DISCLAIMER: The characters belong to ABC and All My Children. I am burrowing them for fun purposes only and am making no profit. Special thanks to Eden and Liz who bring these characters to magical life. We miss you and are wishing you the best in this next stage of your lives.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
Falling Down Means Getting
Back Up Again
By Berg
We all fall down.
It happens to the best of us. The kings and the Queens. The presidents. The movie stars. The Singers. The Teachers. The Hero's. All of us. not one of us hasn't fallen down only to get back up. We get back up and dust ourselves off to becomes a better person. We learn from that which has hurt us and we move on. We make our mistakes, grow from them, and say, 'next time I'm going to do it different.' That's what life is all about.
Life is growth. Choose wisely.
For Maggie Stone…life had thrown not just fast balls…but curve balls, knuckle balls, spit balls, sliders…pretty much any other kind of pitch you can imagine. She learned from each swing. She'd stepped up to the plate and hit a few left fielders. But this was different. Tonight wasn't about just hitting the ball and making base. Tonight was about stepping up to that plate and making one of those plays. The kind that will change your life forever. Tonight was her night. Tonight she wasn't going to just sit idly by on the sidelines and watch everyone else get in this 'game of life'. Tonight she was taking what was hers.
This was the third time the woman Bianca had worked with asked her to join her for drinks after work. How did Bianca describe it? "Just friends…"
Right.
Bianca may have been buying that line but Maggie knew better. Maggie had seen the way she looked at Bianca. Seen the extra linger here…and there. Seen the casual touches that could be passed off as friendship. Maggie knew what desire was. She knew what it meant to want.
Bianca looked down at the note on her desk from her secretary. "Bridge Street Café. 9 p.m."
"Must have changed the day we were meeting," Bianca mumbled wondering why tomorrow wasn't good for her drink date with her co-worker. She dialed Maggie's cell. "Hey it's me."
"Hey," Maggie smiled.
"Listen…slight change in plans."
"OK. What's up?"
"Well…Larissa changed our girls night to tonight. Would you mind keeping an eye on Miranda?"
"Of course not," Maggie answered.
"You sure?"
"Positive. You girls have fun," Maggie laughed.
"I don't think I should be home late."
"Okay Binks. See you tonight."
"Maggie?"
"Yeah?"
"You know how much I love you right?"
"Of course."
"Just checking," Bianca smiled. "Give my girl a kiss for me."
"Done and done."
"Bye Maggie."
"Bye Bianca."
Bianca wrapped her shawl around her shoulders as she approached the café. "Hello?" she called out opening the door.
The place looked closed. No one was in it. "Hello?" she called out again. Did she have the right address?
"In the back…" called out a voice. "Come on in…"
Walking down the way and into the back there were a few things that struck her immediately. Candles. Candles everywhere. A man and a piano. And…Maggie.
"What's going…on?" Bianca asked smiling.
"Welcome to the Bridge Café," Maggie smiled. "Quite the view huh?"
The moon was cascading off the rivers water would was easily seen from the cafés back lit area. One small table set.
"Did you set this up?" Bianca laughed covering her face with her hands.
"I did. Are you upset I deceived you?"
"Not at all," Bianca smiled and took the seat Maggie offered her. "But I am curious."
"About?"
"This."
"Oh," Maggie nodded and smiled. "So a friend can't do something nice for another friend."
"So…that's what this is?"
"Would you want it to be more?" Maggie asked curious with a smile.
Bianca just watched her…her smile fading. "Maggie what are you asking me?"
"I think that's clear," Maggie reached across the table and took Bianca's hand in her own. "You know…when we left the states and came here so much was unsettled. So much was unclear. We knew the basics. Or at least I did," Maggie smiled.
"It was a weird time," Bianca smiled and nodded.
"At the time I knew just one thing…I didn't want to be someplace if you weren't there."
"I feel the same way."
"And now…now it's changed. I've changed. I know so much more about who I am. What I want."
"Well that's good," Bianca said feeling excitement and worry wash over her. This conversation could go one of either two ways. "What do you want Maggie?"
"It's actually quite simple."
"Ok."
"You."
"Me?"
"Yes. You," Maggie smiled and nodded. "That is…if I haven't waited too long and blown my chance at a life full of happiness and memories that anyone would risk it all for."
"You haven't waited too long. I'm still right here. And I've been waiting to hear you say those words. And if I had too…I'd wait another four months…another four years even. I'd wait forever for you Maggie."
"Well as luck would have it," Maggie smiled and leaned forward capturing Bianca's lips in a searing kiss. "You don't have to wait forever…"
"I can't believe this is happening," Bianca said behind closed eyes.
"It is," Maggie smiled.
"If this is a dream…I don't want to wake up."
"It's not a dream Bianca," Maggie stood up and pulled Bianca to her. "It's only times like this…I realize how much taller you are then me."
That made Bianca laughed. "I love you so much Maggie."
"I love you too Bianca."
"So…what are we going to do now?" Bianca asked.
"Anything you want."
"I think…I'd like to go home to Miranda."
"Then…home to our little girl it is."
Bianca leaned forward and kissed Maggie again.
Homerun.
The End