed/bath at the front of the building. It also has a lovely view. The other guest bedroom/bath is just down the hall. It's not a huge townhouse, but it's not cramped at all either."

"Sounds ideal."

"I hope the stairs won't be a problem for your leg, John."

"I'll manage, don't worry."

Marlena's phone vibrated. The text from Sami succinctly informed, "Got flight. In Salem Wednesday. Will email itinerary."

Marlena relayed this to John and thought to herself: by then most of the family will already know the explosive secret.

As if he could read her mind, John said, "Hope she won't mind that everyone will know about me before she arrives."

Giving a wry laugh, Marlena replied, "Sami had a tough adolescence. She and Eric were still toddlers when I disappeared and you were left with them. Then, when I and Roman reappeared in succession in their lives, and you left, they were very confused. Eric became quieter and more introspective, but Sami acted out. And this continued throughout her teens. She and I butted heads many times. Sami did bond with her father after a while, but nothing I did met with her approval. Finally, she went away to college - at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Then she got a chance to do a one-year exchange program in Switzerland and there she met another exchange studen -",

"Jake Lawrence."

"Quite! They dated. They broke up. When Sami graduated, she came back to Salem and landed an entry position at Titan - where Brady works now. She stayed for a couple years before jumping to a competitor. Five years after they first met, Jake surprised her with a visit, and within three weeks they were not only engaged but married. He had continued to live and work in Switzerland after he finished a Master's Degree in Business, so Sami agreed to move there with him. Sami and Jake have, as I mentioned, three children. Jake Jr., seven, Lauri Ann, five (although she insists we all say 'five-and-a-half' since she passed that marker), and Marlena Samantha whom they call Mindy. She's two."

"Sorry they're so far away."

"Me too. I'd love to see them grow day by day, but Jake is really settled professionally there."

Glancing at her, John suggested, "I guess you could move to Switzerland - or maybe spend half your year in Salem and half over there?"

"Oh, I have thought about it, believe me."

"But?"

"Sami and I get along well now. But I think part of that is because we are not generally in the same city. I'm not sure we would have such a peaceful accord if I were nearby."

"You and Eric get along?"

Marlena smiled, thinking of her tall, blond son. "Eric always loved me. He had his problems with Roman when he came back, but if he had any anger at me, he didn't show it or express it.

"And you should know that Eric and Sami both missed you. You were their dad, John, for their early years. Sometimes if Roman did something that angered Eric, he would throw that in his face. Eric wouldn't do that unless Roman really riled him, but sometimes Roman couldn't seem to help himself and rode him. I think Roman wanted Eric to be less introspective and more of an action man. I also know Roman harbored a wish that Eric would follow in his footsteps as a cop.

"Once I asked Eric about that - did he have any interest in joining the police force? I'll never forget his answer. He was silent for nearly a minute, and I thought he'd decided not to reply. But then he shifted his steady gaze to me, 'Mom, Dad - John, I mean - as a kid I remember him going to work at the cop shop. He was a great police officer, I've been told. But when he was home, he was just Dad. If he were here now, I bet he wouldn't put any pressure on me to be a copy of him. I don't like that this dad, my own biological father, does it. I'm seeking my own path, Mom.' "

She looked over at John and saw him swallow. He said, "Did Roman give his blessing to Eric when he started studying for the priesthood?"

Marlena nodded. "Yes, he did. The Irish Bradys are a Catholic family, and Roman's parents, Shawn and Caroline, were both so proud of Eric. Roman saw the respect and love the rest of his family had for Eric's choice, and he showed him that same respect and love. I think he really did come to fully support Eric's seminary studies, his ordination, and his work as a parish priest."

"You too?"

"I was always in Eric's corner. I hoped that he would never regret foregoing marriage and children - I still hope that. But I just wanted him to follow his heart, and he spent a great deal of time in high school praying about it and discerning."

Marlena added, "I'm not Catholic. I never converted when I married Roman. So, I'm kind of an outsider in the family in that sense. Oh, I went to church with them, and I agreed to let all the children be raised as Catholic. But I was raised as a Presbyterian. My family has been Presbyterian for generations. So, I just didn't convert.

"When you came to Salem, John, and we were all convinced you were Roman, you were as Catholic as the rest of the family. It seemed very natural to you. Do you have any religious affiliation now?"

"That's a good question. When I escaped from the syndicate and returned to my previous life with the AIAF in 2002, I really didn't give a lot of thought to religion. My parents, John and Helen, sent me to Sunday school at a Bible church when I was a boy. And I attended the Catholic high school in the area because it had a stellar academic and sports reputation - maybe that's why I seemed as Catholic as the Bradys. Both my parents were God-fearing people who sought to do the Lord's will, but they were not inclined to be what they called 'religious.' They were content to seek God in prayer and in action in the world. I have kind of followed their examples in the last quarter of a century.

"But, it's interesting that you ask right now, because when I was in the hospital in Washington recovering from all my injuries from the fall, the chaplain who most often came to see me was a Fr. Herb Zakowicz. And he got me interested in the Catholic Church again. So, I've been going to Mass in Palo Alto. But I haven't been received into the Church."

At this point, they approached the city limits of Salem. As they glided along still quite empty streets, Marlena began to point out landmarks that had been familiar to John when he lived there.

They went by The Brady Pub, The Penthouse Grill, the pier that had been so important to them. Marlena had him make a detour to pass by his old loft, and they also went by the house where John had been Roman Brady - the suburb house next to the Hortons' that Marlena had recently sold.

Marlena watched avidly for any sign of recognition in John, but she couldn't detect anything. Finally, they headed for her townhouse. He idled the car in front of the driveway, which, as Marlena'd said, opened at the rear of the townhouse. She found the garage door opener fob in her purse and pressed it. The door retracted upward. But Marlena had to get out of the rental and unlock her own Mercedes-Benz C-Class which she'd bought new six years ago. She partially backed out of the garage and parked it closer to the wall so the Chevy Cruze could maneuver alongside. The fairly bright overhead lights stayed on as Marlena then closed the garage door again.

They pulled their luggage from the Cruze trunk, and Marlena unlocked the door from the garage into the hall that passed by the third bedroom. Its door was closed, and they didn't stop to look inside. Instead, they moved on to the stairway that led upstairs. Beyond the stairs, a few more steps led one to the front entrance to the townhouse. An intercom and camera setup by that front door allowed Marlena, from upstairs, to monitor and buzz in anyone she wanted who didn't have a key.

John stopped before they started up though. "I can stay in the bedroom down here."

Marlena asked, "Are you concerned about stairs? Once you're up on the main second floor, it is just one more staircase to the bedrooms on the third floor, and so whichever spare bedroom you use, you'll have the same number of stairs to either climb or descend."

"No, I was just thinking that when either Carrie or Sami stay here, they might prefer being upstairs with you."

Marlena smiled charmingly at him. "One of them will be fine here, and the other - looks like it will be Sami - can stay at the Salem Inn which is only a couple miles from here - or she can even sleep on the sofa bed in the front room if she prefers. It's quite comfy too."

John didn't argue. He held his bag and his cane in one hand and held onto the bannister with his other as he slowly followed Marlena. The staircase brought them to approximately the middle of the second floor space. Marlena watched as John, looking to his left, saw a very modern kitchen with a small island and decorative frosted glass doors on the cabinets. The kitchen wall had been painted a warm "egg nog".

A half bath fit in snugly behind a generous pantry space.

The dining area contained an oval table with a graceful, not-chunky, oak pedestal base. A sky-blue tablecloth reached low to the floor. Four comfortable wooden chairs with gray upholstery surrounded the table. Against the wall, a modest glass and wood buffet exhibited some fine dishes. And a few feet away a rustic-wood computer desk with a file drawer hugged the wall, another of the dining chairs in its leg well. A sixth dining chair rested against the wall next to the desk. Unopened mail and a laptop computer lay on the desktop.

The walls in the small dining area and then in the living room had been painted white, lending a pristine brightness to the home. The living room contained a number of comfortable stuffed chairs arranged at various angles; a sofa; a glass-doored curio cabinet with knick knacks and framed photos; a narrow, high bookshelf nearly filled to capacity; a side table; two small end tables for the sofa on which stood brass lamps; and a flat screen TV on one side wall. Cobalt blue throw pillows and blankets united the various colors and materials of the furniture. Here at the front of the house, large windows allowed in plentiful light.

Polished hardwood - natural white oak - stretched from end to end of the second floor. In the living room, a neutral salt 'n pepper carpet covered the area on which the sofa and the chairs stood. Under the dining table, a small oriental area rug showed off lively blues, oranges, creams, and reds.

John took it all in. Giving an admiring nod of his head, he said, "You have lovely taste in decoration, Marlena."

"Thank you! I'm glad you like it. Come upstairs and see the bedrooms."

The master bedroom combined various hues of yellow and brown for a whole that looked like sunshine, especially when the actual rays of the sun shone through big windows with their many smaller framed sections. This bedroom was built, of course, right above the living room. A light beige carpet with a very short nap had been laid wall to wall. In the far corner an eggshell upholstered chaise lounge with patterned back pillows looked inviting. Next to it stood a low, oval wooden table with upturned borders that held a large-based lamp, a photograph and a couple medical journals. The chair angled toward the queen-size bed tucked against the opposing wall. The dark wood headboard gracefully arched, much of it hidden by pillows in shades of creams and browns. The plump white comforter serving as a bedspread was offset by a goldenrod folded velvet blanket for colder nights. At the foot of the bed sat a tufted upholstered bench with some storage space inside, the exact same color as the bed's folded blanket. Two night tables bookended the head of the bed, and on each table an identical shaded lamp with a slim, curving body stood ready to provide additional light. Several plants provided greenery. The entire room had been painted laguna yellow - pale but charactered. Well, everything but the window sills, which shone white. Small, mellow yellow and brown checks decorated the curtains at the window. And paired smaller photos in oversized black walnut frames hung over the bed and behind the chaise.

Standing in it with Marlena and perusing its details, John whistled quietly. "It really seems to suit you. It's beautiful." He didn't go into her bathroom, which she told him had a walk-in closet on the far side. In fact, he didn't really venture too far into the bedroom.

Putting down her own baggage, Marlena led him down the hall into the guest room at the back of the third floor. Like downstairs, this room contained hardwood floors - but in this case, very dark chocolate color boards, which contrasted strikingly with the white walls. The double bed stood a little higher off the floor than Marlena's bed did. Its machined patchwork quilt featured a lattice effect with different squares of predominantly black, gray, white, and beige/tan patterns. A small chest of drawers, painted muted green and partnering well with the beige in the bedspread, stood in a corner next to the closet door. The bathroom, with shower, opened on the other side of the room. One night stand with a modern LED lamp stood next to the bed, and beside it a gray, cloth covered wingback chair and a matching ottoman with long legs finished the furnishings. A few more photos adorned the walls, as did one colorful watercolor.

John set his things on top of the chest of drawers. "This room is really nice too," The watercolor, 12" by 14" and framed very understatedly, caught his eye. Observing it closely, he added, "This looks like an original, not a print."

Marlena came to stand by him in front of it. "Yes, it is." The painting depicted a summer garden with multitudes of blooming flowers including butterfly weed, Lenten roses, geraniums, bee balm, and daylilies. A dog lay sunning himself near the low fence, and a rotating sprinkler spritzed out water onto the lush lawn.

"It's so colorful and bright. Makes me want to be there. Do you know the artist?" John asked.

"Yes" She smiled shyly. "I painted it. It's part of the backyard of someone I know. You'll have a chance to see the yard and the dog in person, I hope."

John looked duly impressed. "You have talent. Did you paint back when I knew you?"

She shook her head. "No. I only started dabbling in watercolors after Roman died. And this happens to be what I think is my best effort to date. Sometimes, if I'm sending someone a card, I'll paint a little design or something simple on the cover, but I haven't yet painted anything more intricate than this scene. And I haven't tried painting people."

"Well, based on this cheery painting, you should continue this hobby. I'm glad it's mounted in here where I can see it."

Marlena, happy to hear his praise, still felt a little self-conscious, and decided to change the subject. "If you find the bed uncomfortable, let me know. As I mentioned, there are other places in this house to sleep." After she said it, Marlena wondered if he thought she was flirting with him. Had she been? Honestly, she wasn't sure. Mostly, John seemed to want to keep a distance, and she had to respect that. But, she also wondered how she was going to sleep tonight, knowing he was right down the hall.

"I'll leave you to get settled and freshen up. I think I have some breakfast items in the kitchen, but I'll have to check. If you don't mind eating oatmeal or something, I'm pretty sure I've got that. If I have eggs, I'd better check the expiration dates though. They may not be edible anymore."

She decided she was babbling and told herself to stop. As she moved out of the room, John said, "Thank you, Marlena. Thanks for letting me stay here and helping me meet people I should never have been parted from."

She came back in and decided she should be as brave as Carrie. She went to him and put her arms around him, With her face against his chest, she breathed in the scent of his nearly faded cologne (a different one than she remembered) and his own scent. She hugged him saying, "I used to tell you you smelled so good. That hasn't changed."

John hugged her back, using only one arm because he had his cane in the other. He put his cheek - which now needed a shave - against the top of her head. His arm came up and he touched her hair. When Marlena pulled her head back a little and looked at him, he met her eyes. And then he lowered his head and oh so gently kissed her. Closed lips to closed lips. Marlena felt the joy of it as they both deepened the kiss. Now they were open to one another. But she could tell he was still holding back purposely. After a few more moments of that intimacy, he just as gently disengaged. He didn't speak. He just looked at her, seeming to search her eyes, then the rest of her countenance, beseeching them to release to him the memories he didn't have. Finally, he smiled at her, a smile tinged with sadness. "I need to shave and all, but I'll be down soon."

Marlena lightly touched his raspy cheek with her hand. "Take a shower if you want. I'd better get cleaned up too before foraging in the fridge."

After she took a shower, happy to be in her own home again, Marlena chose a pair of dark brown chinos, sensible but still dressy shoes, and an Italian-made tin blue/green powder stitch sweater with bell sleeves. She also hunted in her jewelry case for the charm bracelet John had given her the Christmas just before he left and, for the first time since that day so long ago, clasped it on her wrist.

Once downstairs, she saw John, dressed in a pair of regular fit black jeans (to better accommodate his leg brace, she assumed) and a knit, collared natural wool pullover over a t-shirt. Back to her, he rooted in the refrigerator. Apparently hearing her, he turned. "Your eggs are still good. Would you mind if I made us a couple of omelettes? I promise I won't get egg shells in them."

She laughed good-naturedly and nodded for him to go ahead. She helped him find the pans, etc. while she said "You have a good memory for everything I've been telling you these last days." Then she added, "I can hardly believe it's only been five days since I first saw you in the Physical Therapy waiting room."

Once they had downed the very tasty omelettes and cleaned up, it was just after 9 a.m. Marlena leaned against the counter and said, "Before I give anyone a call, John, there's something else I need to tell you."

"Oh? I thought you'd told me the highlights. Especially about my son."

"If you want, I'll call Brady now and ask him to come right over. I won't tell him why on the phone. But if you'll agree, I'd like to ask both him and someone else to come together."

"Why? Wouldn't it be better for me to talk to him without the distraction of another person?

"Let me fill you in on something else, and then you can decide, okay?"

They sat in the living room, and Marlena began. "As you know, I told you I have five children. I told you that Roman and I adopted two children. A boy and a girl."

"Right. And you said later that you didn't actually adopt Brady."

"Correct. We were his guardians." She continued, feeling nervous again. "Well, I haven't mentioned much about the girl we adopted."

"That's okay," John piped up. "It's great that you both decided to share your home with an orphan girl who needed a family. I'm sure I'll get to meet her also since you said she lives in Salem. And I want to. But I think I should talk to Brady first. He deserves answers from me, and even though I can't offer him a whole lot, I'll tell him what I'm able."

"Brady understands more than you think, John."

John looked confused. "How so?"

Marlena got up from the chair she'd chosen to sit in. She went to the window where the day was brightening up. "John, when I was kidnapped in 1987, we'd been living as a married couple for months. As I told you, I didn't remember what happened to me during those years I was away. But since then I have learned that Orpheus took me away to an island because he bore a huge grudge against you." She hated saying that, but felt it necessary.

"Why"

"Because, while he busily committed crimes, and you sought to arrest him, a tragic incident took place in which his wife died. She showed up during a showdown between you two, got in between you, and took a bullet from your gun. It was a terrible accident, and you felt awful about it. Orpheus, who did love his wife very much, hated you for killing her and vowed vengeance. That's the reason he took me. He wanted you to suffer the grief of the loss of your beloved just as he had."

John looked mortified. "So, it WAS my fault that you were kidnapped and prevented from seeing your children for five years."

Marlena came to him and knelt in front of him and took his hands in hers. "NO. It was not your fault. You didn't mean to harm her in any way. She got in the way, and it was, as I said, a tragic accident. What Orpheus did to me, he did intentionally, viciously, and out of hate. You didn't."

John didn't look convinced, but he said, "Okay, go on with the story, please."

Marlena stood and this time sat on the sofa. "When I came back in 1991, I had no idea what I'd been doing those missing years."

"I know the feeling," John interjected.

"You certainly do," Marlena agreed. She continued. "I thought later that maybe Stefano DiMera had snatched me. And I thought for a while that I was in a coma or something the entire time I was away. But ultimately, I did find out from stitching together a number of clues, and from a very few flashbacks I experienced, that I'd been with Orpheus and his children. And I learned I had been awake for at least some of those years. Orpheus wanted me to be his children's stand-in mother."

"Because I'd killed their real mother."

"That was his reasoning - if you can call it reason." She paused, mentally girding herself for what she would say next. "Also, I know now, although I didn't for many years, that I was pregnant with your child when I was kidnapped."

"What? You were pregnant? You lost the baby because of that man's vendetta against me?" John looked agonized. "Oh, Marlena, I'm so sorry."

"John, honey, please, let me finish, I didn't lose the baby."

"You didn't? What happened to it then? Did Orpheus keep the child when you returned to Salem?"

"As near as we can tell, Orpheus gave the child to Stefano DiMera who wanted it to have leverage over you and me, and the Bradys. I'm not sure when that happened. Because I don't recall those years, I can't tell you anything based on my own knowledge, but I have been told that I had our child with me for at least part of the time I was held by Orpheus."

Now it was John who couldn't stay seated. He did his pacing thing - something Marlena was rather used to by now. "Who told you that?"

"I've heard it from a couple sources. Orpheus - also known as Milo Harp - for one. When the authorities apprehended him a few years ago, I talked to him at the jail, and he confirmed that. He said I'd been with our daughter."

"Our daughter." John repeated that several times in wonder. "1987. Our daughter is now past 30. We've got to find her."

Marlena noted John's powers of deduction, quite sharp regarding so much of the shocking news she'd delivered so far, weren't putting the pieces together here. "John, that's what you did on December 28, 1992. You found out something about all this. You heard that you and I might have a child out there somewhere. You apparently got a lead and decided you had to run it down, and you had to do it immediately and in secrecy, so you told no one in Salem. You thought you'd be back just as you had promised Shawn and Caroline. But something went wrong, and you didn't come back."

John, listening intently to all this, said again, "We have to find her. Did you and Roman look?" He held up his hand. "Of course you did. You looked for me. You looked for the child too."

"At that time, we didn't know about the child, John. That didn't happen until one fateful evening in early September, 2001." She paused, girding herself to tell this unbelievable tale.

"That night started like most of our evenings. But unexpectedly, there was a sharp rap on the door. Then more pounding, as well as ring after ring of the doorbell. I happened to be closest to the front door, and I rushed to find out who needed to see us so badly. There before me stood a young girl, grimy, clothes torn, shivering, looking dehydrated and very tired and frightened. She looked like a runaway, a homeless person. I couldn't really judge her age. I got her inside, and by then Roman and the kids had all gathered around just as dumbfounded as I. Roman, ever the police officer said, 'Young lady. I'm Commander Brady, Salem Police. Have you been assaulted? Are you in danger? Tell me, so I can help you.'

"She started shaking more and then she gulped convulsively and said in an accented, halting, and terrified voice, 'Yes, there are men out there who kidnapped me. Now they might be after my dad! Please help us! Find him! Save him from them.'

"Roman leaped into action and got the search going. I took the girl to the kitchen and gave her food and drink. I asked how she'd come to our door. 'They had the address,' she said, 'I think my dad made them bring me here.'

"The girl stared at me most of all. She looked at Sami and Eric (Brady had already been tucked into bed), and Roman when he was in the room. But she appeared fascinated with me.

"Finally, I asked her, 'Honey, why are you staring at me? What's wrong?'

"She dropped her eyes guiltily. She said in the faintest voice imaginable, 'Nothing's wrong. Daddy told me about you, but I wasn't sure I'd ever see you in person.'

"I just about had a heart attack right then. 'Who are you?' I asked, feeling faint, horrified, and elated all at once.

" 'I'm Emma. Emma Black.' "

John's face lost all color. "She was the child you had on the island. Our daughter."

"That's right. You found her somehow, John. And you were with her for about nine years. Then, something happened, and she came to us and was rescued. But you didn't come. You were still out there somewhere. As I said before, we looked long and hard for you again after Emma came, but we never found you, and finally we thought, again that you'd died. That you'd been killed by the men who had pursued and kidnapped Emma."

"But they let her go?"

"We don't know exactly why. Those particular men were never caught. But we think it was because somehow you forced them to do so."

John shook his head in wonder and bewilderment. "I don't remember any of that. I don't remember her at all." He looked terribly pained. "Dear God, how could I forget such vital things as my own children?"

"John, the torture techniques they used on you forced those memory blocks in place. It's not your fault that you don't recall." She willed him to understand that, and perhaps he did because he took a deep breath and seemed to refocus.

"Emma. That's a beautiful name."

Marlena smiled. "Yes, when you and I were married, we talked about names for children if we had more after the twins, and Emma was right at the top of your list for girls' names. I think that's why I named her that."

"So," John said slowly, "Emma is the girl you and Roman 'adopted'?"

Marlena nodded. "She is. Again, we didn't adopt her in the usual sense. I was her biological mother (we checked of course) so I didn't need to adopt her. And Roman would have, but Emma, who was old enough then to have a say, explained she wanted to keep the Black surname. So, both she and Brady kept your name - what they thought was your name."

John said wonderingly, "She's the one you said is now 32, is a pediatrician, and has a husband and two twin boys. Right?"

Approaching him again, she stood in front of him and smiled with great joy, but there were also tears because he'd missed so much. They together had missed so much. "Right. Johnny and Teddy - named after their grandfathers - are just a blast . Wait 'til you meet them."

Seeing him try to process all this, Marlena urged him to sit on the sofa with her. "I know this is a huge amount of new information. Emma herself is the best person to tell you what she remembers about the nine years you two were together. So let's wait on that."

"I have a son, a daughter with you, and two grandchildren. And I never had the faintest idea," John lamented.

Marlena nodded sympathetically. They were quiet, lost in thought for a few moments. Then Marlena roused herself and collected her cell phone. "What do you want me to do? Shall I call Brady first? Maybe it would be better for you to see them one at a time. Thinking about it, your first inclination was probably wise. It can be even more confusing if you have two people at once to try to catch up with. Besides, Brady is already home from church, I bet, while Emma's family goes at 9."

John rubbed his hands on his pants, understandably nervous. "Okay. Sounds like a plan.'

Listening to the digital "ringing" after she selected Brady's number, Marlena tried to think logically about what to say.

"Hello, Mom," Brady's strong, young voice greeted her. "This is a nice surprise. How's it going in California?"

"Hi, Brady. That's partly why I'm calling. I'm not in California. I got a plane back last night."

"Are you alright? You planned to stay until Friday."

"I'm fine. But something happened while I was there, and I need you to come to the townhouse, right now, if at all possible. There's someone I need you to meet."

Brady was silent, and Marlena could well imagine all the possibilities that were running through his head. But he didn't waste any more words. "Okay. I'm on my way. See you in a bit."

John's anxious face waited expectantly. "He'll be here in about ten minutes - if he was at home. His apartment is on the other side of town, closer to Titan."

John nodded. "His old man really fits the bill. Gray hair, glasses, gimpy with a cane." He straightened up fully, a look of determination in his azure eyes.

Encouraging him, Marlena said, "Brady is a sensitive young man, but he doesn't judge people by their looks. Not that there's anything wrong with your looks. And besides, he'll be so amazed to see you that he probably won't even pay much attention to all that." She said carefully, "Maybe I should go downstairs and meet him at the door? I can prepare him a little before he comes up here and sees you."

He just nodded, lost in his own preparations and in trying to absorb the news about Emma.

Marlena actually went outside the townhouse to wait. And in just a few more minutes, Brady's Mazda 3 slid smoothly into park against the curb on the street.

Watching him proudly, Marlena reflected that Brady was just about John's height; and he kept his athletic build in shape by going to the gym most days. His short, nearly black hair was styled in the fairly common spiked look of the day. Brady's face was fronted by Isabella's nose, with just a touch of pug; his eyes were gray, and the shape of his head, especially his strong chin, came from his father.

Marlena moved to meet him halfway, and seeing her, he hurried too. They embraced. "So glad to see you, Brady."

"Happy to see you too," he assured her. "You sounded kind of mysterious on the phone. What's up?" Brady, the young businessman, liked to get to the point.

Putting her arm affectionately around his waist, she guided him to the townhouse entrance. "I had the most incredible experience in Palo Alto. I saw someone there. At first, I didn't believe my own eyes."

Interested, but not obviously comprehending the full import of her experience, Brady said, "Who was it?"

As she opened the door and let them into the building, she said, "Brady, I want you to brace yourself. You are about to meet someone you never thought you would."

They climbed the staircase, and Marlena, stepping out of Brady's line of sight, led him toward the living room where John had waited. But now, John moved toward them too.

Watching Brady, Marlena caught the exact moment when the identity of the man in front of him dawned on him. He reeled and blanched and croaked, "Dad?"

John nodded wordlessly and, without his cane, approached Brady and enveloped him in the strongest, most loving bear hug he could. Marlena saw the tears in John's eyes.

Brady, still stunned, finally reacted and hugged his father back. After the longest time, they broke apart, and John looked at Brady, taking in every detail he could. Memorizing his son, Marlena thought.

The son also stared mesmerized at John. He too had tears in his eyes. He choked out, "You're alive. You - You're here. Where did you come from? Where have you been all these years? Everybody searched for you nearly twenty years ago, but there wasn't a trace."

John responded by hugging Brady again fiercely. "Son. Please believe me when I say I didn't stay away on purpose. If I'd been able, I'd have been here for you. I've missed so much of your life, and I beg your forgiveness for that."

Brady moved backward so he could see John more clearly. Obviously, he saw the scar on John's temple, and he apparently noticed the brace because he said, nodding his head at it, "You were hurt."

"Yeah, but I'm okay." John continued, determined to spill out a list of regrets, "Brady, I missed reading to you as a kid. I missed seeing you off to kindergarten. And teaching you how to throw a baseball, and how to bat. I didn't come to your games. I didn't give you the talk about the birds and the bees. I wasn't around when you crossed into adolescence. I couldn't give you inane advice about dating. I missed your graduations." John heaved a huge sigh and tears ran down his face. "I'd give anything if I hadn't missed all the moments in your life."

Marlena's heart ached for John. It hadn't been his fault that he'd missed all that. Brady seemed rocked by not only seeing John but by his declarations of remorse. He didn't appear to know what to do or say, so Marlena subtly intervened. "Brady, I know this is a shock. I felt the same when I saw John in the V.A. hospital."

"Brady roused himself from his shocked stupor, "What were you doing at the hospital?" he asked John.

"I was getting this brace fitted." He slightly shook the brace.

"What happened to your leg?"

"I broke it into many pieces in a very bad fall."

"Sorry," Brady said vaguely. He kept staring at John, also trying to soak into his mind's eye every molecule of his father's sixty-something face.

"Why don't you two come sit down?" Marlena invited. She didn't lead them to the living room. She gently tugged them both to the dining table where two chairs sat quite close together.

Brady said to her, "Sit with us, too."

"Maybe you two would like a little time alone?" she asked gently.

At first, Brady shifted and seemed alarmed at that idea. John too looked a little lost. But then Brady squared his shoulders. "Thanks, yes, Mom."

Marlena kissed them both on the tops of their heads and then headed upstairs to her bedroom. Part of her desperately wanted to hear the conversation continue, but she decided that would be selfish. John and Brady needed to tell each other their stories. They needed to try to come to terms with their long, enforced separation. And, she hoped they would then be able to build a good relationship for going forward. They both deserved so much to have each other in their lives. Regrets on John's part, possible grudges on Brady's (although she really didn't think he would harbor any when he heard about John's life), needed to be washed away in a tide of honesty and love.

Now Marlena debated about whether she should call Emma or wait. Could John deal with another highly charged meeting today? Should she wait until tomorrow and let Brady and John have the rest of the day to be together? She wasn't sure about Emma's on-call schedule. If she delayed until tomorrow, would Emma be too busy with work and the twins to come? Would she then have to spell out the situation on the phone instead of in person to get her to come?

Finally, Marlena capitulated to her first inclination, and she rang Emma's cell. It was now well past 10 am, and she ought to be free to answer the phone. After three rings, Marlena heard the very feminine voice of her second biological daughter. Emma, as was often the case, sounded a little stressed. But she always tried to be bright and cheery too. Quickly, Marlena answered the same questions Brady had had for her. No, she wasn't in Palo Alto anymore. Yes, she'd returned to Salem early. No, she wasn't ill.

"Sweetie, I called to ask you about your schedule. What do you have free today and tomorrow? Or, maybe I should put it this way: what can you free up?"

Emma replied, "If you need me, I'm there for you."

"Thank you. I know that. There's someone I need you to meet, but at the moment I'm not sure when. Is that okay? Would you be able to come over at basically a moment's notice? I wouldn't ask, but this is extremely important."

"Yeah, I think I can do that. Tad can watch the boys today. Tomorrow, it would depend on the time. I'm at the practice seeing patients while the boys are in preschool. If you call later, I might have to bring Johnny and Teddy. Would that be a problem?"

"We'll work it out. You know I always love to see my grandsons." Emma's curiosity came out, and she asked whom she needed to meet. Marlena succeeded in sidestepping the query. They said goodbye, and Marlena felt satisfied with that conversation.

She played back memories of Emma's boys. Seeing them for the first time in the hospital nursery. Helping them learn to take their first steps. Reading their baby books to them over and over. Swinging them at the park. Watching them play with their mutt rescue dog, Cody - also the dog in her watercolor. The Rivliks lived in a suburban house only a few blocks from Marlena and Roman's old homestead. Tad, an engineer for the city, had grown up in Salem too, and both he and Emma revelled in raising their family here.

Now, she wasn't sure what to do with herself. She was too keyed up to read. She couldn't check her snail mail because it lay downstairs. She'd already unpacked. She thought about taking a long warm bath to relax, but nixed that idea because first of all, she worried she might fall asleep in the tub, and secondly, one of the men might come up looking for her. She could lie down and take a nap, but after that nightmare in Dinah's Garden Hotel, she didn't relish a possible repeat.

She remembered about the fires in Southern California, and called Carrie to get an update.

"I'm back home, Marlena," Carrie said. "The Saddleridge fire is prompting some evacuations. Not us, but both Austin and I have decided we can't come to Salem right now. But I'm still shooting for the birthday party planned for Friday. I hope I can make it. Austin said he's staying here in case he has to evacuate things from our condo. How's it going with John?"

Marlena told her about Brady and John, and that he would also see Emma very soon.

They talked for some time. When she said goodbye to Carrie, she finally decided to relax in the chaise and listen to one of her favorite playlists on her phone. She did close her eyes...and the next thing she knew she heard a knocking sound. Pulling the earbuds out, she listened again. Yes, a definite knock on her door which wasn't completely closed.

"Yes?"

Brady pushed the door farther open and smiled at her. "Hope I didn't wake you?"

"I guess I did doze off," Marlena admitted. "Not much chance to sleep soundly with the plane and car trips last night." She got up and went to Brady, and putting her hand on his arm, she asked, "How's it going?"

Brady's face split into a wide grin. "It's great! Really great. I thank God, and I thank you, for bringing him here. So many times in my life, I've longed to have a real talk with my dad. And today that wish finally came true."

Marlena beamed at him. "So what are you doing up here instead of downstairs with him?"

Brady looked a little crestfallen. "I'm afraid I've got to go - at least for a while. I lost all track of time talking to Dad and forgot I promised Audrey I'd be over and help her move this afternoon." As he was speaking, he and Marlena walked back down to the second floor. John got up from the table as they appeared.

Brady continued looking from one of them to the other, "I'd really like to cancel, but if I don't go, Audrey won't be able to make the move with just Gary. I already made my apologies to Dad, and now I just wanted to let you know that I need to go. I was supposed to be there at 1. I'm twenty minutes late. She's already left me a couple voicemails and texts."

John spoke up, "You go do what you need to, son. I promise I won't disappear on you again."

Marlena agreed, "Brady, you come back whenever you want - today, tomorrow, whenever. Just text or call me - or John...did you two exchange numbers?"

They had done that. Brady and John shared another hefty and emotional embrace, Brady hugged Marlena too, and it was then that she reminded him to please not tell anyone about John yet. Brady agreed, and then he took the stairs down in big bounds. Both John and Marlena went to the living room windows and waved to him as he popped the Mazda 3 locks. He waved back and was gone.

"Hope he doesn't get a ticket," John said.

Marlena laughed.

"What?" John inquired.

"Nothing. It's just.. you men can say the most ordinary things at monumental times."

"Hmph." After a moment, he added softly, "There's just a lot to process."

She grew serious again. "Of course, John. You've had a tremendous amount thrown at you in less than a week. It will take time." She headed for the kitchen. "I don't know about you, but I'm hungry."

"I'm good right now. While Brady and I were talking, we ate a few of the big oatmeal cookies in your jar and drank some more coffee."

"Oh, dear. Those cookies had to have been stale. I do need to go to the store and get some fresh veggies and fruit." Marlena jotted down a list, asking him too what he'd like. …"Are you still an apple eater, John?"

"Yeah," he smiled, "as a matter of fact, I am. I ate them a lot when I lived in Salem?"

With a mischievous twerp of her eyebrows, she told him, "One time we were in the living room and - the kids were not around - I was in my pink satiny bathrobe and you were shirtless. You had a big red apple in your hand. I don't recall the buildup conversation, if there was any, but you took a huge bite out of that apple. Chewing a couple times, you looked at me with hunger and said, "You're next!" Then you slung me over your shoulder and, with me laughing wildly, you took the stairs - maybe two at a time - and we ended up making passionate love in our bed."

"Glad to know I was a smart man of action," John grinned, clearly savoring that story." He then said seriously, "Look, I know I've been a little standoffish, and I'm sorry for -"

"You have nothing to apologize for," she interrupted, coming to him. She urged him to sit back down with her at the table. "As we've just said, you've had a lot thrown at you. I can only imagine trying to assimilate all that. When Emma came to us, I had a little taste of being blown away with a surprise I'd never expected, but you've had so much more. You have every right to take your time and let it all sink in. Plus," she said calmly, even though she felt a stab to her heart when articulating it out loud, "I know your memory loss has robbed you of the feelings - the love - you had for me."

"Marlena -"

"No, it's true, and there's no point in pretending it isn't. Dear God, John, when I saw you in that waiting room, the emotions and the memories that poured through me were nearly unbearable. I desperately wanted to run to you and throw my arms around you and kiss you endlessly. And I wanted you to embrace me with the same loving care and strength you did so many years ago, and kiss me the way only you did.

"I remember countless details of our time together, brief though it was. I loved you so. You ARE, I am certain of it, my soulmate, the great love of my life. And I don't mean to be disloyal to Roman - as I've said, I loved him very much. But you and I were something incredibly special together. I loved you when we didn't know who you were, when we thought you were Stefano, when we thought we had proof you were Roman, and when we got DNA proof you weren't. You became an irrevocable part of my heart - the heart of my heart.

"All these years, I've missed you. With my rational mind, I did agree with others that you had to be dead, because you had disappeared so completely. And, yet, a tiny voice inside kept alive the belief that if you had truly died, I would have felt it, and I never did.

"But that's me, John. That's my experience. Yours is so different. Part of me is angry because I can't quite fathom how that everlasting love you also had for me could be extinguished. But memories are our lifeline to ourselves. To. Our. "Selves." Without them, we have to start over from square one. That's what you're doing, and I have to let you do that."

Marlena couldn't stop talking. She felt a compulsion to explain the human condition.

"I keep thinking that no matter what kind of tricks our memories play on us, we are still human persons with natural dignity. Your friend Joe, 'Kittens' as you affectionately call him: he and others like him all possess an inviolable personhood too, but their withdrawal from the world (in catatonia and other extreme conditions) drastically limits their ability to experience and wield the complete range of their personhood. Thank God, Joe has come out again.

"Amnesia also limits personhood - our rights to fully be who we are. It is often so misleading to the sufferers of it, because they don't know what they're missing. Some people might say, 'Oh, that can be a blessing too if they have forgotten terrible things.' I suppose one could make that argument with Joe Catenacci. And with you, John, I suppose one could make that argument too in some respects, because you were undoubtedly treated unspeakably when you were a captive in 2002."

John broke in there, "Well, as I said, I do now recall being Stefano DiMera's prisoner in 1985. So, I guess, my memory forgot to delete that delightful experience." He gave a rueful snort. "And, as I told you, I know a little about what happened to me in 2001-2002 at the hands of Stefano's bastard son."

"Yes, I am so sorry you suffered at the hands of those evil men." Marlena held his hand and squeezed it in sympathy.

She continued with her train of thought though, "But if we forget (whether by 'choice' or by duress and force), we do lose the vital component of being able to relate to others as we did before, at least in the case where the intimacy of lovers is concerned. And that's why I pray with all my heart that you will remember everything, but, honestly, me in particular.

"Seeing you with Carrie, and today, with Brady, I realized something else. You will be able to love all the kids again with as much - or nearly as much - depth and generosity of spirit as you did before whether you regain your memory or not. That love - for one's own offspring and for adopted children too - somehow is transcending your memory block.

"But romantic love is unique. It sparks between two people as they live through something together that no one else shares. The right circumstances, the right time in their lives, etc. We like to think that two people who are really in love can always overcome anything and that love will still be there. But not always.

"What I'm clumsily, badly, trying to clutch at is that you don't owe me any apology. Maybe it is I who owe you one because I've been pretty forward with my feelings, and all I'm probably doing is causing you to want to withdraw more."

Having said her piece, unsatisfactorily, she thought, she wondered what he thought of that gush of words. He had not taken his gaze off her while she spoke, and now he still met her eyes levelly.

"Contrary to common belief, lightning can and does strike twice (or more) in virtually the same place. Perhaps that's what we have to hope and pray for, Marlena. If we fell in love once, why not again? Especially since this time around it is only I who have not yet been hit by the bolt."

"Back in 1986, you said a number of times that the first time you met me, something inside told you I was the one. And I felt that way too. This time, though, you haven't felt that."

John shifted and raised his eyebrows. "When did I first tell you that back in 1986?"

"Gosh, I don't know exactly. It was probably after we came back from West Virginia and 'knew' you were Roman. I think it was the second time we made love, thinking we were married. A couple of months..."

"And how long have we known each other in 2019?"

"Five days," she admitted. "Okay, I get your point."

"Things are moving very fast. You're so right that it's a lot for me to take in. My head is swirling with so many revelations. And, of course, today, seeing my son for the first time since he was a baby was more awesome than I can ever express."

Marlena again squeezed the hand she still held. "I'm so happy for you, John. And for Brady too. It's a dream come true for him."

John got misty-eyed, and he took off his glasses and wiped away the moisture. When he wore the spectacles again he said huskily, "Thank you with all my heart - you and Roman - for raising Brady. Thank you both so much for being his loving parents when I and his birth mother couldn't. You did a wonderful job with him, and he obviously loves you very dearly as the mom he's always known."

"Oh, John, no thanks are needed. I love Brady just as much as I love all my other children. And Roman loved him too. Now, though, you have the chance to get to know and love him yourself."

"That would never have happened without you. If you hadn't stopped in the hospital and checked me out." He smiled a little slyly. "I did notice you doing that as you hugged the wall as much as possible, slowly heading for the abandoned check-in desk. Once there, you didn't ring their little bell for service. You stood, trying to figure out what to do next. You kept your eyes on me and your face was ghost pale. I had no idea what was going on with you."

Marlena huffed and rolled her eyes. "Glad I was so inconspicuous."

John grinned, obviously pleased to get a bit of a rise out of her. But he returned to his point. "I'm so grateful for your showing up there and finally sitting down to talk to me. You have been the 'mover and shaker' in all this.

"And I do understand that you're frustrated by my lack of reciprocation of your feelings. You have every right. When I asked how many days we've known each other in 2019, I was deflecting, I admit. I didn't want to face your worries head on. Still don't really, I guess," he confessed. "You meant that in 1986, both of us felt something right away. It just took a while for both of us to say so. And that's different now. If, right this minute, I felt what you feel, I could say so - just as you did. You probably reason that since I've held back and haven't admitted to such an initial feeling that I didn't have it."

"Yes, that's right, John." Hearing him articulate this caused her pain, but she tried to hide it from him.

"I take it I was a pretty confused guy when I first came to Salem, wasn't I?"

"You were. You put up a front that everything was just fine, and that worked with people who just dealt with you on a run-of-the-mill basis. But I gradually saw the cracks. You tried to pretend you knew your past, but you avoided the subject if you could. And when you couldn't, you didn't have a script for all occasions and questions. One minute you appeared confident and calmly in control, the next you got nervous and made hasty exits with lame excuses. One minute you'd be relaxed and joking. But if I said the 'wrong' thing, you would clam up or snap at me. When you finally admitted you didn't know who you were, you showed me how terrified you were of that.

"And later, when we thought your identity had been established as Roman, you had moments when your frustration at your persisting memory block made you act out physically. At least once, you scared Carrie who walked into the front room just as you threw something at the wall. She wasn't hurt at all, but she was frightened of you for a while."

"I'm really sorry I scared her. I'll definitely do my best not to throw anything this time around." He smiled, trying to lighten the mood. "But thanks for telling me about my mental condition then. In a way, it's good to know I was a mess then too."

John's tone hardened, "The truth is, Stefano's brainwashing made me a blank slate on which the life of Roman Brady could easily be imprinted. I've got to tell you, that's not exactly an ego-booster for a guy like me. Stefano used me to become an imposter in your and the Bradys' lives, and I didn't - couldn't - stop it."

"But that wasn't your fault. I'm sure you resisted to the max. As a man who's been in covert service for most of your life, you know better than I that modern torture techniques can overcome the will of anyone.

"Besides, I insist that, despite the evil intentions of Stefano, love came from it. Our love. Our daughter. And the love you had for the Brady family and they all had for you. I'm sure Stefano didn't expect that.

"You mentioned being grateful that Roman and I raised Brady, but, again, John, I'm just as grateful to you because Carrie, Sami, and Eric had a loving father in you those years Roman and I couldn't come home."

John nodded a few times slowly. "Okay, I see your point. I guess the point I kind of veered away from is you've helped me understand a little better that I didn't handle my amnesiac state well at first in 1986.

"In the present, the same. For decades my life had gone along a certain trajectory. And I'd become accustomed to the blank years. I'd gotten used to being without family. Then, out of the blue, a beautiful, loving woman walks into that life and tells me about a very busy chunk of it I haven't reckoned with."

"I know, John."

"I'll be honest. I didn't feel I'd met my soulmate again that day in Physical Therapy. Fireworks didn't explode in my mind. In that sense, I guess you're right that my reunion with you didn't mimic the first time we met."

Even though she appreciated his candor, she also didn't. His words confirmed her worst fears: John had lost the love he'd once felt so completely for her. Her face fell.

"I'm sorry. Too much bluntness there. I know you'd give anything if I could say different."

"It is what it is, right? We have to work with the truth, not with a fairy tale."

"Even though I didn't relate to you as someone I'd known or as someone I felt in my marrow lost memories be damned, that first time you spoke to me, I thought 'what a gorgeous woman.' And in the five days I've known you, Marlena, as you've told me about yourself, your family, and me; my feelings for you have vastly expanded. I'm getting to know you - the strong, capable, determined woman you are. And as I said before, I'm nearsighted, not blind. I see and sense at least a part of the depth of feeling you have for me.

"As you obviously are aware, I am a physically passionate man. Due to my work, I haven't had the opportunities to allow that side of myself to have full rein in the last twenty-five years. Perhaps it will be possible with you again. Who knows, maybe a couple of months' wait will be the charm for us once more…"

Marlena knew she could not wave a magic wand so John would remember and love her as she loved him. Then she wondered if she had turned their love into an icon that resembled what they'd truly had, but idealized it and magnified it. Sometimes loving someone thought dead became easier than being with and loving a live person.

She showed him the charm bracelet on her arm. "You gave me this at Christmas in '92. And I gave you a watch. On the back of it, I had engraved 'J, thanks for giving me time, M.' That's what I have to do for you now, John. Give you time to adjust, to reconnect with people, to see where you fit in now."

John regarded her with a kindly expression. "Thank you," he said simply.

Then he looked more closely at the charm bracelet. First he said, "That needs some more charms." Then he added, "Should I have given that to you? Didn't Roman get upset about it?"

"I didn't tell him about it. I put it in my jewelry box, so I wasn't hiding it. But he never looked in that box, so we avoided ever having a conversation about it. "

"I see." John nodded. "I understand."

They were both silent. But John broke that silence, "Weren't you hungry? Eat something."

They both laughed.

Marlena heard her phone. A text. She snapped the cell off the counter and read it. "Oh, my gosh!"

"What?"

"Emma texted me three times. She asked if she could come over because she's curious about who I want her to meet." Marlena couldn't help chuckling at the third one, which Emma'd sent about 20 minutes ago. She read it aloud, "I'll bring you groceries if the coast is clear, and I can come."

John smiled as he walked around to exercise his leg. He stretched too. "Hmm. She's a practitioner of bribery, eh? If it's okay with you, let her come."

"You sure? We could put her off until tomorrow. After all, Brady might come back again, you know."

"Yeah, he might, but it's about 3 now. He's probably still helping move."

Marlena texted their daughter, "Sorry for the delay. Yes, come on over. Groceries not necessary, but if you've already bought them…"

Marlena was hungry so she downed a granola bar and drank a bottle of water. John ate a few saltine crackers spread with peanut butter and found a soda in the fridge.

A few minutes later, Marlena's phone chirred with Emma's reply. "On my way."

John had gone into the living room and he stood in front of the bookshelf examining the titles. Marlena joined him and noted, "Some of these books belong to you. They'd been stored in the house's attic, and I brought them with me."

He thumbed a few, trying to pick out which ones he'd owned. Marlena smiled. "Yes, the ones on this shelf are nearly all yours."

"I don't remember 'em. Maybe I'll read them again and see if they are still books I'd buy."

He then turned his attention to the photos in the curio cabinet. He took one out, and Marlena viewed it with him.

"That was taken five years ago. I took that photo. Roman had to leave right after the ceremony on a police emergency, so he missed this moment." Marlena explained the background of the picture to John. In it, all five of Marlena's children gathered together. They'd come to celebrate Brady's graduation from college. Emma, only three years younger than Eric and Sami, stood proudly next to her little brother. Although Brady, not surprisingly, stood inches taller than she did. Emma, born of two tall people, had topped at 5' 8" like her mother. Unlike Sami's tresses, at least as blonde as Marlena's, Emma's hair tinted in the browns. A lighter shade of chestnut than John's, and she wore it in a nicely layered, fairly short style as a pediatrics' resident.

"What color are her eyes? John asked.

"Deep blue like yours."

"Her beautiful face is very like yours. If she had blonde hair and your hazel eyes, the resemblance would be striking," John noted, holding the photo to the window's light to see the details better.

'Yes, a lot of people who see us together say that," agreed Marlena.

John also perused Eric and Samantha's images. Eric wore a black suit and his Roman collar. Marlena said he looked uncannily like the actor who plays Dean Winchester on the TV show "Supernatural."

"I haven't seen that show."

"I haven't either, but I surfed the internet for a picture of the man, and yes, Eric and he could be twins."

"Hah. Then you'd have had triplets," John joked before adding, "Eric is a really handsome young man."

"Thank you. Sometimes that can be difficult for priests. But he seems to deal ably with the parishioners."

The shortest of the five, Sami sported the longest hair of them all. She also possessed piercing blue eyes but much lighter in hue ("swimming pool blue" Marlena offered), clearly revealed by the picture. Sami's face had grown a little fuller than the others'. "Sami is beautiful too, but what people often notice most about her is her strong-mindedness and her determination to attain what she wants" Marlena said. "I think that can be seen in this photo."

John replied, "She seems formidable, and, yes, beautiful too." Returning the photo to its place, he asked, "Has she brought her children to visit you in Salem, or do you need to go to them when you want to see them?"

"She's brought them here once so far. For Roman's funeral last year. The children didn't go to the funeral, but I was so glad to have them around. They provided their grandmother with a chance for some relief and even enjoyment with them."

Marlena heard a car out front. Yes, it was Emma's distinctive Jasper Green Subaru Forester. She hurried downstairs to let her in, leaving a once-again nervous John.

Emma had brought two bags of groceries, so after they greeted each other, each took a sack.

When they were inside at the bottom of the stairs, Emma said, "Is the mystery guest here, or do I have to wait for him or her to arrive?"

Marlena stopped her daughter. "No, you don't need to wait. But just realize that you are in for a shock."

Emma laughed, "Okay, Mom. I'll brace myself."

They ascended the stairs and Emma looked around the second floor space, but saw no one. Putting her bag on the island she looked quizzically at Marlena.

Just then someone descended from the third floor. Both Marlena and Emma watched as his face came into view. John smiled a little uncomfortably as he came toward Emma.

Emma froze. Absolutely froze. Spotting her paralysis, Marlena immediately put her arm around her. "Yes, Emma. He's your father. You're not seeing things. It's your daddy."

Just like that, Emma came back to life. She sprang forward and launched herself into John's arms. Fortunately he strategically stood with his back to the wall so there was no chance that he might stumble backward. He tightened his arms around her and held her close to his heart. Emma began blubbering, and that made John (and Marlena) cry too.

"Dad!" she said barely coherently. She hadn't seen John in eighteen years.

Later...

After dinner, Marlena marveled for the umpteenth time that she sat here with two of her beloved children and their father. For the first time ever.

Brady gave John a speculative look. "I guess it's too early to ask you if you have any plans based on everything you've learned?"

Marlena and John exchanged glances, and both chuckled. "Your mom and I were talking earlier about it only having been five days since she found me in Palo Alto. So, you're right, Brady. I'm still at the stage where I'm learning new things, and I haven't given a lot of thought to the future yet."

He turned to his daughter, "New things…such as everything you told me. Never in a million years would I have guessed any of that, and I haven't had any dreams or flashbacks of that time either.

"But I can sure say this. I definitely want to get to know you both better - and Carrie, Eric, and Sami, too. And I can't wait to meet those twins of yours, Emma."

"They'll be thrilled to have another grandpa." she said excitedly.

Marlena felt a touch of sadness. Roman had doted on Johnny and Teddy. Trying to explain to them why 'Poppi" didn't come play with them anymore had intensified her own loss of him.

Speaking to John, Marlena said, "You are now the proud 'owner' of the major family 'surprises,' John. I'm sorry they got doled out piecemeal, but I couldn't think of any other way. There's just so much. Plus, of course, your relating your own incredible story. You'll end up retelling that quite a few more times, I'm sure."

"I'm sure too," John echoed. "This is tentative, but I will probably go back to California when your mother does. I have to finish up with getting my brace fully adjusted and making sure I'm using it properly. Then I can hang up my cane for good, I hope."

"You've been doing really well, John. Sometimes you don't use the cane at all. I think you just forget about it."

"Thanks." He smiled. "As to longer future plans, everything's up in the air." Looking at Marlena again he added, "If you want to see it, I can show you that place I own in the Santa Rosa hills."

"I'd love to," Marlena assured him.

"You have a house there?" Emma asked.

"Yeah. It's a small cottage-style house with two bedrooms and bathrooms. Has a wrap-around outdoor porch and a small side enclosed porch too. I furnished it, and someone I trust has been living there to keep an eye on it.

Brady's financial side surfaced as he said, "Real estate in California is through the roof. You're probably sitting on a tidy sum there, especially if you've paid off the mortgage."

John winked at Brady, "I bought it with an inheritance, so, yeah, no mortgage." He sobered. "I count my blessings. The 2017 Tubbs fire sheared within 100 yards of the back of my property. But I was in the hospital in D.C. and helpless to do anything. The fellow living there was forced to evacuate, but when he was allowed back, the house still stood."

Emma asked, "Do you have pictures of your mom and dad? When we were together, you didn't remember them. I'd like to know more about them and see what they looked like."

"I've got a couple old photo albums my mother assembled. It contains pictures of us, but also of most of my grandparents and even a few great-grandparents. They're stored at the Santa Rosa house - another reason to be thankful the house didn't burn."

They talked comfortably for another ten minutes, but Marlena saw the exhaustion in John's face. She'd stolen a nap in the morning, but John had had no rest, and the two reunions with his children had taken a tremendous surge of energy. So, she spoke up, "I'm sorry to break this up, but what with the red-eye flight and the drive from Chicago here, I think both John and I need a good night's sleep now."

John beamed at his offspring. "It's been a wonderful day, but, yeah, a long one. I can't even begin to tell you two how bursting with joy I am today."

They all got up, and John hugged Emma mightily and kissed her cheek and then her other one. "My daughter," he said huskily.

"Daddy," she said, kissing his cheek too.

Then he turned to Brady and hugged him too. "My son." Everyone's eyes were getting misted again.

Brady swallowed and said, "Welcome back, Dad. This will always be one of the greatest days of my life because you came back."

Once the younger generation had departed, John settled a long look on Marlena. "It's you who deserves all the accolades for making this day happen." He pulled her gently into his arms and held her for a long time. Then his hands framed her face and he raised it so he could kiss her lips.

Even though this was their second kiss, Marlena felt desire more this time, and she wanted to really taste him. She opened and so did he, and they explored. Being so close to him, she felt the desire in him as well. But she also knew he was bone-weary, and she shouldn't allow this to go any further tonight. She broke the kiss and stepped back out of his arms.

"That was wonderful, but I'm going to take a page from your book of caution now. We've both had a very full and exciting day. I think we need sleep the most right now."

John's azure eyes seemed to bore directly into her soul. He bowed his head slightly. "As usual, you're right, Doc."