The wedding of Olivia Prospect and Clyde Wright is fast approaching. Olivia sits in the living room of the Wright home filling out invitations with Panola and Haven.

 

Olivia: Thank you so much for helping me do this, ladies. I know hand signed invitations are a pain, but I want to make them personal to let my guests know how much I appreciate them.

 

Panola: It is no problem, Olivia. This is how I did it with my wedding, except I wrote each and every word myself.

 

Haven: Now when I got married my husband insisted on handling all the odds and ends. Little did I know he’d choose the cheapest printer and they ended up spelling our names wrong. Such a disaster much like the marriage.

 

Panola: Haven, we might not want to talk about a marriage being a disaster and this girl is about to get married.

 

Haven: Oh, I’m so sorry, please forgive me. You and Clyde are going to be very happy together. He’s a good man.

 

Olivia: I know. That is why I worked so hard to get to him before any of the other women in Conroy Valley did.

 

(Olivia’s phone rings)

 

Olivia: Please excuse me for a sec, this is the boutique about my dress.

 

(Olivia excuses herself to make a phone call)

 

Haven: I am so happy for them. Especially Clyde considering all he has been through.

 

Panola: Me too, but I am worried.

 

Haven: What has you worried, Panola?

 

Panola: He’s marrying his ex-wife’s sister and not just any ex-wife.

 

Haven: Clyde didn’t know she was Paula’s sister until awhile after they met. Besides, Paula’s still in prison.

 

Panola: But with that gang she used to run with you never know if you might try to have somebody on the outside come and mess with Clyde about this. I can’t stand thinking about it.

 

Haven: This is a happy time, so try not to let anything stress you.

 

Panola: I’m trying, but something just won’t let me rest. Feels like it’s in the air.

 

______________________________

 

 

On a country route, a smart looking electric car cruises down the highway. It passes a sign that says “Entering Conroy Valley”. Inside the car is a well dressed woman with a determined look on her face.

 

At the Hayes home, Garland is straightening up when he hears a knock at the door. He takes a sip of beer and looks through the peep hole of the door. He deeply sighs, closes his eyes for a beat and then slowly opens the door.

 

Garland: Paula.

 

Paula: Hello, Daddy.

 

Garland: What are you doing here?

 

Paula: You should know how to better welcome somebody than that with all the southern home training grandma used to push on us. Ooh, this place looks just like it did when I left.

 

Garland: You mean before you got locked up.

 

Paula: But I worked my butt off being good in there and got me an early release. Can you believe it?

 

Garland: Sort of. You sure ain’t no stranger to running a con.

 

Paula: Oh, you’re still so funny, Daddy. I know you’re glad to see me but that masculinity thing just won’t let you show it. Where’s Adam?

 

Garland: Who?

 

Paula: You’re going to play that again? By now I thought you would have accepted it.

 

Garland: Look, I can’t be dealing with talking about Adam and figuring out what you’re up to, so just cut to the chase about what you want.

 

Paula: I need a place to stay.

 

Garland: Can’t your mother put you up in the big old mansion in Charterwood with that bougie husband of hers?

 

Paula: She hooked me up with some clothes so I get to working and all that, but I wanted to come home to where my roots are. You can fix me some of the sausage and gravy you cook so good and I can tell you about my plans.

 

Garland: Don’t tell me about nothing illegal that you are trying to do, Paula. I’m too old for your mess.

 

Paula: Don’t worry, it’s all gonna be really legit. I’m going to be doing some clothes merchandising. Somebody in the pen showed me a thing or too.

 

(Paula picks up the newspaper and flips through it. She looks on the society page and sees the news about Clyde’s wedding)

 

Paula: Isn’t that just cute as can be? (She smirks and throws the newspaper down on the table)

 

At one of the Wright’s grocery stores, Clyde is taking inventory. Curtis walks in and shakes his head.

 

Curtis: Clyde, Clyde. Man, why do you do this? You’re up in the office with Mom and I. You don’t have to take inventory.

 

Clyde: I enjoy it. It’s a stress reliever and right now that is what I need.

 

Curtis: This wedding is getting to you. I knew it would. You aren’t ready to be married again.

 

Clyde: Oh, I want to be married. It’s just that it feels so right that it scares me.

 

Curtis: What are you talking about? That makes no sense.

 

Clyde: You probably don’t understand, but anytime something good happens for me I start psyching myself out and thinking it’s too good to be true.

 

Curtis: I’d probably feel some kind of way if I got shot by my last wife.

 

Clyde: Really, Curtis? Man, this is serious.

 

Curtis: My bad, sorry. You’re thinking too much and that’s why you’ve always got them headaches.

 

Clyde: That’s a sinus issue.

 

Curtis: Whatever, I know what it really is. You’re afraid of Paula.

 

Clyde: That’s ridiculous. She’s going to be in prison awhile longer and probably won’t be thinking about me when she gets out.

 

Curtis: Even the sanest woman would flip if he ex-husband was marrying her sister. Paula didn’t even like the church mothers hugging you to long. You remember she almost flipped out in church that one time.

 

Clyde: That is my past. Olivia is my future and that is where my head is at. I’m just worried about problems in general. Paula is the furthest thing from my mind.

 

 

______________________________

 

 

Meanwhile, Panola stops in at her office and finds Joseph there.

 

Panola: Joseph, I thought you’d be at home. Is something wrong?

 

Joseph: We got a big problem. Paula is out of prison.

 

Panola: What? Hold on now, she wasn’t supposed to get out for another few years.

 

Joseph: Yes, but apparently she was released for being a model prisoner.

 

Panola: Our grandchild died because of her and she just gets out early, how?

 

Joseph: That’s the way it works sometimes, babe.

 

Panola: Can he get a restraining order or something? Anything to protect him.

 

Joseph: He could do that, but it’s really best if he didn’t acknowledge her at all. She might not even come back to Conroy Valley. Baltimore was her real stomping ground, so maybe she’ll stay that.

 

Panola: I don’t know, she was still mighty angry at him. I can still see her face in court and feel all that hate.

 

Joseph: Look, I only told you just so we can be alert, not so you can start stressing yourself out.

 

(Joseph embraces Panola)

 

Panola: I’ll try to be calm, but I had been having bad feelings about her coming back.

 

 

Clyde walks up the steps to his apartment and he suddenly feels a presence behind him. He turns around and sees Paula.

 

Paula: Long time no see, Clyde. How are you?

 

(Paula smirks at Clyde as he looks very nervous)