ACT 1

Scene 1: Fade In

Cameron is out jogging on the hilltop where he and Amanda first met. He sees Josie sitting on a bench crying and sits down next to her. Quietly, he says her name and then adds, "You told him. Didn't you? ". She looks up at him and shaking her head "no", says she couldn't do it. He gently puts his arm around her and says, "You have to tell him now Josie. We can't put this off any longer. You know it's the right thing to do".

Josie composes herself somewhat as she pulls away from him and replies, "I know I have to. I tried. I really did. But when I looked at him and saw the love in his eyes looking back at me, I … I couldn't. I knew when I told him the truth, I would never see that in his eyes again - and I - I just couldn't bare it".

As tears begin welling up in her eyes, Cameron gently touches her arm. "I know what you are going through, Josie. I 'm scared too. I'm afraid of losing them both, but we agreed that we can't live our lives based on lies. It's not fair to Amanda or Gary. We just have to hope, and have faith that they can find a way past this".

"Past this?", Josie incredulously asks. "If we can't get past this, how do we expect them to?". "I know it's going to be difficult, but I have already sent Amanda a letter telling her I need to talk to her right away. She has probably read it by now. So, I don't think we have any more time".

"A letter? You mean you haven't told her yet either?", she asks hopefully, and then lowering her head, sorrowfully adds, "I know - we have to".

"I wanted to prepare her a little before I hit her with this. I just don't know how I'm going to face her and get the words out, but I know I have to. I love her too much not to. Just like you love Gary. We agreed that it's better for them finding out now from us instead of later from someone else. That would crush them more and we would definitely lose them. Secrets always have a way of coming out. You know that Josie".

"I know Cameron. It's the right thing to do. I know". Cameron then puts his arms around her as they try to comfort each other.

At this moment, Amanda comes up over the hill, looking at the sky with a hint of a smile on her face.

Scene 1: Fade Out

Scene 2: Fade In

Amanda is looking upward thinking of how she and Cameron first met on this hill - their hill. She smiles because she remembers all the times when she needed him, he would be there - looking up at the sky. As she continues walking, she slowly lowers her eyes, and sees Cameron holding Josie. This causes her to stop dead in her tracks. She is frozen in disbelief. Her first thought is how could he be here with her!

She opens her mouth to speak but words fail her. "Oh no!", she thinks to herself. "I can't go through this again. I just can't". Believing it to be a hopeless situation, she turns away in tears and begins to quickly walk away, hurt and defeated.

Cameron looks up and sees Amanda. "Oh my God no!, he says under his breath. He lets go of Josie and as he jumps up to run after Amanda , shouts out to her in a panicked voice, "Amanda wait! Please for god sakes wait." She stops for a moment, turns toward him, then quickly turns away again and begins to run. Cameron shouts out, "Amanda, it's not what you think. Please stop!". He catches up with her and grabs her. She is crying and trying to push him away. "Let me go!", she angrily orders. "I can't take this any more!".

But Cameron holds on refusing to let go. "I'm not letting you go unless you promise to hear me out".

"Hear you out?", she shouts back. "That's all I have been doing these last few months is hearing you out". "Hearing you tell me that there is nothing between the two of you, and yet, wherever I turn there you are consoling her, comforting her. Don't tell me there's nothing between you". They both stop struggling for the moment, but he still won't let her go. He looks painfully at her, knowing she is telling the truth. There is something between Josie and him, something that is going to last a life time.

"Your right Amanda. There is something, but it's not what you think", he finally replies as he releases her from his grasp. "Cameron don't!", interrupts Josie.

Cameron turns, stares at Josie for a second, then turns back to Amanda. Fearing he will lose her forever if he does not tell the truth now, he remorsefully speaks the words, "Josie's pregnant".

A stunned Amanda is speechless as a trembling Josie approaches Cameron and cries out, "Oh my God no". Cameron tells Josie to go to Gary, because this is between Amanda and himself. An anguished Josie leaves as he turns to Amanda.

In a dazed voice, she asks, "It's yours, isn't it?". Cameron regretfully replies, "Yes it is", and then adds, "I'm so sorry, Amanda. I'm so sorry".

Amanda just stands there looking at him in disbelief. "You're so sorry? That's all you can say to me, 'You're sorry'?", Cameron cannot reply. She continues with, "How long have you known?".

"Only for a few days. Honestly, I was just waiting for Josie to decide what she was going do. I wanted to tell you but I didn't know how. I was afraid I'd lose you".

"Oh, so you decided to just wait until I accidentally find out. As I just did. Well Cameron, that was real considerate of you", she sarcastically announces.

"No Amanda, that's not what I intended at all. Didn't you get my letter?".

"What letter?".

"The letter I dropped off at your house today". Amanda just continues to stare at him in disbelief.

"You didn't get it?", he asks.

"No, I didn't".

"Amanda, I never intended for you to hear it this way". "No you never do".

"Amanda", he says in a low regretful voice. "Please let me explain". She remains silent as he continues, "I never wanted you to find out this way. I wrote you the letter hoping it would help you to understand what I needed to tell you. I wanted to meet with you when you were ready to hear me. I thought the letter would help".

"How could it help?", she simply asks. "How could anything help this situation?".

"Amanda, this is not the right time to get into all of this. You're so upset, and I don't blame you. But I need to talk with you when you can hear me better. Please, understand, that I need you and I don't want to lose you. I can only hope that when you are ready, you'll give me a chance", he pleads.

Amanda looks down momentarily as is if to contemplate her next move. She looks up at him and says, "You're right Cameron. I can't hear anything you're saying now. I need to go". She turns from him and walks down the hill. A crushed Cameron looks at her as she leaves.

Scene 2: Fade Out

Scene 3: Fade In

Amanda returns home. As she enters the house, the maid sees her and hands her the letter that Cameron had left earlier in the day. She goes to her room and begins to read it:

Dear Amanda,
I love you. I always have and I always will. I know you have been struggling to get past Boca Lynda and trying to give me another chance. You don't know how much that means to me. But I'm afraid, Amanda, that the things I can't control could cause you to lose faith in me and to give up on us. And that is something that terrifies me more than anything that has ever happened to me in my entire life. That is why I need to talk to you, whenever you can. I guess you're right about me. I hold things back. Sometimes to protect the people I care about, sometimes to protect myself. But I know that if we ever stand a chance of being together, the one thing I can control, the one thing I need to do, is to be honest with you. Completely honest. I hope in doing so, you'll realize that I would do anything to make you understand how much I love you and how much I need you. I'm taking a chance on faith, Amanda. Faith in you, faith in us. Please give me that chance. If you can tonight, I'll be on the hill at seven. But no pressure. If this isn't the right time for you, I'll wait until it is. I'll always wait for you Amanda. I always will.

Love, Cameron

Scene 3: Fade out

Scene 4: Fade In

Later that evening, Cameron is lying on his bed, blankly staring at the ceiling with his hands clasped under his head. The room is darkened with just streaks of light coming through the window from the street lights below. There is a knock at his door. He slowly rises from the bed and opens it. He is slightly taken aback as he sees Amanda standing on the other side. The only word he manages to get out is "Amanda" as he remains motionless.

"Can I come in?", she asks.

"I'm sorry. Of course. Come in", a grateful Cameron replies as he lets her in.

"Oh, my God!", a startled Amanda exclaims as Cameron switches on a light and turns towards her. What happened?". His right eye is blackened, his lip cut, and the side of his face bruised.

"Gary happened" .

"Oh", she says with compassion. "I'm so sorry Cameron. I guess he didn't take it well".

"No he didn't".

"What happened?".

"Amanda, I'm sorry, but I just can't talk about it now. I hope you can understand".

"I do", she replies sympathetically.

"Please tell me why you're here. I mean, I need to know what you're thinking…what you're feeling. Is there a chance for us?", Cameron begs to know.

"To be honest, I'm not sure. Your letter really touched me. At first when I read it, I just wanted to run into your arms and not let go. But then I thought some more and realized what the future may hold for us and I began to worry".

"What do you mean?", a puzzled Cameron asks. "I have been seeing what Sophia has been going through with my brother and Lila. She is going to have his child and she has such a hold on him. He feels responsible and she is needy. Sophia is agonizingly caught in the middle. She is going through hell trying to make it work for her and Matt".

"But they're not us", Cameron desperately throws out to her. "I won't let that happen to us, I promise".

"You can't promise that Cameron. No one can. We don't know what's going to happen to Josie and Gary. If he can't deal with this, she is going to rely on you more and more. And I know you - you'll be there for her and the baby".

Cameron tries to interject his denial, when Amanda holds up her hand and states, "Because that's the kind of man you are - and the kind of man I would want you to be".

A distraught Cameron sighs, "What are you saying Amanda? I'm afraid to ask. I don't know what to do".

"I'm just laying everything out. All my feelings and fears. I want you to understand what we're in for and what may happen". "What we're in for? Does that mean you're willing to try?", a very hopeful Cameron asks. "I'm trying to get past Boca Lynda and the result of it. I don't know if I can. The only thing I do know is that I can't get past my love for you. I can't just walk away from that. I want to give us one more chance". "Oh Amanda, thank you. I love you so much". Cameron then goes to her and puts his arms around her and embraces her. "I'll do anything to make this work".

Amanda slightly pulls away from him after a few seconds, and cautiously states, "Let's take this one day at a time. OK?". "Sure Amanda. Anything you say". They embrace once again

Scene 4: Fade Out

END OF ACT 1

ACT 2

Months have gone by now. Amanda and Cameron have enjoyed tender moments of happiness intermittently mixed with anxious moments of doubt and anxiety. Gary has not taken the news of Boca Lynda well. He can't get past what his wife and brother have done and the consequences their actions have brought. The anger and disappointment has caused him to re-evaluate all that is important in his life. He and Josie have separated. Struggling to stay sober, Gary has turn to Felicia who has taken him in. She has tried in vain to make him realize that what Josie and Cameron did was out of grief for the perceived loss of him and Amanda and not out of desire. But Gary can't be reached. Not even by Amanda. At first Gary was angry with her, believing that she was holding the truth back from him. But after long talks, he realized that she was holding back because of her concern for him (and of course of her concern for Cameron). Although he does not agree with her, he accepts her need to forgive Cameron and to try again to make their relationship work.

Meanwhile, a despondent Josie is trying to come to terms with the impending birth of her child and the loss of her husband. She is increasingly turning to Cameron, because she has no one else to turn to. She is inconsolable about the rejection from Gary, but is determined to bring her child into the world. This is her main focus, regardless of the strain it is putting on Cameron and Amanda. Regretfully, she has no other choice.

Amanda begins to realize that her greatest fears are becoming real. She and Cameron are increasingly becoming at odds with his need to be there for Josie and the baby. At first, she has accepted being second in his life. But lately it seems to be expected and not valued. Cameron, meanwhile, is consumed with being the father he never had - in detriment to being the man he knows Amanda needs. A moment of crises arises.

Scene 1: Fade In

Cameron is walking to the door of his apartment and begins to put in his key to open it. He turns as he hears Amanda say, "Cameron".

"Amanda, hi!". He goes and kisses her hello. "What are you doing here? Not that I am not happy to see you", he says with a wide grin.

Amanda, looking very upset, replies, "Something's happened and I need to talk to you".

"Of course, come in". He opens the door and lets her in. "What's wrong, are you all right?", a very concerned Cameron asks.

As she begins to explain, the phone rings. Cameron says he'll let the machine pick it up and tells her to go on with what she has to say. At this moment, a hysterical Josie can be heard on the machine calling out to Cameron to pick up the phone. A shocked Cameron looks at the phone and then back to Amanda who returns the look with silent resignation.

"Cameron, I need you. Pick up the phone. It's the baby. Something's wrong. Please help me. Please." Cameron picks up the phone. "Josie, it's me. What's wrong. Calm down. You're not making any sense". There's a pause. Cameron continues, "Josie, listen to me. I'm going to call an ambulance and I will meet you at the hospital. Just hang on. I'll be there". He hangs up the phone and turns to Amanda. "Amanda, I'm sorry, but I have to go".

"I know", she simply replies. "Josie needs you".

Cameron picks up the phone and calls the ambulance. Then he turns to her and says, "Oh Amanda, I'm sorry. I have to do this".

She nods her head in agreement and adds, "I hope everything turns out all right, Cameron".

"Thank you. But wait, you needed to talk to me. Is it something that can wait?", he hoped.

"Just go. I can handle this myself. It's all right".

"Are you sure?". She nods "yes" and then he adds, "Thank you Amanda. I promise to call you as soon as I can and you can tell me everything. I love you", he adds as he kisses her and hurries out the door. A heartbroken Amanda, closes the door and sits down at the his desk. She grabs a piece of paper, picks up a pen and begins to write Cameron a letter as tears begin to fall.

Scene 1: Fade Out

Cameron meets Josie at the hospital. She was slightly hemorrhaging but they were able to get it under control. Although, she would have to be in the hospital for the next few days, she and the baby were in no immediate danger. They were told that Josie would need to take it easy for the next few weeks. Josie apologizes to Cameron for taking him away from Amanda and for putting him through this. He tells her not to worry about it. Amanda understood. He was going to go home, shower and then find her to explain everything.

Scene 2: Fade In

Cameron opens the door to his apartment. He goes to his desk to drop down his keys, when he notices an envelope with his name on it. Bewildered, he picks it up and opens it. It's a letter from Amanda. He can't believe what he is reading:

Dear Cameron,
I don't know how to begin this letter, just as I don't know how to say goodbye. The only thing I do know for sure is that I love you. I always will, but as I finally realized, it's not enough to get us through this. My fear of losing you to Josie is coming true. Not in the way I first thought but in a more threatening way. I know you don't love her as you do me, but right now you are more committed to her and the baby. And I can understand that, but I can't live with it anymore. It just hurts too much because I can see down the road what is going to happen if Josie and Gary can't get back together. She will become increasingly desperate and will rely on you more and more. And being the decent guy you are, you will be there for her whenever she needs you - whether it's out of guilt or obligation or compassion. Then once the baby is born, he or she will become the center of your life, just as my darling daughter is the center of mine. I owe her that much, as you will owe your own child. And your child's mother will always be Josie, and will always hold a place in your heart whether you want to admit it or not. In time, I would come to resent that, then you would grow to resent me. And then, in the end, our love will have died. At least this way, it can go on in our memories and in our hearts. It's time to say goodbye, Cameron. I will always love you. You will always hold a special place in my heart.
Amanda

An anguished Cameron, puts the letter down, lowers his face into his hands, and for the first time since his childhood, sobs uncontrollably.

Scene 2: Fade Out

Cameron pulls himself together and decides he has to find Amanda and fight for her. He hurries to her house. Amanda isn't there, but Rachel is. When Cameron asks to speak to Amanda, he is shocked to find out that she had left for Switzerland. Rachel is also surprised to find out that he didn't know. Amanda had led her to believe that Cameron was aware of the situation. What situation he asks? Amanda had received a phone call that Alli was undergoing an emergency appendectomy. Her appendix had ruptured and she was in very serious condition. Amanda was on the way to the airport when she had stopped to see Cameron to tell him what had happened. She was worried about her daughter and needed to see him before she left. She was hoping for his love and support, but Josie got that instead, Cameron painfully realized. Now he understood all she had written in the letter. And he realized she was right - he had to let her go or he would destroy all they had. He couldn't be the man she needed and she deserved better than that.

END OF ACT 2

CONTINUE