Hope Falls Season 2 - Eagle Valley (3 page)

FLASH!

A small group watches Sophie's coffin slowly find it's way below ground. The day is windy and cold and the skies are grey behind them. One woman, with dark curly hair, has her face hidden behind a veil.

There were only a few people to see her pass on. Aside from the priest, who left them as soon as the body reached the bottom of the grave, only Derrick, Susan and Cleo were in attendance.

Susan took Derrick's hand. "I keep waiting for her to come back, I keep waiting for Sophie to come down in the mornings. How is it we lost both of them?"

FLASH! "Sophie, you've got to believe us." Cleo said.

“No, no I don't. I don't know what you're talking about!"

“Sophie, it's true. How did you get that scar on your neck?"

Sophie's eyes widened. Slowly, she raised her hand and touched the soft, puckered white line at the middle of her neck. "I can feel it…" she said. "How did I get this? Derrick? What happened to me?"

She held her hand out towards him. Derrick watched as her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she fell to the floor, right next to Susan. They lay, motionless,

Derrick sighed. "I grab one, you grab the other?"

* * *

Susan awoke in the living room. She was lying on the couch, it's red velvet surface pressing into her softly. She looked around the room.

At the same time, Sophie, who was reclining in a sling back chair, awoke and stared around the room.

The two women saw themselves in unison and started screaming at the top of their lungs. This brought Derrick and Cleo running, one to each woman. Derrick held Cleo closely and ran his hands over her hair and Cleo took Sophie in her arms and whispered to her sweetly.

Both women were still looking at each other. Slowly, they both got up and moved away from Derrick and Cleo. They stared at each other. Susan put out her hand and Sophie did the same. When they touched each other's hands, the each grabbed a hold of the other.

Susan pulled Sophie into a hug. "God I've missed you."

“I've missed you too." Sophie said.

“How can you be here? You're real, but how can you be here?"

“I don't know." Sophie said. "I just remember being alive for the past three years. I've been in Dragon's Cove."

A chill ran down Cleo's spine. "Dragon's Cove? What is that place, sweetheart?"

“I…are you sure I died?"

“Yes." Susan said. A tear ran down her cheek. "So very sure."

“Oh, God, Susan, what's happening here?"

“What's the matter, Sophie?"

“I don't remember dying. I've been alive and well for the past three years."

“Maybe you imagined it…" Cleo said softly.

“No, you don't understand. I've been alive, really alive! I don't remember dying! It took me so long to track you down. I don't remember dying…"

“What do you remember Sophie?" Derrick asked softly.

Chapter Five

“The last thing I remember," Sophie said, "was hearing a conversation between the both of you…" She said, motioning to Cleo and Susan.

 
FLASH!

"I think we should leave these two alone." Miriam said, sliding over to Derrick. She took his hand. It felt good to have it there. She loved feeling his hand there, the touch of it. She wanted to feel more of him.

“Yeah, guess we should." He said. He squeezed her hand. She wished he would squeeze her butt.

They headed to the stairs. The last thing they saw was Susan and Cleo talking intently to each other.

Sophie stayed listening for a while. "Where have you been? How do you know about what is going on?"

“Oh, darling girl, I've done some terrible things. I've done some horrible things. I couldn't live with myself, I just couldn't. We were so poor and you see, you were wanting a job on the television for so long. I cant' tell you what it was like, we never told you..."

“Mom, what are you saying?" Susan studied her mother intently.

Sophie took this moment to leave the room. The conversation was getting a little too intense. She wanted to give the mother and daughter space to talk amongst themselves. It had been two years since they had had privacy.

Walking down the hallway towards the back of the house, she took a cigarette from out of her purse and headed out the back door of the small farmhouse. She knew she shouldn't smoke, but to hell with it.

Stopping for a moment, she turned and went back inside, pouring herself a glass of wine. If she was going to relax, she was going to do it right. The whole day had been weird. She was starting to feel as if she were right into the middle of a soap opera. Sophie knew from reading Oprah that drama was not good for a healthy life style.

She wished that it would all stop soon.

She walked out into the tall sunflowers that grew on the edge of the yard. They reached towards the sky and it's early dawn grayness. She inhaled and exhaled, enjoying the play of the smoke in front of her. She took a sip of her wine and smiled… FLASH! "I remember," Sophie looked at Cleo, "I remember you." She looked at Derrick and Susan. "I remember all of you."

“What happened after that, Sophie?" Susan whispered. She wasn't sure if she could bare the news.

“Oh, well, after that…" Sophie mused. "Well, I woke up."

“Where?"

“In Dragon's Cove." Sophie smiled when she said the name.

Cleo felt a chill. "Dragon's Cove? Darling girl, where is that?"

Sophie thought for a moment; she squinted her eyes, trying hard to think of where the town was, but could think of nothing. "I'm not sure." She said, exasperated. She shook her head, trying again, tears of frustration falling down her face. "I'm sorry, I can't think of where it was…" She stopped and smiled again. "I just remember that it was heavenly…"

“How, Soph?" Derrick asked. "Heavenly how?"

A bright expression filled Sophie's face. "Oh, I don't know…" she said vaguely. "It was just like I picture heaven would be."

“What do you mean, Sophie?" Susan asked.

“Well, you know, all white side walks, soft green grass. It was like…it was beautiful." A lone tear fell down her cheek. "But I am here now." She wiped at the tear and smiled weakly. "I'm tired. Can I go lie down? I think I need a nap."

* * *

Later on that evening, Derrick nestled closely to Susan. He wrapped his arm around her. For whatever reason, his arm still felt odd there, as if it didn't belong. Each time they undressed and got under the covers with each other, it was as if they were doing it for the first time. There was a nervousness there, a pent up heat that would soon explode. He hoped.

“I've been thinking." He said.

“About what?" Susan's reply was drowsy. She was half-asleep.

“About how short life is. About how it can change things in one split second. You know, what with Sophie coming back and all."

“PLEASE…can we not talk about that right now? I'm tired too, you know. Best friend, back from the dead, Mother, back from the dead…what's next, my Aunt Hilda? Please, I can't handle any more today, It's just been too much."

“Nothing? You won't handle anything more?"

“No." Susan said, defiantly. "Not a thing."

“I guess I can't ask you to marry me tonight than?" Derrick said, turning over. "Oh, okay than." He patted her butt. "Night."

Susan whipped around and glared at him, her eyes like two lights in the dark. "What did you say?".....

Chapter Six

"What did you say?" Derrick felt Susan's eyes on him in the dark..

“You heard me." Derrick said. Susan could tell he was smiling.

“You know, when you propose to a woman, it's customary to put a little bit of romance in it."

“Oh, really?" Derrick said with a grin. He clapped his hands twice and the bedroom became filled with light.

Derrick had pulled of a little feat of electrical magic. When he clapped his hands, small lamps giving off soft light clicked on, filling the room with soft muted light. The light was followed by the stereo, which clicked on and had started playing Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue". This was followed by the television, which clicked on to show flames dancing on its screen.

“Nice fireplace." Susan said.

“It's a DVD." Derrick said with a grin.

“What is all this?" Susan said with a small smile.

“Well," Derrick said, "I've been thinking." He went to the bathroom and lifted up the toilet top. He pulled out a bottle of champagne and then went to the cupboard underneath the sink and pulled out two crystal flutes. "What with Sophie returning from the dead and your mother returning…. From the dead." He popped the cork and shot a fizz of golden liquid all over the bedroom floor. He poured one glass to the brim and handed it to her. "It's occurred to me how important family is. How important we are to each other."

He poured himself a glass of bubbly and sat down beside her on the bed. Susan heard the flames of the fireplace crackle on the television. "A tragedy brought us together, but Susan, you've become my world and you are so very important to me."

Derrick clinked their glasses and they each took a sip of champagne. It tasted good to Susan. He had paid a pretty penny for this bottle of bubbles. She let the liquid tickle her tongue. "I know." She said. "I feel like I've known you my whole life."

“That's why I would be honored…" And here, he slipped his hand underneath his pillow and pulled out a small black velvet box. "…If you would be my wife." He finished.

Susan reached out to take the black velvet box with a shaking hand and took the box. Softly, she clicked the lid back. Staring down into it, a small gasp escaped her lips. Nestled in black satin was a striking silver ring. It gleamed in the soft light of the bedroom. The band was a thick silver but not delicate. Nestled in its centre was a soft, pink diamond. Carefully, as if it would disappear any second, Susan lifted it from the box. It was light and so incredibly beautiful. She felt a tear slide down her cheek.

“Yes." She said. "Yes, Derrick, yes."

Derrick reached out and slid the ring on her ring finger. "I'm so lucky to have you." He said.

“Thank you for all this." Susan said. "I know you must have gone to a lot of trouble."

“Well, I know a thing or two about women. You soap opera divas are the worst. You're like Uber-women."

“Uber-Women?"

“Yeah. Like Super Women, right?"

“Nice save. What do you mean?"

“Just that I know you gals like things a little bit romantic." He winked at her and reached under the bed. He came back up with a box of truffles.

“Oh my god." Susan whispered.

“You like."

“I'm marrying you because I love you. Now I'm gonna make love to you because I want you. Badly. A marriage proposal with chocolate? You thought of everything." She kissed him with heat.

“I love it when you talk dirty." Derrick said with a grin.

* * *

In her bedroom, Sophie was asleep. She twisted back and forth on her mattress, her body unable to find a restful position. Her lips are drawn back, frowning. She cries out. "No! Please…"