Sometimes I struggle to write certain characters. Usually it’s because they are stuck in a specific role or they haven’t needed to be present in someone else’s story, but with Bryan, I’ve struggled more than usual.
I think a lot of it has to do with Naomi. She is a character I feel a profound connection to and someone I am extremely protective about. She would hate that, but it’s just the way it is. I guess that’s the Tommy part of me. We just want to keep her in a bubble.
But she grew up and she became her own independent woman and I’m so happy for her. Still, I struggled with who she would connect with. I struggled to hear what she was saying.
When I introduced Bryan, it was initially as a foil between Sabrina and Naomi. He was the handsome hotshot teen from LA with a chip on his shoulder. I didn’t know much more about him, other than where he came from. Jason and Amber haven’t been prominent characters in the series at all, and even though I wrote their story in the Beautiful Disaster series, I hadn’t really mentioned them in a while.
Bryan quickly became someone I desired to develop. What made him tick? What happened to him in LA? Why was he so closed off to his dad?
I hated how he and Jason didn’t connect because I spent a lot of time with Jason and Amber and I know how great their relationship was and how much they wanted a child.
But, 18 years is a lifetime to spend apart from the scenery and that’s where I found myself.
Introducing Bryan and not seeing who he was as an adult.
I never thought he would be with Sabrina, but I didn’t necessarily intend for him to be with anyone. I wanted to up the drama and somehow, he fit that bill.
But then I put him in Naomi’s orbit and when they were in the kitchen, the connection was made.
Bryan was a chef. He always wanted to be a chef and he was struggling with the idea of sharing that with his parents.
Seeing how open Naomi was and how supportive her parents were showed him what he was missing and through her eyes, he began to see himself as he always wanted.
She didn’t expect anything from him except honesty and she loved him for all he was, not what he wasn’t.
Their love story was rocky and they were apart for a while, but the love has always been there. The support and the commitment has come back.
They are it for each other.
So how do I move them ahead? What do I want for them?
Keeping Naomi’s health issues in the forefront has never been my goal, but like many of us, whether we have time for them or not, our body’s tell us what’s going on. Naomi has a lot going on, she always has. She handles her issues with grace and never makes a big deal about things, but this was different.
Everything was going well for them. Having recovered from the awful aftermath of the pop up and both of them doing what they wanted and enjoyed. The developing romance between Kevin and Josie was giving them a lot to be happy about.
And then an unplanned pregnancy.
Normally. that in itself would be enough to send a couple into a tailspin, but everything was compounded by Naomi’s health.
Bryan did everything right. He was supportive and loving and tried to do whatever he could to support Naomi. He knew something wasn’t right and once she finally found out how serious her situation was, it became critical.
She needed a transplant to survive. Her third. Her body was struggling and she was out of time and options.
Bryan didn’t ask anyone. He got tested because it was the right thing to do.
He was a match and that was the most amazing gift.
His parents were concerned, rightfully so.
He didn’t hesitate. She was dying. He was healthy. He could do perfectly fine with one kidney.
She wasn’t able to talk to him. She didn’t know.
He never thought about what might happen if something went wrong.
And it did.
Now what?
