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Get immersed in stories and characters you’ve never seen before and let them become family, like the players we see every day on Days of our Lives, General Hospital, The Young and the Restless, and The Bold and the Beautiful.
Continue from Episode 7
Laurie sat up, covering a yawn with her hand the way Mama taught her. Mama was very strict about good manners. She said she didn’t want Laurie acting like trash. Like Seth’s mom. Like Seth. “Where are we going?”
Her mother smiled. It was the most genuinely happy Laurie had ever seen her. “I’ve got a surprise.”
She dragged Laurie into the living room. A man sat on the couch, looking like he wasn’t really sure where he was, or why, but gamely smiling all the same. He had very white teeth in a darkly tanned face and hair that looked like he’d frozen it with glue. It didn’t move even when he turned around.
“Well, hello.” His earlier, vaguely confused smile grew broader, pleased to finally have a target to direct it at. “Aren’t you pretty?”
Laurie knew she should thank him. Mama said it was important to always thank a man when he gave you a compliment. That made them like you more. It was very important to have men like you.
But, all she could think was, “Where’s Seth?”
“Who?” The man looked around, more puzzled than ever.
“Neighbor boy,” Polly dismissed. She told Laurie, “I sent him home. Now,” Polly put her hands on Laurie’s shoulders and forcefully pivoted her daughter to address the man instead of continuing to swivel her head. “Say hello to your new daddy.” Then, in the same sweet tone of voice, she added, “Junior, this is my daughter, Lauren.”
Lauren? If that was her name, it was certainly the first time Laurie had heard it. She tried to look quizzically behind her at her mother, but Polly’s steel grip forced her to keep facing forward.
“So you’re Pauline’s little girl,” Junior – was that what Mama had called him? – squatted so he’d be at Laurie’s eye level.
And Mama was Pauline? That, at least, Laurie was vaguely aware of. But she didn’t know anybody who called her anything but Polly.
With all this name strangeness going on, Laurie couldn’t think of anything else to say beyond, “What kind of a name is Junior?”
“Laurie!” Her mother exploded, then quickly collected herself to apologize, “I don’t know what got into her. Laurie – Lauren is usually very polite, like I promised.”
“That’s all right.” Junior seemed just as desperate as her mother to keep everything upbeat. “It’s a nickname. My real name is Jeremiah Jasper Briggs Jr. But my daddy goes by Jeremiah, so that makes me Junior. You understand?”
“Seth’s real name is Joseph, but everybody calls him Seth.”
“Well, there you go. You were right, Pauline, she’s a real smart one.”
Polly smiled as if she’d dodged a bullet, but wasn’t convinced it wouldn’t change course and bite her on the ass.
She turned Laurie around. “Junior and I got married last night. He’s your new daddy, and that man he just mentioned, Mr. Jeremiah Briggs Sr., he’s your new granddaddy. We’re on our way to go visit him. Tell him the good news.”
“Daddy’s place is about an hour east,” Junior told Laurie. “Great, big spread surrounded by woods. We’ve even got our own lake. Not as big as Lake Tahoe, mind, but we get by. You can swim in the summer, and we’re close enough to the mountains to ski in the winter. Oh, and we’ve got horses! You like riding, Lauren?”
“I don’t know.”
“You’ll learn! Plenty of time!” Junior and Polly exchanged looks suggesting neither was certain they were telling the truth. Which made it all the more imperative they convince the other they genuinely believed it.
“What are you waiting for?” Polly pushed Laurie towards the bedroom. “Pack! We’re leaving in a couple of minutes!”
Continue to Episode 9
About the Author
Alina Adams wrote the “As the World Turns” tie-ins, “Oakdale Confidential” and “The Man From Oakdale,” and co-wrote “Guiding Light’s” “Jonathan’s Story.” She was the Creative Content Producer for “Another World Today,” and worked on the 2013 relaunches of “All My Children” and “One Life To Live.” Her books include romance novels, figure skating murder mysteries, and the historical family saga, “The Nesting Dolls,” from HarperCollins. Read more at: AlinaAdams.com
