#83 Wednesday, November 26th

It's the night before Thanksgiving and Anna is baking pies. Yvette comes in.

Yvette: Evening.

Anna: Hello, Yvette.

Yvette: I came over to see if there was anything I could help with for the dinner.

Anna: Thanks, but I can handle everything, I do this every year. Besides, I need to stay occupied, I've got a lot on my mind.

Yvette: You've seemed really stressed the past few weeks.

Anna: I've just been scrambling to finalize the plans for the spring collection and that's always very stressful.

Yvette: But I've never seen you this stressed before in all the years you've handled the seasonal collections. I understand this whole situation with Cassandra and finding out that Dad was married to her has been a burden, maybe you need some time off from work to heal.

Anna: Work keeps me going, if I'm not working, then I get even more depressed.

Yvette: I'm used to seeing you so upbeat around the holiday time, it's odd seeing you so down.

Anna: Well, things don't stay the same all the time.

Yvette: And to think, I started this whole mess because I thought Cassandra could help me finance a shopping

mall. I really am sorry, I should have used better judgment.

Anna: We're past that now, I'm not angry at you. I'm angry at your Father's lies. And besides, I'm sort of glad I found out, secrets like that should never stay hidden.

Yvette: It's more disbelief for me. I just wish there was chance to ask him why he did what he did. I guess we'll be wondering forever.

Anna has flashback of when Andrew showing up at the door.

Yvette: Mom, are you all right?

Anna: What? Oh, yes, I'm fine.

Yvette: You seemed to be in another world for a second there.

Anna: Just lost in thoughts again.

Yvette: You're going to get through this, Mom. It won't be easy, but you're strong and I know you can do it.

Anna: That's easier said than done.

Anna sits down and looks pensively out the window.

____________________________________________________________________________________

At a bar outside town, Andrew is having a beer when Aaron walks in.

Aaron: I don't get this at all, I thought you had left town weeks ago and then you call me and tell me to

meet you here.

Andrew: Obviously, I changed my plans.

Aaron: So is it truth telling time?

Andrew: Already done.

Aaron: And?

Andrew: Anna wants nothing to do with me.

Aaron: But at least the truth is out and perhaps she'll forgive you in time.

Andrew: I don't know if she should. First off, I lied about my first marriage and that turned her life upside down and then I come back alive, years after letting her grieve.

Aaron: I told you a long time ago that you should have contacted Anna, you were able to get in touch with me

after the Philippine Military rescued you from the ocean, you could have reached your wife too.

Andrew: You know I didn't want to go back in the condition I was in.

Aaron: And in the end, that pride cost you a lot.

Andrew: It hasn't cost me anything, I'm going to fight for my marriage and my family.

Aaron: You've got a lot to sort out, including fixing things with the son you haven't seen since he was an infant.

Andrew: I've fought my way through tougher situations.

Aaron: Man, I would not want to be in your shoes right now.

Andrew: My family is the most important thing to me, so I'm willing to endure whatever I have too in order get things back on track.

Aaron: I'm glad you finally decided to face the music.

Andrew: I never thought my little brother would be the one to talk sense into me.

Aaron: I suppose stranger things have happened before. So how do you plan on fixing this? It's not going to

be easy.

Andrew: I've come up with a plan, I don't know if it will work, but it's worth a try.

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

At a rehab facility, Jim is playing solitare, when the rehab director approaches him.

Director: Jim, you have a telephone call?

Jim: Who is it?

Director: Your wife. You can take it in the office.

Jim: Thanks.

Jim goes to the office and takes the call.

Jim: Hello?

Lynette: Jim, you sound a lot better than you did when we last talked.

Jim: I'm making a bit of progress.

Lynette: I'm thrilled to hear that. The kids ask about you all the time, they miss you.

Jim: I miss them too.

Lynette: I was calling because your lawyer dropped off the final divorce papers and said that you requested that things still be expedited.

Jim: Yes, I did request that.

Lynette: I just wanted to call you and make sure that this wasn't going to effect your progress, a divorce is painful on it's own, but during rehab? Are you sure you don't want to wait to do this after you've finished the program?

Jim: I appreciate your concern, but having this over quickly is what is best.

Lynette: I do agree with that, but I don't want anything to jeopardize your progress.

Jim: If anything, it's helping me further ahead. If I'm going to get better, I have to let go of all the anger and regrets I have inside me. My counselor and I have talked here and she agrees that in my case, this

is what I have to do.

Lynette: You seem to know what you are doing.

Jim: I'm getting a lot of my good judgment back, something that I lost a long time ago.

Lynette: I know I keep apologizing, but-

Jim: Don't, we both made mistakes and casting blame now is pointless. We had a good thing for awhile, but now it's over and I've got to accept that.

Lynette: I still feel bad though.

Jim: Another reason why I'm doing this is because I care about you enough to let go. I know how that shrink feels about you and you seem pretty hung up on him, I can't stand in the way of that.

Lynette: You're being far more decent to me than you should be. I know how hard this is.

Jim: It certainly is hard, but like I said, it's the right thing.

Lynette: I'm pulling for you.

Jim: Thank you, that means a lot. I better get off the phone now, don't want to tie up the office for too long.

Lynette: Take care.

They hang up.

_________________________________

___________________________________

At Lightner in Detroit, a woman walks into George's office looking for him, but finds Cassandra.

Cassandra: Can I help you?

Woman: I'm looking for George Lightner.

Cassandra: He's not in right now, but perhaps I can help you. I'm Cassandra Lightner, Co-CEO.

Woman: Pleased to meet you. Anyway, I've been trying to get ahold of George for days, so could you please

tell him to get in touch with me, my name is Teri, I'll write down my number.

Teri writes down the number on a piece of paper.

Cassandra: If this is about a business matter, I might be able to resolve it.

Teri: It's not business.

Cassandra: Okay, well I will tell him you were here.

Teri: Thank you, I appreciate that. It's very important.

Teri leaves. Cassandra wonders what could be going on with George.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Later on, at the Phelps House, John and his sons Den and Harry are at in his office discussing the family business.

John: Now that I've both of you here for Thanksgiving, we should talk about Phelps Motors.

Den: Are you coming back from your leave of absence?

John: Actually, I'm not coming back.

Harry: What? Why?

John: Although I enjoy selling cars, my first love is corporate law and working on the situation on M.I. made me realize just how much I missed it. The SEC liked my work and they offered me a job.

Den: Is it in DC?

John: No, it's in Detroit, so I won't have to move.

Harry: Congratulations.

Den: Yeah, I can see why the SEC would want you on their team.

John: Thank you. But all that aside, we need to figure out what the structure will be at Phelps Motors from

now on. Now, Den, you've been running things since my leave of absence, so I'd like you to be in charge and I'd like your brother to assist you.

Den: Sounds fine to me.

John: Harry, what do you think?

Harry: No complaints here.

John: And I do want to keep a position open for your sister. I know she's in Europe modeling, but sometimes those jobs can dry up and I want her to have something to fall back on.

Den: Teri's such a rebel, I doubt she'd take that even if all her gigs dried up.

John: Nevertheless, I'm leaving a door open for her.

Harry: Didn't she say she was coming for Thanksgiving?

John: She said she'd try to make it and you know with her, you can never tell what she's going to do.

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Back at the McGregor Mansion, Alma is arriving she and Alma's Aunt, Martha.

Alma: Anna, look who I found at the airport.

Anna comes downstairs.

Anna: What's going on?

Anna pauses when she sees Martha.

Anna: Aunt Martha?

Martha: It's me.

Anna: Why didn't you tell anyone you were coming?

Martha: No point, I just get up and go. And besides, it was an excuse for me to visit so we could talk about that whole mess about your husband.

Anna: We talked about that on the phone weeks ago

Martha: It's not the same as talking in person, this kind of thing requires a face to face talk.

Anna: I'm so talked out about it.

Martha: We still need to talk, there's something else I've got to say to you. Alma, could you give us a minute.

Alma: Sure, I'll just go make some tea for us while you talk.

Alma goes to the kitchen.

Anna: I don't know what else that could possibly be said about the situation.

Martha: You could try forgiving your husband and letting go of all the angry.

Anna: I'm not angry, I'm hurt.

Martha: Sure, he made a mistake, but you've got a good husband and you can't let him slip away.

Anna: What are you talking about slip away? Andrew died a long time ago.

Martha: Don't try to pull that on me, I know he's not dead.

Anna: What?

Martha: Unless I was dreaming, Andrew called me and begged me to help him get your forgiveness.

Anna: Oh, I cannot believe he would involve you.

Martha: He did it because I'm the only person who can talk sense into you sometimes.

Anna: I've got plenty of sense. You might be like a mother to me and everything, but that doesn't mean you can pass judgment on my decisions.

Martha: Look, I'm not saying you have to just forget about what he did, but you had a good life with him and had children, I just don't want you to throw away your second chance without at least thinking about it.

Anna: The man didn't even have the decency to tell me he was alive right away, he waited years. Plus, there's the other thing about our invalid marriage.

Martha: You remember back at the funeral how upset you were and you wished you had another chance to say a

lot of things you never got to say to Andrew? This is your chance.

Anna: Don't you think there's a part of me that just wants to take him back and live the life we had? It can't happen though, there are too many issues.

Martha: At least give him a chance to try and make up for it.

Anna: Maybe I can in time, but not now.

Martha: If it's one thing I learned in my life, there are times that you can't waste time, you have to grab opportunity and work out the kinks later.

Anna: Where is Andrew?

Martha: He's still in town, I've got the number and address of where he's staying.

Anna: I'll probably regret it, but let me have the number.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________