The Director's Cut (26 page)

“Funny you should say that,” Jason chimed in. “I can't either.”

“I guess that's what it's like when you're with family. You lose all track of time.” Erin giggled, then gazed up at Brock, her eyes dancing with delight.

They went back to the children, now singing silly songs and acting like kids. Oh, but she was right! We were family—every cast member, every tech person . . . all of us. One big, happy family.

Thinking of family got me thinking about Benita. I noticed her standing off in the distance, gabbing with Bob. I walked toward her, seeing something in her eyes that I never had before. Peace. Tranquility. And as she gazed at Bob, I also saw something else. Innocent love. The kind that most people experienced when they were young.

Her face lit with joy as she took several steps in my direction. “Tia, can you believe it?”

“Believe what?”

“I'm dating Bob.”

“Bob . . . and only Bob?” I really couldn't think of a better way to phrase the question.

“Mm-hmm.” She nodded. “He actually wants me to be his steady girlfriend. Isn't that awesome?”

Now here was a strange turn of events. What could I say to her? “Why wouldn't he? You're an amazing woman.”

She wrinkled her nose. “But he usually dates the smart girls. The ones who've been to college and have a degree.”

“You have a degree.”

“Oh yeah.” She giggled. “I guess I do. But cosmetology's not exactly brain surgery.”

“Doesn't matter. You're still brilliant at what you do. But even if you weren't, he would still care for you.”

“You think?”

“I
know
. I see the way he looks at you.”

She sighed. “I'm a lucky girl.”

“Luck doesn't have anything to do with it. I'm convinced that God brought you here—at least in part—so you could meet Bob.”

“Funny.” She giggled again. “That's exactly what I was going to say about you and Jason.”

I couldn't argue with that. The Lord had indeed brought the two of us together. And there was no turning back.

“So, just out of curiosity, what do you suppose ever happened to Julio?” I asked.

“Oh, him.” Benita shrugged. “If I had to guess, I'd say he's gazing at his own reflection and talking about how beautiful he is.” She released a breath. “He
is
beautiful, there's no denying it. On the outside, anyway. But there's only so much a person can take of hearing someone go on and on about how gorgeous they think they are.” She rolled her eyes.

“My guess is he's talking to some poor, unsuspecting soul about her car insurance as we speak. She's won over by his good looks, so she's spending a lot more on her coverage than she would ordinarily.”

“Blinded by his shocking good looks.” Benita sighed. “I was that woman once. But no more. Now I've given my heart to a man who's beautiful all the way to the core.” She smiled. “And he thinks I'm pretty special too.”

“You
are
special, Beni. More than you know.”

She gave me a long hug, then sashayed over to Bob once again. Minutes later, they were hand in hand.

The rest of the day was sheer bliss. Though Rex and I managed to sneak in a few minutes of work time with the writers, most of our day was filled with that bittersweet feeling that always accompanied end-of-season events. And when we dismissed the cast and crew, I realized just how much I would miss them over the summer months. They had truly become like family.

I happened upon Bob just as he prepared to leave. He reached to grab my hand—an unusual gesture for him—and gazed at me with such a serious expression that I thought perhaps something had happened.

“Everything all right?” I asked.

He nodded. “More than all right.” He paused, looking a bit nervous. “Tia, I'm a writer,” he said at last.

“A great one,” I added.

“Thanks.” Another pause followed. “I know how plotlines work. Boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl.” He gave me a penetrating look. “What's important is that the boy gets the girl in the end.”

“Amen,” I whispered.

“Some things are worth waiting for.”

“Yes, they are.”

“I just wanted you to know . . . that's why I hung around your parents' house that night after she took off with Julio. I saw something in her—in us—that was worth waiting for. And it was a great opportunity to get to know your parents.” He shrugged. “I really like your dad, by the way. Seems like a great guy.”

“He . . . he is.” I wanted to throw my arms around Bob's neck and thank him, but decided against it. Instead, I squeezed his hand and whispered, “Beni is a lucky girl. I'm so happy for both of you.”

And I was. In spite of my sister's formerly crazy ways, I wanted the best for her. And from everything I could tell, Bob truly was the best for her.

Around four o'clock, Jason met up with me in the conference room. “You almost ready to go?” he asked. “I was hoping to stop off at Pink's for a hot dog on the way home.”

“Sounds good. I just need to make a call before we leave, if you don't mind.”

“Not a bit. Just let me know when you're ready.” He disappeared into the hallway.

I reached for my cell phone and called Mama. She answered right away, sounding as cheerful as ever.

“Tia! How are you?” She spoke in Spanish, which put me at ease.

“Great. We just wrapped up our end-of-season party, and I'm in a festive mood.”

“Glad to hear it.” She laughed. “Your father—God bless him—insisted on mowing the lawn today.”

“He's supposed to be taking it easy,” I said.

“I know, I know. Still, he insisted. He just finished up the front yard and is in the back now. Isn't that sweet?”

“Very.” I marveled at how sweet, in fact.

Still, I hadn't called to talk about yard mowing. I had something entirely different on my mind.

“Mama, what's the one thing you've always wanted but never got?”

“Honey, I have it all. I have a wonderful husband. I've got five great kids who love me and come to visit regularly. No one has landed in jail. Recently. That's pretty good, considering the neighborhood. Everyone is healthy. Yes, I'm good.”

“What do you and Dad talk about more than almost anything else?” I asked.

She paused. “How we wish they'd put in a Walmart close by so we didn't have to drive so far to go shopping?”

“No, think bigger than that.”

“Hmm.” She paused. “How we both wish we could go back and redo some things in our marriage?”

“Well, that too. But what do you say when you're dreaming the big dreams?”

“Oh, that's easy.” She giggled. “We want to go on a cruise together.”

“What kind of cruise?” I asked.

“Alaskan, of course. We want to go north to see the glaciers and pan for gold.” An exaggerated sigh followed.

“Well, pack your bags. You leave next Sunday for ten days.”

“W-what?” She began to ramble in Spanish about how she must have misunderstood me.

“I bought your tickets yesterday.”

“But . . .”

“It's your anniversary gift.”

“But our anniversary isn't for two weeks,” Mama argued.

“Doesn't matter. You're celebrating now with a cruise. So pack your bags. You're off to see the snow-capped mountains, glaciers . . . everything you've ever wanted and more. I booked a ton of one-day excursions, so prepare for cold weather.”

“Oh, Tia, this is the best gift ever.” Mama began to cry. “Your father and I never had a honeymoon. We got married on a Saturday afternoon, and he was back at work on Monday.”

“I know. And that's exactly why I think you need this now. Get away. Relax. Have a blast. Forget about the past.”

I found myself flooded with hope for the future. I couldn't control what had happened with my father, but I could hope for the best. For a change. And I could speak positive, faith-filled words over their situation.

“Hold on, Tia. I want to tell your father.”

Mama disappeared for a few minutes. I could hear her squeals over the phone line. Then my dad came on the line, his words breathless.

“Tia, I don't know why you've done this for me after all I've—”

“Daddy, don't.” I pondered my next words. “You just go and show Mama the time of her life. I've got a gift card for her to do some serious shopping before you leave. Make sure she has everything she wants. And treat her like a princess. Promise?”

“Oh, I promise. She is one, so I won't have to work hard to treat her that way.”

Jason stuck his head in the door just as I ended the call with my parents. “How did they take the news?” he asked.

“I've never heard them more excited about anything in my life.”

He leaned against the doorjamb and smiled. “Well, it's the adventure of a lifetime.”

“No.” I walked his direction. “
This
is the adventure of a lifetime.” Cuddling up against him, I felt his heart beat in sync with mine. Alaska could wait. I had all the presents I could ever need . . . right here.

The summer months passed as none before—loaded with excitement and God-breathed joy. My parents had the time of their lives on the cruise. And when they arrived home, there were no lingering doubts in my mind. They had worked things out—permanently. Not that I could fix it if they hadn't. But I could trust in the one who could.

July brought several surprises, including the news that
Stars Collide
had garnered not one but four Emmy nominations, including one for yours truly for directing. Every time I thought about it, I felt giddy. Well, giddy and a little nauseous. After all, winning awards wasn't what this was about. Nope. I'd settled my heart and mind on the fact that relationships were the only things that mattered.

By the first week in August, the
Stars Collide
cast and crew prepared to jump back into gear for a brand-new season. I breathed a sigh of relief knowing my house would be complete by the end of the month. Then I could return to it and enjoy it in style. Thanks to Jason.

Jason. Every time I thought of him—of the sacrifices he'd made for me, of the way he made me feel—I felt hopelessly, blissfully in love. I knew he felt the same. We'd shared those words dozens of times. But watching his love in action as he worked on my house, seeing him play with my youngest brother, observing his kind heart as he engaged my father in conversation—all of these things won me over again.

Sure, life went on. We still had to work. And I still felt safe inside the walls of the studio. But something had changed. I no longer wished for my life script to be rewritten. Gone was the angst over all I'd suffered. Now I could see only happy days ahead—for me and Jason, and for our cast and crew.

I met with our
Stars Collide
family for our new season's first roundtable reading on the first Monday in August. Kat—who had trimmed off all evidence of a baby bump—showed up with little Katherine, ready to be added to this season's script. Having Kat back was the icing on the cake. And I could tell it made Scott's day too. He fussed over her and baby Katherine all day long.

So did Lenora, though she seemed a bit out of sorts. She couldn't seem to read her lines, at least not with the usual flare. And her costume of the day—
Is she supposed to be Pocahontas?
—seemed to be missing a few pieces. I did my best to shrug it off and offer support. That's what directors did, after all—offered support.

After we finished in the conference room, Rex asked me to meet him in his office. When I arrived, he was sitting in his chair, facing away from me. He swiveled my direction and I noticed the tears in his eyes. “Tia, I think it's time to talk about something. I . . . I've put this off a long time.”

“What is it, Rex?”

“Lenora.” He stood and began to pace. “It's getting harder and harder to deny the obvious. The Alzheimer's is getting worse.”

“What are you thinking?” My heart began to pound.

“I don't want to take the show away from her. This set, these people—this is her home. It's pretty much all she knows. If I remove her from this building, these people, she'll be more lost than ever.”

“Of course.”

“Still, I can't deny that the time has come to rethink her role in the show. I hate to say it, but I guess it's time to ease Lenora out of the story.”

“Ease her out?”

His eyes filled with tears. “I haven't really thought it through, but the writers will come up with something. Maybe she could show up occasionally for a line or two, but I honestly don't know for how long. By the end of this season . . .” He shook his head. “I just can't predict the future.”

“None of us can.”

And aren't you glad? If we could see what lies ahead for Lenora, chances are pretty good we wouldn't like it.

“The viewers love Lenora's character on the show,” I continued. “So we'll have to handle this carefully.”

As I pondered the situation with Lenora, I thought about all of the many times she'd come into the studio dressed in costumes from the golden era of Hollywood. It always struck me as fascinating that she could remember the names of the movies from her youth—even the actors and actresses who played the lead roles—when she couldn't even remember what had happened yesterday. Guess that's what Alzheimer's looked like, at least the Hollywood version. I suddenly felt very, very sad.

“Tia, last season was wonderful. You somehow managed to keep things going to the very end, even without one of our lead players.”

“Oh, you can thank the writers for that. I just play off the script they give me.”

“No, you've been an integral part of the decision-making process from the get-go, and I can't tell you what a relief it's been.” He paused. “Maybe when things reach an inevitable point, you'll be the one to take my place.”

My heart quickened. “W-what?”

“Oh, don't get nervous. I don't plan to go anywhere anytime soon. I'm just saying someday.” He gave me a knowing look. “Pray about it?”

“Of course.” I stood in the doorway, unable to say anything else until I'd thought it through. Finally an idea came to me. “Rex, remember a while back we talked about the role Brock's character would play on the show? How I told you that it would be fun to have him try to steal away some of the
Stars Collide
actors?”

“Right. I remember.”

“We talked about having him steal Candy's character, but what about Lenora's too? Maybe he somehow talks her into breaking her contract with Stars Collide and joining him at A&B Talent.”

Rex looked intrigued by this idea. “And then what?”

“And then there could be a lot of conversation about her between the talent scouts. Over a period of weeks, I mean. It could turn into a tug-of-war. That way her character's name would still get mentioned a lot, but she wouldn't have to actually be in the scenes. At least, not many. We could use her in snatches, just a line or two per episode.” I hesitated. “We'll have to balance this against Brock's time on
Dancing with the Stars
, but other than that, what do you think of the idea?”

“I think it's the only thing that makes sense, given the circumstances. It's the perfect solution.”

“Okay. I'll get with Athena later this afternoon and tell her.” I put my hand on Rex's shoulder. “And just so you know, we all think you're an amazing man and an even more amazing husband.”

A lone tear rolled down his wrinkled cheek, nearly breaking my heart in the process.

“I waited for years to marry that blessed woman,” he said. “It took an act of God to bring us back together after being apart for so long. I promised to be with her in sickness and in health—and I made that promise already knowing her condition. Don't ever feel sorry for me, Tia. I made this decision with a clear head because I love her so much. She's worth it. And every minute we have together is a gift.”

“I love you, Rex.” I walked over and planted a kiss on his head. “You're more than a producer to me. You're like family. You . . . well, you all are.”

“Thank you, Tia. I feel the same about you.” The tenderness in his expression made me feel warm all over.

“Speaking of family . . .” a familiar male voice rang out behind me. I turned to see Brock standing in the open doorway with Erin at his side. “We have something to tell you guys.”

“Come on in.” After they stepped inside, Rex closed the door behind them. “What's up?”

“We thought you two should be the first to know that we got married last weekend.”

“W-what?” I stared at them, totally confused. “Where? How?”

He laughed. “I know. It's a miracle the tabloids didn't catch on. My pastor flew down to Texas and married us at a wedding facility in Galveston.”

“Well, congratulations!” Rex wrapped him in a bear hug while I latched onto Erin, all giggles.

After the excitement died down, Brock slipped his arm around Erin's waist and drew her close. “I'm not sure how to explain it.” He leaned over and planted a kiss in her hair, and Erin's cheeks turned the prettiest crimson color. “There's something about her heart that pulled me in right away. For one thing, she's so great with the kids. They love her.”

“And vice versa,” she whispered.

“You know I started that after-school community center a couple years back, and I go there at least once a week to hang out with the kids. I've always known that the woman I fell in love with . . .” His words trailed off as he gazed into Erin's eyes. “She had to love kids as much as I did. And it's a given that she had to understand the movie business. I'm pretty sure I'll be in Hollywood for years to come. In fact . . .” He looked at Rex. “I'd definitely like to stay on at
Stars Collide
for a while, if you'll have me. Turns out I prefer television to movies.”

“Funny you should say that,” Rex said. “We just had a conversation about how we plan to keep your character going and still give you time to appear on
Dancing with the Stars
.”

“Perfect.” Brock looked like he'd won the lottery. Go figure. The megastar was content to stay put on a sitcom.

I found it rather ironic that we'd given Brock a Pied Piper sort of character, one interested in luring folks away from Stars Collide. In real life, he'd become a Pied Piper of another sort—he'd won all of our hearts. No doubt about that. But he'd cast a spell on someone else too. Erin.

“What about you, Erin?” My heart pounded a little harder at the idea that she might leave. “Are you going to stick with us? We have great plans for your character and would like to have you sign a contract.”

“Oh, I'm not going anywhere.” She gave me the sweetest smile. “Why would I? You guys are like family to me now. And it would kill me to leave the kids.”

“Whew!” Relief washed over me. “Now that we've made you Brock's love interest on the show . . .” I paused, realizing what I'd said. We'd somehow done it again. Kat and Scott had started out as love interests on
Stars Collide
, then fallen for each other in real life. Now these two?

I got so tickled that I started laughing. In fact, the more I thought about it, the funnier it got. The Stars Collide name had always represented the merging of Jack's and Angie's talent agencies, but now I realized it meant even more. How many of my talented co-workers had come together over the past year? Kat and Scott. Athena and Stephen. Erin and Brock. Benita and Bob.

Tia and Jason.

A smile immediately followed. How wonderful it felt to find love—not the Hollywood version but the real deal.

We celebrated a bit longer, and then I went in search of Jason to tell him Brock and Erin's news.

Athena caught me just as I entered the soundstage. “Hey, you.”

“Everything okay?” I asked. “Got those kinks worked out with next week's script?”

“Yes. All kinks are gone.” She grinned.

“Well, I for one think it's perfect. You've outdone yourself this time.”

“Yes, I have.”

I gave her a curious look, and she began to giggle.

“What are you trying to tell me?” I asked.

“We, um, well . . .” She giggled again. “I know we haven't been married all that long, but for Pete's sake, we didn't want to wait.”

“Wait.” Suddenly it hit me. “You're pregnant?”

She nodded and laughed. “Can you believe it? A little Cosse, running around my parents' gyro shop and wreaking all kinds of havoc here at the studio.” She paused. “I mean, I'm assuming I can keep working. You're okay with that, right?”

“Okay with it?” I laughed. “Oh, it's perfect! You'll know just what to write for Kat because you'll be a mommy as well.”

“And one day you will be too!”

I was taken aback by that idea. “Well, maybe one day.”

“Life can change a lot faster than you think, Tia. One day you're single, saying you'll never get married. The next day you're buying a house in the suburbs and remodeling.”

“Hey, I've already done that.”

“See? You're halfway there. Now all you need is the husband and baby.”

“Slow down, slow down!” I chuckled. “I'll take them . . . in God's timing.” A lingering sigh followed.

“Why the sigh?” she asked.

“It's just so ironic. I used to say that if I'd been handed the script of my real life in advance, I would have changed several things.”

“Who wouldn't?” Athena laughed.

“Now I'm not so sure. I've been through a lot of things I wouldn't wish on anyone. But in some ways I thought I was content. I was one of those ‘perfectly happy single' people.”

“Puh-leeze.” Athena rolled her eyes. “You were not.”

“Well, I thought I was. Does that count?”