Part VIII

Reva and Marah both turn to look at Josh in shock.  Josh breaks through the silence and walks over to his daughter's bed.  He gestures for Marah to sit as he kneels down on the floor and Reva makes room for him.

Josh: My darlin' daughter, I don't ever want you to think that love means nothing.  Love…  (he looks at Reva briefly and returns his eyes to Marah) Love is the greatest thing in the world.  Love is true and real and the one thing you can always believe in.

Marah: You don't believe in it.

Josh: Yes, I do.  I do with everything I am.

Marah: Then why aren't you with Mama?  You can't tell me you don't love her.

Josh: (barely making eye contact with Reva) No… I can't.

Marah: Then I don't understand!  Why are you guys making this so hard?!

Josh: Sweetheart, it's just the way it has to be right now.  I wish I could explain it to you, but to be honest, I don't understand myself.

Marah: That's not good enough.  There has to be a good reason for you two to be apart.  A very good reason.

Josh: We just can't, not right now.

Marah: WHY?  Just tell me why!

Josh: I don't know, Marah.

Marah: (getting very angered) How can you not know?

Josh is silent, his head hung.  Reva breaks his silence and attempts to smooth things over.

Reva: Marah.  Your daddy is right.  This is so hard to explain, because he and I are in a place in our lives that we have never been before.  Things have happened, things beyond our control and we are trying our best to make things work out.

Marah: Work out how?  Are you going to get back together… ever?

Reva: I'm not going to lie to you, Marah.  I don't know.  I don't know what the future holds.  None of us do.

Marah: This isn't making me feel any better.

Josh: We're just trying to be honest with you, sweetheart.

Reva: We all have to be honest if we are going to get on with our lives.

Marah: I don't want to get on with my life if it's gonna be this messed up.  You guys are just being stubborn.  That's all this is… waiting to see who will give up first, is that it?

Josh: No, that's not it.  There is a whole lot more.

Marah: Then tell me!

Josh: Marah…

Reva: You know what.  I'm not going to use the whole "You'll understand when you get older" speech… because you are older.  You have grown into a wonderful, beautiful, loving young woman and we can't just ignore your questions and feelings.

Josh: Yes you have.  You are so full of love and neither of us wants to destroy that.  Like your mama said, you have to listen to your heart, listen to what it tells you.

Reva looks at Josh realizing he was standing outside the door the entire time.

Marah: If you want me to listen to my heart, why can't you listen to yours.

Josh: Because… I'm having a hard time hearing it right now.

Reva continues looking at Josh, seeing the torment in his eyes.  They are all silent for several moments.

Marah:  Please.  Just tell me why you aren't together.  That's all I want to know.  Why aren't you together?

Josh and Reva make eye contact, neither knowing how to answer their daughter.  Reva breaks the gaze as Josh continues to watch her.

Reva: We don't know.

Marah: You don't know?  What kind of an answer is that?

Josh: An honest one.

Reva: Something has happened between us and we have no idea how to deal with it.  (Reva and Josh make contact again, starting to get lost in themselves) I still love your daddy, that will never change.

Josh: And I… I will… care… about your mother for the rest of my life.

Reva: But we have come to a place in our relationship and we haven't found a way to get passed it.

Josh: Even after everything we've been through.  Something is different, something is broken and no matter how much we want to, we can't fix it.

Marah: (watching her parents) Maybe you don't want to.

Josh and Reva immediately break their gaze and look to Marah.

Marah: I mean, you're with Olivia now, Daddy.  Is that who you want now?  Have you stopped trying to fix things?

Josh: Well… I just.

Marah: Okay, I can accept that you and Mama have things to work through.  I can deal with that.  I understand if you need time apart to sort out your feelings or whatever.  But I would think you would spend that time alone.

Reva: Marah…

Marah: No, mama… I want Daddy to explain this to me.

Josh: (feeling incredibly uncomfortable) Olivia and I…  well, we… (struggling) she's a good person, Marah.

Marah: I don't care if she's a nun, Dad.  I still don't understand what you are doing with her.

Reva: (trying to help) Sweetie, your Daddy just needed someone…

Marah: Why are you trying to defend him?  He's cheating on you, that's what he's doing.  Or have you two gotten a divorce and just not told me.

Shayne, walking down the hallway, overhears the accusation.

Shayne: What?!

Josh and Reva turn to face their son.

Shayne: What are you talking about?  No one said anything about a divorce.

Reva: No, we didn't, Shayne.

Shayne: Then what are you talking about?  What is going on?  What are you doing here, dad?

Josh: We're just trying to sort things out with your sister.

Shayne: What things?  Don't I get to be a part of this family anymore?

Marah: (under her breathe) What family?

Reva: Shayne, don't say that… this just came up.  Your sister was just upset and we were just trying to explain…

Marah: Why don't you tell him what I was upset about?  Go ahead, Dad… tell him.

Josh: Son…

Marah: (not letting him finish) He's having an affair with Olivia.

Reva: Marah…

Shayne: You're what?!  You're already with someone else?

Josh: Shayne, it's not as simple as that…

Shayne: Sounds simple to me… you are cheating on mama.  How could you do that to her?

Reva: Shayne…

Josh: Son, I'm not…

Marah: Your not what?  Are you saying you aren't having an affair?  What are you doing?  Is she just your "friend", Dad?

Josh: She is my friend.

Shayne: Friends. That's what this family used to be until you walked out on us, dad. 

Reva: Don't blame this all on your father.

Marah: Why shouldn't we?  He's the one with the girlfriend.

Shayne: Right, it's not like you walked out on us.

Reva: But I did, Shayne.  I didn't want to, but I did.

Shayne: Not like dad is doing.

Marah: Dad wanted to walk out and he did.

Reva: (getting frustrated) Marah, he didn't want to.

Marah: Yes he did!  Otherwise he would still be here.

Shayne: Why aren't you dad?  Why couldn't you stay!  You've screwed up this family!

Marah: We're never gonna be normal again.

Josh: (jumping up and shouting) JUST STOP THIS!

Marah, Shayne and Reva are all shocked by Josh's abrupt command, but their attentions fall directly toward him.

Josh: (breathing faster) I'm sorry… I just… I'm so tired of this.

Josh raises his hand to his face and strongly rubs his forehead.  The room remains quiet, waiting for him to speak.

Josh: I know that we have some major problems right now.  I know that both your mother and I are the cause of them.  I know that a lot of things have changed and there are things that might not ever be the same.  I'm trying to understand what is going on.  But no matter what is going on, no matter what has changed, one thing has not… and it never will.  We ARE a family.

Marah: But…

Josh: (putting his hand up) Sweetheart… please.  The four of us, we are a family.  No matter where we are living or who we are spending time with that fact will NEVER change.  Never.  Marah and Shayne, the two of you, you are the most important things in our lives.  That will never ever change.  We are your parents and we love you more than anything in this world.

Reva: (getting up to help her husband) And we are here for you.  We will always be here for you.  Don't ever doubt that.  You can come to us with anything.  Any problem, big or small, you need to know that you come first.  The things going on between your daddy and I… they are things that only we, the two of us, can work out.

Josh: And we are trying. (he looks at Reva) In our own way, we ARE trying.

Marah: You are?

Reva and Josh turn away from each other to face the kids.

Reva: Yes sweetie, we are.  But your daddy is right.  We are still a family, we will always be a family, even if we are apart physically, we are together in our hearts.

Shayne: (beginning to soften) Just like we were when you were gone all those years?

Josh: Exactly like that son.  And we survived that.  If we can get through that… this family can get through anything.

Marah: Promise?

Josh and Reva: Promise.

Josh: (to the kids) I love you… (looks to Reva briefly then back to the kids) and we're going to make things work.  As long as we are honest with each other, okay?

Marah: Okay.

Shayne: Yeah, okay.

Reva: Okay with me.

Josh: (smiles) Good.  Now come here.

Josh reaches out to hold his daughter and he son.  Marah and Shayne slowly walk to hug him as Reva looks on.  They hug for a moment then break.

Josh: (looking at Reva) This is a family hug.

Reva tries to join between Marah and Shayne, but they force her to stand next to Josh.  Marah smiles slyly at her mother as Reva shakes her head at her daughter.  The Lewis family embraces for a few moments as just that, a family.

Shayne: (breaking the circle) Okay, I just came up here to get my baseball glove.

They all laugh at Shayne as he walks out the door.

Josh: Son?

Shayne: (stopping in the doorway) Yeah?

Josh: Thanks.

Shayne smiles and runs to his room.

Reva walks over to Marah.

Reva: You doing better now?

Marah: Yeah, I think so.

Josh: I'm glad, sweetheart.  I never meant to hurt you, you know.

Marah: I know.  I know neither of you did.  (Getting up from her bed) And I still don't understand everything that is going on, but it's okay now.  (From the doorway)  It's okay, because I know the two of you are going to get back together. (She smiles and she is quickly out the door).

Josh: Marah…

Reva: I can't quite figure out which side the stubbornness comes from.

Josh: I think she was cursed from both sides.

Reva laughs as the two of them stand in silence for a while.

Reva: Thank you.

Josh: For what?

Reva: What do you mean for what?  For being here.  For talking to the kids.  What you said meant everything to them.  They needed to hear it.

Josh: They're my kids, Reva… our kids.  And what you said meant a lot too.  Thank you for trying to smooth things over with Marah.  I know she's hurting a lot, I know she just doesn't understand.

Reva: Do any of us?

Josh: No… I guess we don't.

Josh and Reva stand silent for a moment looking in each other's eyes.  Josh breaks the moment.

Josh: (awkwardly) Well… I uh… I guess I should get going.

Reva: (awkwardly) Yeah… um… let me walk you out.

Josh: (smiles) Thanks.

Josh and Reva walk down the stairs.

Shayne: (to Marah in the upstairs hallway) Marah.

Marah: (walking back to her room) Hey.  What was all that about?

Shayne: I have no idea.  I just got sick of them acting like they don't care about each other so I played along.

Marah: I was the same way.  I mean, they made sense, but I still can't believe dad is like with Olivia.  How sick is that?

Shayne: He's married to mom, it's just wrong.

Marah: Something must be major wrong with him cause I can't believe he would do that to mom.  No matter how much she hurt him.

Shayne: Well they were up here talking when we left and they are so far from being separated.

Marah: What do you mean?

Shayne: I mean they want to be back together, I think they are just being stupid.

Marah: Stupid is right.  And Olivia isn't helping at all.

Shayne: I met her like once and I can't stand her.

Marah: Well, it doesn't matter anyway, cause mom and dad are going to get back together.

Shayne: You think so?

Marah: I know so, Shayne.  They just need a little… well, push.

Josh and Reva walk to the front door.  Josh begins to open it.

Josh: Well… I'll uh… I'll see you later.

Reva: Yeah… see you later.

Josh turns slowly to walk away when he runs into Olivia.

Josh: What are you doing here?

Olivia: Hi.  I um… I just thought maybe I could help.

Reva looks on, annoyed and amused.

Josh: No, everything's fine. It's…

Olivia: I just thought if I talked to Marah.

Reva: I don't think that will be necessary.

Josh: (turns to look at Reva, then back to Liv) No.  I don't either.  I mean, everything is okay for now.  Oh, I forgot.  (He turns to face Reva)  Can you have Shayne call me.  I wanted to ask him…

Suddenly Shayne runs out the front door and past them all.

Shayne: Bye Mama, Bye Dad. (He ignores Olivia)

Josh: (running after Shayne, leaving the women alone) Son!

Olivia: (to Reva) You have some nerve, you know it?

Reva looks at Olivia, baffled and yet amused.

Olivia: Just because his kids are living with you, doesn't mean you have to try and manipulate them to your side.

Reva: (appalled) What?!

Olivia: Don't act innocent with me.  I know what you are trying to do.  I know how you are trying to use your children to get him back.

Reva: You are so off base, it amuses me.

Olivia: Off base?

Reva: Yes, completely.  I would never use my children to get Joshua back.  Besides, I don't have to use anything to get him back.  He'll come back on his own.

Olivia: Is that so?

Reva: Oh yes.  When he's done "playing" with you.

Olivia tries for a retort, but Josh arrives first.

Josh: Okay, all taken care of.

Reva and Olivia just stare at each other.  Reva is calm and collected.  Olivia is agitated.

Josh: Everything okay here?

Reva: Everything is fine, Joshua.

Josh gives Reva a look then pulls Olivia off to the side.

Josh: (quietly) Why don't I meet you at Towers later?

Olivia: But…

Josh: I'll be right there.

Olivia hesitates, then leaves.

Josh: Reva…

Reva: Joshua… will you do one thing for me?

Josh: What is that?

Reva: Be careful with her Josh… don't let her break your heart too.

Josh stares at Reva for a moment.

Josh: Thanks again, Reva.

Reva smiles.  Josh turns and walks away as Reva watches him leave.

Reva: Please don't give her the chance.  Don't give her your heart to break.