Chapter 59

The next few days passed in a flurry of activity for the residents of Port Charles, and before A.J. and Julianna fully realized it, Keesha's day to be released from the hospital had arrived.

Since Matthew and Veronica continued to adjust well to living with Dara and Justus, Keesha and Julianna decided to stay with A.J. in his suite.

"Mama, aren't you excited?" Julianna asked, when she and A.J. arrived at the hospital.

Keesha beamed. "Very. I already have my discharge papers. I just need to see Ellen in her office before we leave. There's something I want to ask her."

The orderly arrived with the wheelchair and steered her to Ellen's office. A.J. and Julianna followed.

"I thought you would be long gone," Ellen said, looking genuinely surprised. "I signed your discharge papers right after I examined you early this morning."

"I have them. I thought of something I wanted to ask you after you'd left my room. I decided your office was a better place to voice my question."

"What is it?" Ellen inquired, folding her hands on her desk.

"Is there anyway I will ever know whose liver I have?"

"Because we know the recipients are curious, we do give out information, but it's very limited. We do not reveal the person's identity."

"I understand. What can you tell me?"

Ellen pulled Keesha's file from the drawer and quickly scanned it.

"The donor was a black female, a few years younger than you. She died in an auto accident just outside of Port Charles. General Hospital was the nearest facility. That's how come we were able to receive her liver and process you as a possible match so quickly."

Keesha squeezed A.J.'s hand. "That's so sad. I wonder if she left a husband or children behind?"

"According to what we received on her, she did have two children. We understand she was a very courageous and giving woman."

"Her death allowed me to live," Keesha said in awe. "I don't think I will ever get used to that fact, and in all honesty, I don't want to. I never want to take this precious gift of life for granted."

*~*

When they arrived at A.J.'s suite, bouquets of beautiful and vibrant flowers adorned the living and dining areas.

"From many well-wishers," A.J. said and smiled.

He kissed Keesha and welcomed her and Julianna to his suite.

"The flowers are absolutely stunning," Keesha said.

She inhaled the sweet fragrances as a smile lit up her lovely face. She and Julianna took turns reading the cards from Dara and Justus, Monica and Alan, Skye and Tom, Gia and Nikolas, Emily and Zander, and Alexis and Ned. Bobbie had also sent a lovely bouquet. Julianna read the card from the arrangement sent by Tony and Michael. Seeing Michael's name typewritten gave her pause. She hadn't visited his room since her talk with Lucas. She suddenly felt shy and awkward about seeing him while he was sleeping. She didn't want Michael to think she was hounding him. He'd asked for room to breathe; she knew she had to honor that, even if it meant missing him more than she could have ever imagined.

"Are you tired?" A.J. asked Keesha. "I'll show you where the bedroom is."

"Not yet," she answered. "I want to enjoy this for a little while longer."

With the help of a cane, she slowly made her way to the bay window and looked out at the gorgeous summer day.

"I want to be out there again, embracing life," she said, her tone wistful.

A.J. came up behind her and gently squeezed her shoulders.

"You will," he whispered, his voice husky in her ear. "Sooner than you think. I have a good feeling about this."

Keesha turned her head to smile at him as she tenderly caressed his cheek. "So do I. I just need to give myself time."

When Keesha finally entered the bedroom, she saw vases on both night tables which contained a dozen of the most gorgeous pink roses she had ever seen. She gasped with delight and turned to smile at A.J.

"I know those are from you," she said.

He smiled and kissed her. "You're right. I can't deny it. I don't want to, either."

"A.J., they're beautiful."

"Just like you," he said.

She stepped into his waiting arms and let him hold her tightly.

"I'm so thankful to be here. With you. I love you, A.J."

"I love you, too, sweetheart, and believe me. I am very thankful you are here with me."

*~*

After Keesha had fallen asleep, Julianna asked her father if it was okay for her to go to "Kelly's" to meet up with Brooke Lynn and Lesley Lu. A.J. said it was fine and to have a good time.

As soon as Julianna entered the restaurant, Brooke Lynn waved her to the table.

"You look happy," Brooke Lynn said.

She wore a smile, too.

"Lesley Lu told me the good news. I'm so happy for your mom. How's she doing?"

"My mother is doing great."

"Where are you and your mom staying?"

"With my dad at the hotel."

"That's nice."

"Yeah," Julianna said, "it is."

"Wanna hear some more good news?"

"Sure."

"Lesley Lu said that Michael is going home tomorrow!"

"That's excellent. He's doing much better then, right?"

"I believe so. He'll still be seeing Dr. Collins, of course, but I guess it'll be more the way it was before he was hospitalized."

"I'm so happy for him," Julianna said. "I hope he's happy, too. Or at least satisfied with his progress."

"Lesley Lu said he seems to be feeling a lot better about things."

With so much good news, Julianna knew her heart should be light, but somehow, she didn't feel as good about things as she thought she would.

"As soon as Lu gets here, we'll order," Brooke Lynn said.

At the moment, they both had a glass of iced tea in front of them.

"That's fine. I'm not that hungry."

"Will you be leaving Port Charles soon?" Brooke Lynn asked, realizing how much she was going to miss her younger cousin.

"Probably. Mama has a follow-up appointment next week, and if everything's okay, I think she'll be able to travel."

"Wow. I can't believe you could be gone so soon."

"Me either. In some ways, it feels like I've been here all my life, and in other ways, it seems like I just got here yesterday. It's been a strange summer, no doubt about it. I hope you'll visit us in Philly."

"I would love to. If I can ever get time off, that is."

"Maybe one of the acts you're representing will give a concert in Philadelphia. Then you'd have to be there."

Brooke Lynn's dark eyes twinkled mischievously. "Yeah. I know someone who could make that happen."

"I know you're not talking about me."

"You'd be wrong."

"No way, Brooke Lynn. You haven't even heard me sing. Why are you taking someone else's word that I can sing well enough to be a performer?"

"Because it wasn't just one person. I'd love for you to sing for me. We could do a duet if you'd be more comfortable with that."

Julianna shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "I do have a favor I want to ask you, but why do I think the only way I'll get it is if I agree to this. I haven't had any formal voice training. What I've learned about singing has come from school and the church choir. That's it."

"Honey, if you have natural, God-given talent, it doesn't matter. What's the favor?"

"I...um...I did want to ask you if there was any way I could use your studio to record a couple of songs onto CDs. But they're for my own use," she hastened to add.

Brooke Lynn smiled. "Of course you can. On two conditions."

"I knew it," Julianna said, resigned to the fact that her cousin was going to bribe her into doing something she really didn't want to do.

"They're nothing bad," she said, shaking her head at what she perceived was Julianna's unreasonableness to share her talent with the world. "You can use the studio any time, as long as I get to hear what you're recording, and I get to make a copy of your recordings for myself."

"Why would you want a copy?"

"Just so I can listen to my cousin sing whenever I want to."

"You can't use those copies anywhere without my signed permission, right?"

"Right. And I would never do that anyway. Gia would kill me. That's not the way we run our business."

But, she added silently, that doesn't mean I can't use her CDs to entice Gia into wanting to sign Julianna to a contract if her voice is as good as others have said it is.

*~*

Three days later, Keesha felt well enough to visit Dara and Justus at their home and to meet Matthew and Veronica. She fell in love with them immediately, and they took to her right away, too.

"They have a play date today," Dara said. "Gia invited them to spend time with her and Nikolas, Jr. and Sonya."

"How nice," Keesha said. "Nikolas said he was going to ask you if they could visit."

"I'm driving them," Justus said. "I'll be back later. I want to make sure they feel comfortable."

Over tea, Keesha asked Dara about the children.

"Didn't you say their mother died in an automobile accident?"

Dara nodded.

"Do you know where the accident occurred?" A.J. asked.

He and Keesha had talked about the possibility of Matthew and Veronica's mother having been the liver donor.

"I'm not sure. I know it wasn't right in Port Charles, but nearby."

Keesha and A.J. exchanged wondering glances.

"Do you know any other details?" Keesha pressed.

"Not really. I can ask Mrs. Liden if there's something specific you want to know. Why such an interest in their mother?"

"Ellen told me a little about my liver donor at my request before I left the hospital. I know it's probably a long shot, but some of the details sounded as though Matthew and Veronica's mother could be the one who was the organ donor. I wanted to see if I could get the details to mesh."

"This is really strange. When Justus and I met with Mrs. Liden, she said that Matthew told her his mother was an organ donor and that he just knew some part of his mother lived on in someone else's body. Isn't that weird? Justus and I wondered if she was the one whose liver had been donated."

Keesha reached for A.J.'s hand and held it tightly. "If we're all thinking this, something tells me it must be true."

*~*

Late that afternoon, Julianna, a bundle of nerves mixed with excitement, arrived at L&B records, unsure what to expect. After being greeted warmly by Gia and Brooke Lynn, Julianna followed her cousin into the recording booth.

"This is where you will make your CDs," Brooke Lynn said.

She showed her the various equipment she would need and how to use it.

"I'll be in the sound room," she said. "I can help you with any adjustments you may need. Take all the time you want to practice or relax or whatever until you feel ready to record. Okay?"

Julianna nodded. "Are you really going to record this session for yourself, too?"

She had to ask one more time.

Brooke Lynn smiled. "Oh yes, I am."

Julianna took the time to get familiar with her surroundings and to feel comfortable singing into the microphone with headphones on. The first couple of takes, her voice squeaked and cracked. She was still too nervous. She willed herself to relax, close her eyes, and pretend she was singing in her bedroom by herself.

The next sounds Brooke Lynn and Gia heard were so sweet, harmonious and sultry, they couldn't help but to applaud once Julianna had finished the first song. She looked through the glass and shook her head. She didn't want their accolades; she just wanted to record the second song. These two songs were very special to her. She had written them and had planned to record them as gifts for her father on his birthday and for Michael at Christmas. But she knew using the recording studio and creating CDs would be much more professional and would make better gifts. She just didn't realize exactly how much it was going to cost her.

Gia and Brooke Lynn waited to pounce on her as soon as she exited the studio.

"You are magnificent!" Gia gushed. "Can you imagine what those songs would sound like with a full arrangement behind you?"

"That's not what I want," Julianna protested.

"Julianna, you have to share your gift with the world. You simply have to!" Brooke Lynn said.

"No, I don't," the younger girl maintained, "and I won't. I do not want to sing for commercial success. That's not what I want at all!"

Almost in tears, Julianna was about to flee the studio when Brooke Lynn caught her cousin and calmed her down.

"I'm sorry," she said, sincerely apologizing. She looked to Gia for support. "I had no idea you were that opposed to a possible singing career. I won't mention it again."

"Thank you. It's just...I don't know. I enjoy singing, but it truly isn't what I want to do with my life. To be honest," she said, revealing one of her best-kept secrets, "I'd much rather write songs for other people to sing than sing. But writing music seems to be a lot harder than I ever imagined. Singing seems to come more naturally for me, but writing is what I would rather be doing."

"Have you told anyone this?" Gia asked.

Julianna shook her head. "Who would I tell?"

Brooke Lynn laughed as she brushed her cousin's hair away from her face. "It's good you told us, honey. We can help you."

Julianna looked from Gia to Brooke Lynn. "Really? You can? How?"

"Um," Gia said and smiled, "that's part of what we do, Julianna. We have contacts. Tell us what you want to accomplish, and we'll see what we can do to make it happen."

"Wow, this is great!"

"Write down your goals," Brooke Lynn encouraged, "and what you believe you need to accomplish them, and we'll see what we can do."

"Okay," she said, her voice filled with excitement, "I will. Thank you so much!"

"May I ask you a question?" Gia said.

"Sure."

"Those two songs you just recorded? Did you write those?"

"Yeah," she said, lowering her eyes. "I did. Are they really terrible?"

"They're wonderful," Gia said.

Brooke Lynn agreed. "You're on the right track, Julianna. We'll help you any way we can."

"I appreciate this so much. Thank you!"

Impulsively, she hugged her cousin and then Gia.

"I want music to be a part of my life," she assured them. "But I'd much rather be sitting at a piano writing music for someone else than singing in front of a crowd. It's just not my thing."

Gia nodded. "Understood. There's nothing wrong with preferring to write than to sing. How blessed you have been."

"I know I have," Julianna agreed. "And I know I owe a lot of my ability to my great-grandmother. I would have loved to have met her. Thank goodness for pictures, journals, letters, recordings and, most importantly, Mama's exceptional memory."

"I hope you have your parents' support for this," Gia said.

"My parents know I like to write music. I'll see what their reaction is when I tell them you're willing to help me."

"If you need any help, let me know," Brooke Lynn volunteered.

"Me, too," Gia said. "You know, Justus brought Veronica and Matthew to the house earlier today to play for a while. He mentioned you might be leaving as early as next week. I hope you and your parents will come to our house for dinner one night before you leave."

"I'll mention it to my parents," Julianna said. "Thank you for the invitation."

"No problem."

Gia checked her watch and announced she had to make a phone call.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said to Brooke Lynn. "Thanks for the special treat, Julianna. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing you sing."

"Thanks."

Julianna waited while Brooke Lynn tidied up her desk before leaving for the day.

"Does leaving next week seem like it's going to happen?" she asked.

"Yeah, it does. Mama's been doing great. She visited Dara and Justus earlier and said she didn't feel tired at all. She looks wonderful."

"Good for her. Bad for me that you'll be leaving. I'm going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss you, too, but we have e-mail and the telephone. And you said you would visit me in Philly," Julianna reminded her cousin.

"I know, and I will," she assured the young girl. "I do have one question for you, though."

"What's that?"

"Any plans to see Michael before you leave?"