Tuesday, September 22, 2015

FLASHBACK: 'Another World' The Story of Steven, Rachel & Alice (Part 23 of 23)

Mackenzie Cory (Douglass Watson) married Rachel
Davis Matthews Clark Frame (Victoria Wyndham) on
February 14, 1975. Ralph Camargo, Wyndam's real-life
father, played the minister.
ANOTHER WORLD: The Story of Steven, Rachel & Alice

The Soap Box
Vol. IV No. 8 August 1979
by Bryna Laub

(continued from Part 22)

Rachel hoped their marriage, carried off by elopement to New York, would put an end to Iris' machinations but instead it only increased her efforts. But these attacks, while temporarily hurting Mac and Rachel's happiness, ultimately came to nothing. For Mac knew that Iris couldn't believe that Rachel, as she herself had said just before their marriage, had married not a wealthy man but what she had always dreamed of, a man who really loved her as she was and to whom she could be a good wife.

Alice had known at the time of her reconciliation with Steven that Rachel was no longer a threat. After all, the last separation hadn't been out of fear of Rachel but because of Alice's decision to sacrifice her own happiness for Steven's. But Rachel's happy marriage to Mac and her realization that they could all share in Jamie's affections put the final ghosts to rest.

Eager to regain his financial independence, Steven delightedly accepted an incredibly large contract to build and entire city in Australia with Alice's assurances she would enjoy a few years there as he supervised the enormous undertaking.

But news of Mary's sudden death while vacationing with Jim at Steven and Alice's St. Croix home changed Alice's plans. Steven, by transoceanic telephone, agreed with her decision to remain in Bay City until her father had gotten over the worst of his grief.

Recently orphaned Sally (Cathy Green) became
Alice's (Jacqueline Courtney) only reason for
living after Steven's tragic death.
During this period, Alice was called in to special-nurse a young patient, Sally Spencer, who was recovering from injuries received in a car crash which claimed the lives of her parents. Learning Alice recently lost her mother helped Sally lean on Alice and speeded her recovery. So strong became this bond between a young woman who couldn't have a child and a little girl who had no one, it was inevitable Alice should want to keep Sally with her always.

Steven was delighted with the idea. By phone he told Alice he would come back to Bay City to finalize the adoption and they could take their new daughter back to Australia together.

Radiantly happy, Alice awaited Steven's return only to have her whole world come crashing down around her a few later when Steven's helicopter crashed and he was killed. Without Sally at her side, Alice knew she would have never survived this senseless tragedy and she cose to believe God had sent Sally to her when he did to give her a reason to go on living.

Clinging to Sally's hand, Alice got through the memorial service for Steven in Bay City and the funeral in Chadwell, Oklahoma, the town where he was born. And after, when the worst of the tears were spent, she realized she could go on. After all, she had memories to last a lifetime.

Rachel, shocked at the news of Steven's death, felt an enormous outpouring of compassion and warmth for Alice but knew she couldn't go to Alice and tell her this. Alice wouldn't be able to believe it yet. Rachel ached for Jamie, whose grief was heightened by anger that his father had left him. It would take a long time for Jamie's hurt to heal. And for herself, even with Mac's love and understanding to cushion her, there was the pain of loss even now, because there was once a time.

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