*****

Todd has been driving for hours and he's starting to get antsy. Tea notices that he keeps fidgeting in his seat.

"Do you want me to drive for awhile,Todd?"she asks.

"No that's okay. You said we're almost there right?"he says turning to her.

"Yeah we're almost there. You need to get off on the next exit."

Todd goes to change the radio dial when the same Celine Dion song comes on for what seems like the hundreth time.

Tea shoots him a look.

"Oh, come on Delgado. How many times do you expect me to listen to this song and not puke?" he asks.

"You get to listen to to it for the same amount of time that I had to listen to that country crap you had on for the first two hours of this ride."

"You just remember no one ever knows about that, you hear me?" he says with an embarassed tone to his voice.

"Who exzctly would I tell?"she says dryly.

Todd dosen't answer her and gets off on the next exit he sees. As Tea is about to end his torture and change the radio station an old REO Speedwagon song comes on and Todd reaches out to stop her and takes her hand in his. They both listen to the words. The first part of the song the man describes a relationship that is progressing from friendship to love but the man dosen't know how to make the next step. The last part of the song describes the changes that the man has gone through since he met the woman and the chorus talks about how no matter how far apart the two are from each other ther conection is so strong that they seem to be able to find one another. The words get to both of them.

When the song ends Todd looks over at Tea. He ses she has tears in her eyes.

"Hey, why are you crying?"he asks worrying.

"I'm sorry. I guess this whole thing is just starting to hit me," she says.

Todd takes his hand off Tea's and focuses his eyes on the road. He feels his stomach lurch.

This was a stupid idea , he thinks. I never should have come back. I should have left her in her own world, safe. Now, I've gotten her mixed up in a mess she can't handle.

"Delgado, I'm sorry. Maybe we should just turn around and go back. I could drop you off in Llanview and leave again. No one would even have to know you saw me. You could say you we're upset and P.M.S'ing and needed to get away. Believe me I've lived with you and I know what you're like when your doing that thing and there's a couple of times I wanted to get away from you," Todd says the last part jokingly.

"Trying to get rid of me already Manning? Sorry, it's not going to work. I'm here and I'm staying. With you," as she says this she reaches over and unconsiously squeezes his leg. She notices he doesn't tense up. Not knowing what to think of this she changes the subject.

"You cut your hair," she says this as if she just noticed.

Todd runs his hand through his hair. "Yeah, I guess I needed a change. Why? You don't like it?"

He can't believe he's worried about his apperance. He's never cared before what a chick thought about how he looked. Tea's opinion is important though. It always has been.

"No, I didn't say that. It's just different that's all. Make a left at the next stop sign. It makes you look younger and older at the same time. If that makes any sense," she says.

"You cut your hair too. I don't like it," Todd states.

"Yeah, well that was kinda the point. I knew you wouldn't, that's why I did it."

"Huh?"

"When you left, every time I would go to put my hair up I would remember you saying you liked it that way. One particularly bad day I went and had it chopped off. I guess I was trying to get back at you," Tea says staring out the window.

"That's stupid," he says.

"Yeah, well you leaving in the first place was stupid," Tea says with anger in her voice. "It's the second house on the right," she says flatly.

Todd pulls up at the house. Getting out of the car he walks over to Tea's side. He opens the door but she won't move.

"Delgado," he starts.

"Don't, not here. Not now,"she says with no expression on her face. Stepping out of the car she walks up the driveway. Todd trails behind her. She rings the doorbell and waits for an answer. The door opens with Tea's abuelita on the other side.

"I know why you're here, come in," she says.