Téa had a working lunch with Hank at the diner. Hank had just left after
giving Téa some casework. Téa scribbled on her notepad, put her cheek in
her hand and began staring the window.
“O.k.,” thought Téa, “What do I do if I find Todd and he’s really suffering
from DID? Should I just go away and let Todd and his therapist workout Todd’s issues? Does he want to see me at all? Nothing in his clues implies he
want to see me - just that he wants me know he thinks of me, of us, the DID
is real…I’m getting scared now…”
“Hey - how are you?” asked Carlotta slipping into the booth. Only a few
customers remained from the lunch rush.
“Huh? Oh, Carlotta. I’m o.k.,” said Téa looking up and over at her
friend.
“Téa, lately you’ve been a bit unfocused…have you been ‘moved’ by Todd’s
gifts?” asked Carlotta softly.
“Yes, I have Carlotta. Do you know that on Llantano mountain Todd had a
house commissioned to be built? For us? I’ve seen it, you know. It’s not
finished, but it is gorgeous,” said Téa thinking about the house.
“Is that what the key is for?” asked Carlotta.
“I don’t know. I haven’t found the door the key goes to yet,” replied Téa.
“And the other gifts?” asked Carlotta.
“I think Todd wants me to find him,” said Téa softly.
Carlotta tried to hold back a frown, “And you want to find him?”
“I can’t get him out of my mind,” said Téa softly.
“Or heart,” finished Carlotta.
“Have any new gifts come from Todd?” asked Téa.
“No,” said Carlotta smiling, “And rest assured, I’ll do everything I can to
stop Roseanne from ‘tampering’ with them. I don’t necessarily approve of
this Téa, but I do want to see you happy…”
“Carlotta, I understand but I really don’t want to hear…” started Téa.
“Téa, I hated seeing how he hurt you on your wedding day…” whispered
Carlotta.
Téa made a face. She hated thinking of the bad memories that day held.
“You want him - desperately, don’t you?” asked Carlotta.
Téa nodded her head.
Cris walked over to them, “Momma - we got that shipment you were
expecting.”
“Thanks Cris,” said Carlotta getting up. She smiled at Téa and walked off.
Blair Cramer walked in the diner with Max Holden on her arm and sneered at
Téa. Téa rolled her eyes at Blair. Blair and Max took a seat on the
opposite side of the diner.
Téa picked up her purse and opened it up. She took the key into her hand
and stared at it.
“Are you the key to where Todd is staying at now?” whispered Téa.
“Téa?” came a voice.
Téa put the key back in her purse and looked up, “Viki?”
“Can I join you?” asked Viki.
“Sure. What’s up?” asked Téa.
Viki handed Téa a list with five names on it, “This is a list of private
therapists in the Providence area. I was thinking maybe we could check it
out - together.”
“That’s great Viki,” said Téa, “I’d like that.”
“All right then. What do you say we go up on this upcoming weekend?” asked
Viki.
“Great. I need to get some work done before I go anyway,” replied Téa
having a sudden pang of guilt for ignoring her work.
Viki left the list with Téa. Téa’s pager went off. She shut it off and
looked at the number.
“It’s Hank. I need to call him,” said Téa getting up. Viki got up too.
“Don’t you have a cell phone?” asked Viki.
“I accidentally dropped it this morning and the antenna broke so I turned
it into the shop to get fixed,” explained Téa.
“I’ll talk to you later than,” said Viki.
Téa nodded her head, grabbed her pager, and went to use Carlotta’s phone.
Téa kept her back to her booth.
“Hank, it’s Téa, what’s up?”
Pause.
“What? You can’t make it?”
Pause.
“All right, I’ll head down to the station and I’ll brief you as soon as I’m
up to speed,” said Téa.
Pause.
Téa hung up the phone, turned around, and saw Blair going through her
purse. She immediately became incensed and ran over to her table, snatching
her purse out of Blair’s hands.
“And just what do you think you’re doing Blair - going through my purse?”
demanded Téa, her eyes blazing.
Blair held up Téa’s key. The key Todd gave her, “So, Téa, what’s the key
for?”
“Give me the key now,” demanded Téa.
“Oh, no,” said Blair, “I’m not giving up this key - it means too much to
you.”
Téa tried to swipe the key from Blair and missed, “Give me the key Blair.”
Blair grinned, “Struck a nerve, have I? Sorry, Téa - I’m not giving you
the key back.”
Téa lunged at Blair.
Todd’s Room…
Todd stared out the window in his room, his cheek in his hand, and he was
daydreaming.
“I want the whole package…”
He pictured the house on Llantano mountain. He was playing in the front
lawn with Starr. He was setting up a tent so they could play ‘wild outdoors’. Téa was helping put up the tent…and he remembered what fun they had when
they were in the tent at the Penthouse. And after they put Starr to bed.
“…I put aside all my doubts, my fears…”
Who kissed her then? Rodd? Rodd had it bad for Téa. Rodd wasn’t afraid
to think of Téa as a woman - and he wasn’t either. He was just afraid to
tell her he thought of her as a woman.
Dr. Jacobs said Todd was getting better. He hoped so, because one day he
didn’t want to imagine putting up a tent with his family. He wanted to do
it.
To be continued....