"Sweetheart, I’m not trying to question you. I’m just concerned that’s all. I mean, did something happen between the two of you that -

"Mom, can not we not do this please? I think I already said I didn’t want to talk about it," Lucky answered. Cutting his mother off as he sat down at the table. Already on his 3^rd cup of coffee.

He’d slept on the train…Sleep wasn’t good. All sleep did was give you a false sense of everything being ok. And when you opened your eyes…BAM – you were back in the land of reality again. Hurting just as badly as you did before you let yourself forget.

Lucky brought the mug to his lips again. Knowing his mother meant well, but he’d only been home for a little over an hour and already he was facing the inquisition? Couldn’t they just be glad to have him home? Regardless of whether or not he’d brought his would-be traveling companion with him?

It struck him that he should have lied about her whereabouts. He should have said that she simply couldn’t get away from rehearsal for the weekend.

But he didn’t feel like lying to his parents. He didn’t really feel like doing anything.

Luke sized his son up from across the table. If Lucky wouldn’t just come out with it, maybe he could drag it out by a few misplaced comments.

"Looks to me like Bonebreath over there, took Elizabeth’s seat on the train anyway. Maybe the Canine kicked her to the curb," Luke commented with his trademark grin.

The grin faded as his son glared over his coffee mug.

He held up his hands in surrender. "Listen Cowboy, your mother and I are just tryin’ to figure out what’s goin’ on. I mean, one minute you sound all depressed over the phone…The next day your ecstatic that she’s coming….And now," Luke paused. "Now you’re sitting here without Elizabeth.

"It’s not easy to make my head spin boy…but you’re doing a good job," Luke continued. "Your mother and I aren’t ABNORMAL because we ask you where your girlfriend is."

Sensing Lucky’s growing discomfort, Laura cleared her throat. This wasn’t just some ordinary fight her son was recovering from.

"Luke leave it alone."

"Huh? But you’re the one who told me to find out what was going on –

"I said leave it alone," she reiterated through grit teeth. Locking eyes with Lucky before he looked down to reach for his mug once more.

"I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to call you back Lucky," she continued after sitting down as well. "I’ve been so busy with the preparations for Lu’s dance that I completely forgot."

"It’s ok," Lucky half mumbled to himself. Seemingly out to lunch again. Not really in the kitchen…not really…anywhere.

Luke sighed. "Yep, and your sister was really looking forward to meeting your girl –

"Dad!" Lucky shouted. "Could you PLEASE give it a rest already?! She’s NOT here, ok!? Is that alright with you?! I’m here – your son! Silly me, thinking that’d be good enough! Is it ok that I’m here or should I pack up and go home?…Or better yet, go on over to the bikeshop and see if I can’t get my old room back?"

Laura sighed and shook her head at her husband. "Do you see what you’ve done?"

"Fine," Luke sighed holding up his hands once more. "Fine Cowboy…I didn’t mean to…" his voice trailed off. "Fine. I’m glad you’re here. We all are."

" ‘Cept for me," Lu sighed with disdain. Pushing open the door to the kitchen just in time to save her long lost brother from a fate worse than death: a round of Parental 20 questions.

"I’m actually quite disappointed that you’ve decided to show your ugly mug here," she c continued as she moved behind him. "But whatever. ‘Ya back for good? Least I’ve got someone to do my chores now."

Laura’s heart swelled as she watched the first hint of a smile, grace her son’s lips before her turned around. Finally setting his coffee mug down as he gave his full attention to her.

Lucky sighed. The rate at which his sister’s beauty increased, was beginning to get a little ridiculous. He glanced at his father, and his father simply nodded in an almost painful kind of understanding. He’d already purchased padlocks.

"Howya doin Kiddo?" He asked with a grin.

"The name’s Leslie and I’m doing just fine. You on the other hand look like you got ran over by a truck…What’s wrong with you?"

Luke groaned as he stood up to place his dishes in the sink. "He’s FINE. What’s with all the women in this house wanting to coddle him?" He rounded to the back of Lucky’s chair and pulled at the corners of his son’s lip – creating a forced smile. "See…he’s good."

Laura and Luke both laughed as Lucky tried to shrug his father off.

Leslie tapped him on the shoulder and held out her hand, palm up. "I don’t wanna save him. I just wanna use his cash. Get up," she sighed. Pulling on his sleeve. "You’re treating me to a burger at Kelly’s."

"Good afternoon to you too," Lucky sighed.

"Oh give it up – you’re rich, you can afford a burger."

Laura laughed once more as Leslie pulled her brother towards the back door, and he quickly grabbed his coffee for one last gulp.

"Be back for dinner," she called. Shaking her head. Knowing it would be a miracle if they were home before dawn. They always seemed to get themselves distracted when they were out together…two peas in a pod – getting into trouble.

It seemed that maybe that sullen face of her son’s actually COULD be cheered up…She should have known what the secret weapon was.

She dabbed at her eyes and tried not to cry as she rose from her seat and walked towards the sink. But it was too late. As the door shut behind them, Luke sauntered up from behind and wrapped his arms around her. "Go ahead and cry my little Tear Bucket…I won’t tell anybody."

Laura sniffled and laughed again instead.

~~~~~~~

Elizabeth pulled the huge box from her closet and dragged it out of their bedroom. It didn’t belong there anymore. It had already done it’s best to contaminate everything that it had ever come in contact with.

Part of the reason she’d never been able to fully give herself to Lucky, in this damn room was because of the stupid box. Knowing it was sitting inside the closet. Knowing it held everything from her past.

Knowing that the parts of Elizabeth Webber that HE had touched were in there.

Yet what she realized now, was that items inside had never been confined to the box. That she’d allowed HIM – in all his various forms - to come invade every part of her life. She’d allowed her stepfather to ruin things from the inside out. Not simply from the dimensions of cardboard box sent from her old apartment.

No, he’d made his move from deep within the recesses of her heart.

He’d attacked, and she’d let him. Just as she had, every other time in her life. Every time she got close to having something remotely worth fighting for…

And it had to stop. If she had any hope of ever getting Lucky back. Of ever trying to make him understand…it had to stop. She had to find a way to put an end to it, and after hurting someone more than she ever thought she could…she thought she finally knew the answer to how to do that.

Lucky had been trying to show her the answer for months, but she never got it. She never really understood until the night before as she lay there in a dingy motel room. Looking at what her life could be again. Dreaming of what life had turned into for the briefest of moments. For the most beautiful of times.

Her eyes traveled over the stack of items she’d removed from the box. The report cards lay on top. The ones that Lucky had innocently seen one day. The ones she’d reprimanded him for even speaking about.

He hadn’t deserved that, but she’d reacted harshly anyway. Afraid that he’d find out about her. Afraid that he’d truly know her for the first time and hate what he saw.

But she no longer had the option of fear. Fear was something she simply had to overcome.

Overcome it – or lose him forever.

When she stumbled upon the report card that she was looking for, she stopped. Reading the grades aloud before she stuffed it in her purse along with the rest. There were other things she needed. Things that wouldn’t fit in her purse, but she’d stuff in her duffel bag.

‘Starting to pack again huh?’ Her brain asked. ‘Not only do you NOT know if he’ll even want you there – but you don’t even have the address…How exactly do you plan on doing this Webber?’

Elizabeth bit down hard on her bottom lip.

"That’s easy," she whispered aloud. "You’ll just have to go over to Lucinda’s or Wallace’s or BOTH…and get down on your knees and grovel. It’s just that simple… isn’t it?"

When she looked up into the mirror on the closet she nodded yes. It’d be as uncomfortable for them as it was for her, she was sure of that…but she had to. There was no other choice.

And if neither of them felt her worthy, she’d find him some other way. If he never, ever looked at her the same way…she still had to say she was sorry. She still had to let him know that he’d never done anything to deserve such hurt. That he was the most wonderful person she’d ever met.

"Overcome," she whispered out loud this time. "Overcome or lose him…forever."

~~~~~~~

Lucinda shut her eyes for a brief moment and breathed deeply through her nose. Glancing over her shoulder as the shutters on the camera clicked once more. Amazing, how much effort smiling took sometimes. Especially on days when you’d gotten absolutely no sleep and you knew that underneath all the makeup you looked like Hell.

After her visit with Lucky, she’d tried to go home and sleep but the effort had been futile. And now she was expected to smile and giggle for her photographer’s lame jokes?

She couldn’t take this.

"Cinda do you need a break?"

The question broke through the haze that enveloped her, and she quickly shook her head. What had she done? Groaned out loud or something?

"No…I just…Can we hurry and finish this? I’m really just…tired."

Nodding, quickly photographer went about clicking away. Flash after flash erupting in her face as she adjusted the white fuzzy hat on her head and lay down against the white floor.

They always said ‘act natural,’ so that’s exactly what she was doing. Naturally – after a night like the one she’d had – she felt like going to sleep. And sleeping forever.

She reluctantly rolled back over when she noticed the flash was no longer erupting in her face. Closing her eyes, must not have been what her photographer wanted……

Or maybe someone who wasn’t supposed to be in the studio was standing very quietly in the doorway.

Her heart jumped into her throat. "What are you doing here?"

"Lucinda," the photographer called in irritation as he glanced at the intruder. "Please tell your friend to leave. I’m not running a day care center here. You can’t just nap on the job and then have your little friends come in to play with you."

She nodded quickly at his thickly accented words and sat up. Her eyes locking with his from across the room. "I can assure you that he’s LEAVING. Right this very SECOND."

When he didn’t move, she got to her feet and crossed over towards him. Her photographer swore in French under his breath.

Her words were hushed and hurried as she spoke. They came out in short hisses. "Listen, I don’t know what you’re doing here but –

"But you should probably go ASSURE him that I’m NOT leaving until I talk to you," Wallace interrupted just as sternly. Staring into her eyes. "I’ve been up all damn day, and I’m not leaving here until I get this off my chest. Until I make you understand what happened."

"Wallace. You can’t just do this!" She continued. Trying to keep her voice down as people started to stare. She could literally feel the make-up guy shaking his head…she was going to make herself shiny.

"You can’t just SHOW up here – at my place of business and –

"What?" He asked. Taken aback. He almost smiled – almost. "You show up at my place of business all the time! Coming into Lucky’s office, asking if we want to do lunch with you…PUHLEEASE – are you trying to tell me that you’re job is more important than ours?"

She licked her lips and placed her hands on her hips. That wasn’t even remotely the point! Was he trying to infuriate her even more?!

"Wallace I don’t have TIME for this right now. We can do this LATER."

"If you answered any of your calls, or returned any – I might go for that…but in the last 15 hours I’ve called you about 15 times…and nothing."

"I’ve been WORKING."

"You have NOT been WORKING since 4 in the morning – that’s bull."

"Well maybe I simply don’t return calls from people that CALL at 4 IN THE MORNING. Maybe I was SLEEPING, like NORMAL people."

When she tried to walk away, Wallace quickly wrapped his fingers around her wrist. "Well if you were sleeping, I’d like you to tell me your secret. Because I couldn’t sleep a wink. Thinking about what you must be thinking about me…Thinking that I hurt you……

"See, that pretty much made the act of closing my eyes a lost cause," he finished.

She didn’t have a comeback for that one. She couldn’t even remember to breathe.

"I just wanna talk to you," he whispered after a moment. Letting go of her, but narrowing the space between them a bit with a step forward. "That’s all………If you decide, after we’re done, that you want to end this – that you want to put a stop to it before it even really begins – that’s fine. I’ll respect that. But please don’t make that decision before we even sit down with each other……please."

"Wallace –

"That’s my name - I’m NOT Jack," he said. Before she even finished. The ‘Wallace,’ had sounded negative, and he wasn’t going to let her do that.

Her conversation with Lucky from earlier that morning came flooding back and she closed her eyes. "I’ll be out of here in about 45 minutes. If you want to meet me at home in like an hour and a half….…we can talk."

Wallace took a deep breath and shoved his hands in his pockets as he nodded. "Ok…good. Ok…I’ll see you then. Ok…"

"Ok," she agreed. Nodding. "I’ll see you."

"Ok," he nodded again.

"OOOOOOOOOkaaaaaaaaaaaay," the photographer shouted. Gesturing for her to get back to the set.

Wallace grinned a bit sheepishly and tilted his head sideways. "I’m sorry…you better get back to work. That guy’s liable to hit his accent quota if you don’t hurry."

As badly as she tried not to laugh, that sideways Elvis grin that he’d been the first to tell her she had, pulled at the corner of her mouth and she was lost again.

"I’ll see ya," she sighed. Moving backwards.

He nodded. "See ya."

~~~~~~~

"Oh man…for that rescue you get not only the burger but a sundae on me as well," Lucky sighed. Zipping up his jacket and shoving his hands in his pockets as they walked briskly down the street. "Have I told you lately that I love you?"

"I know you do. I’m good like that…So tell me about this girl. She break your heart?"

"Ah come on…And here I thought you were on my side."

Leslie pulled her lavender beanie a bit lower over her ears and grinned. Her breath coming out in big white puffs when she sighed. "Please. You’re stalling, and I don’t have all day. You already KNOW I’m on your side. But I have to know details – I gotta know what my ‘side’ is all about."

Lucky rolled his eyes and continued to walk towards Kelly’s. Suddenly psyched to have a hot bowl of chilly. The kind you couldn’t get ANYWHERE in New York City.

"She didn’t break my heart."

"Oh really?" His sister questioned relentlessly. Catching up to her brother’s huge strides. "Then why’d you show up here without her? The last I heard you were so in looooooooove with her. I couldn’t imagine that you’d show up without her the girl superglued to your chest or something."

He grimaced. "That sounds painful."

After a moment he slowed up a bit. Realizing he was going to have to talk about this sooner or later. And better with the squirt than with his parents at this point.

Leslie smiled. "Ok, it’s time ‘fess up. If you ‘fess up…I’ll ‘fess up about Robert."

Lucky stopped cold in his tracks. "Who’s Robert?"

Biting her bottom lip she grinned. "Oh wouldn’t you like to know."

"Lu…"

She laughed out loud at the big brother tone. For such a modern, Manhattanite he sure was old fashioned sometimes.

"Actually," she laughed again. "I thought Mom and Dad would have told you about him…Oh well – guess not – moving right along –

"No, no, no" he said gesturing with his hands. "Moving right along my ass –

"Whoah – impressionable young ears here."

"Oh please…come on – tell me," he demanded. "You can’t just bring up some guy’s name and then drop it."

"Why not?" She shrugged. "I say guy’s names all the time. See, like this…Earnie, Eddie, Malcolm, Steve…and then I just drop them – just like that – and never speak of them again - see, isn’t that clever of me?"

"Yeah, but you didn’t say Robert like that. You said it like…Roooooooobert."

With a hand on her hips, she rolled her eyes and started walking again. "I did NOT."

"You did too," he teased. "So who is he?……..Ooooooh," he said after a moment. The ‘ooohing’ very much like kids had done to him back in kindergarten when he’d had a crush on Cynthia Harmon. "Is this the guy you’re going to the dance with on Friday? He your booooyfriend?"

"No," she sighed in disgust. "He’s just taking me to the dance since we’d already agreed on it before we broke up."

Once again, Lucky stopped in his tracks. What the…

"What?! Since you what? Wait, wait, wait…I was just kidding about him being your boyfriend. Lu – who said you could have a boyfriend? You’re too YOUNG for a boyfriend."

Leslie rolled her eyes once more and took a dramatic step back. He looked like his head was about to explode. "Well you better talk to your parents, because they’re fine with it."

"What do you mean they’re FINE with it? They are NOT fine with it."

Starting to walk again, she shook her head. "See this is what happens when you move to Manhattan, Cityboy…you lose touch with things. Lose your mind…"

"I haven’t lost my mind, but obviously our parents have lost their’s……..Man they’re getting’ soft in their old age," he finished with a sigh.

"Oh PLEASE they totally let you go out on dates when you were 13….and if you respond with ‘that’s different,’ I will be FORCED to sock you in the gut."

It was right on the tip of his tongue, but he bit it back. "Ok, fine. It’s not DIFFERENT – but still…Lu…"

"But still Lu WHAT?" She laughed, as if his reaction were the funniest thing she’d ever heard. She moved aside as he pushed the door open for her.

Wow. She couldn’t remember him opening doors for her since she was like 5. What was THAT all about?

Lucky took a deep breath and sat down at his favorite old table. Watching as Lu sat down and began glancing around over her shoulder.

"Who’re you looking for, Rooooooobert?" He asked with a sneer. Thinking of how he’d actually like to see the little punk for himself.

"No," she sighed. Taking a drink from the glass of water sat before her. "I’m looking for that little skank he was passing a note to in Algebra...she hangs out here sometimes."

Lucky’s eyes widened. "Wait. This guy cheated on you?…Oh damn…hold on - I don’t think I wanna know what CHEATING consists of in the 8^th grade."

"Well he SAYS he didn’t kiss her," Leslie explained. Completely unfazed by her brother’s horror. "But I don’t know…my friend Bernadette says she saw them at the mall like TWO days before my friend Lisa saw him pass that little skank the note in Algebra…so what am I supposed to think?……Whatever – we broke up – it doesn’t matter…So now he’s taking me to the dance – but that’s all for him. No mas."

Lucky’s head swam and he ran a hand through his hair. "Ok, I don’t know whether to give you a lecture on not listening to ‘he said – she saids’ or to be thankful you obviously weren’t too attached to this guy.

"Maybe I could give you one now, and save the other for later?" he questioned quietly with a shake of his head as he drank from his own glass of water.

She groaned loudly and took another drink. "I’m just wondering whether or not I should tell him that I REALLY wanna go with Randy to the dance? I mean, he asked me before…when we were together…but then we broke up. And he and I never made the same pact that Robert and I did –

"Wait!" Lucky said. Holding up a hand. This was turning into some bad soap opera. Not that he’d ever watched any of those. "So ok…let me get this straight…Robert is not – WAS not," he corrected. "Your first boyfriend? Am I correct?"

"Correct," she sighed. Irritated at how slowly he was picking this up. Usually he was super sharp. That skank he was living with must have done a complete number on him.

"What the Hell is going on?" Lucky mumbled his breath. "It’s like the Earth has slipped off it’s access and nothing is the same anymore."

Leslie sighed. "A tad dramatic…but ok."

"You mean to tell me that you’ve been ‘going out’ with people for what…how long exactly?"

She shrugged. "I don’t know…since the summer I guess. Lucky it’s NOT a big deal. Boy’s really aren’t that difficult to handle."

Lucky had to grin as he let his head fall into his hands. "Ok fine…but what about this Robert guy?" He asked soberly. "Do I need to bust his head or what?"

Lulu sipped at her usual - the coke that had just been placed on the table, next of course, to Lucky’s extra-thick shake.

"Nope…no busting of the head required. I’ve got it completely under control.

She paused as the waitress came to take their orders.

"Now," she continued not a split second later. "What about you? Do I need to bust HER head?"

Lucky rubbed his eyes hard with his knuckles and shook his head. "No…"

"That ‘no’ didn’t sound too convincing…You know my right hook has only improved over time."

He grinned at her. "I bet it has."

Biting the inside corner of her lip, she slipped a few strands of long black hair over her shoulder and then folded her arms. "You know…if you don’t tell me what happened, I could always get on the horn and call Wallace. You know he’d tell me in like a nanosecond."

His silence made her frown. It was supposed to be a joke, but he wasn’t taking it like one. Her brother really did seem sad all of a sudden. She hated it when he looked sad.

"Don’t tell me you’re on the outs with Wallace too," she groaned. "I didn’t think there was anything that could come between you guys."

Lucky took a long drink from his thick shake. Closing his eyes and letting it settle like a rock inside his stomach. Even a good Kelly’s chocolate shake couldn’t cure the ache that resided in his heart.

"I didn’t think so either," he sighed. Toying with the huge straw.

The wheels churned in her head as she watched him. And then suddenly, as if a light had been turned on, it dawned on her. "Oh gosh…did he…did they…no way!" She gasped.

Lucky licked his lips, and got ready to speak again when she shook her head in shock. "What a little skank!"

"Lu!" Lucky exclaimed. "You don’t even know her. Don’t call her that. What is that anyway? Your new word of the day? Pick a new one – preferably one that’s actually in the dictionary."

A long-suffering sigh escaped her. "You’re kidding me! Are you actually defending her? Even after she did – THAT- with your BEST friend?!"

Lucky leaned in across the table and lowered his voice in hopes that she would take the hint and lower hers as well. "She didn’t do THAT with my best friend."

"Well than what did she do?!"

No luck in the lowering of the voice department. Jeez Louise…

"You know," Lucky whispered. "It hits me that you could never EVER be a spy – you’re too LOUD!" He hissed.

"Looks to me I could make a killer spy. I’ve already gotten more information out of you than Mom and Dad did – now quit stalling and tell me what the little skank did," she demanded in the same rapid-fire tone that his mom sometimes used.

"Stop calling her a skank and I’ll tell you."

She groaned and tossed her hair. "Ok fine – she’s not a skank – but I reserve the right to call her a tramp if the need arises."

"Listen," Lucky began with a sigh. "It’s not as cut and dry as all that. She’s…Look, all they did was kiss," he finished. Knowing the ‘all they did’ part didn’t even sit right with him. How was he supposed to make HER understand?

‘All they did…yeah sure, right Spencer. If you really were ok with ‘all they did,’ you wouldn’t be here without her right now.’

Lulu folded her arms across her chest once more and glanced up at the ceiling above. "Lucky, I’m really not old enough yet to be mature about this. So you’ll forgive me when I slip up and call her a skank again."

His eyes narrowed and she leaned forward conspiratorially. "How could she do that to you?"

He couldn’t believe he was doing this. Couldn’t believe he was about to say this…but it was just like with Lucinda – he was about to defend someone who’d hurt him more than he’d ever been hurt…again.

"Kiddo, it’s not that simple," he sighed. "I mean, the entire ride down here, I was thinking about it…I can’t seem to get it out of my head," he sighed. Closing his eyes once more. Seeing the instant replay as vividly as he had at home. It seemed he couldn’t quite escape it. "But I know that…as much as it hurt me…it hurt her just the same…maybe even more."

She thought about that for a moment, but it didn’t make any sense to her. "What does that mean? If she did that, she obviously wanted to…Why would she do that if it hurt?"

Once again he reached up to rub his eyes. Not enough sleep, and too many questions for one day.

"Elizabeth doesn’t think she’s good enough for me," he sighed finally.

"She’s got that right."

Lucky held up his hand. "Honey I appreciate your loyalty, you know I do. But if you don’t let me finish I’m never gonna get this out, ok?"

She nodded seriously.

He took a deep breath and began again. "Elizabeth has been through a lot. I can’t tell you…everything. Ah…" He said quickly. Holding up his hand once more when she started to interrupt. "Not because I don’t think you can handle it, or that you’re too young……I can’t tell you – number one because I don’t know all of it – and number two, because it’s not my story to tell – ok?"

Again she nodded. "Fine."

"What I can tell you," he began again. "Is that she was raised by people who made her think she wasn’t ever good enough for anything. And that’s left this…THING with her. This idea in her head that she’s not supposed to be happy. So she does this thing," he sighed. "She does this thing where…whenever she starts to be…happy…she sabotages that happiness somehow…because she doesn’t think she deserves it."

"That sucks."

He nodded. "Yeah. For her…and apparently…for me too, now."

"Well," Leslie began slowly. Choosing her words carefully this time. Wanting to give him the kind of advice that he needed. The kind of good advice that he’d always been able to give her. She was getting older now – it was time she pulled her own weight in this relationship. "You don’t…you don’t HAVE to put up with it. I mean you could always end it…Break up with her if she isn’t…You know, if she isn’t good for you."

He smiled a bit and looked down at the burger than now sat before him. He shrugged when he looked up.

"I almost wish I could do that. It’d be easier…but I can’t.…I love ‘er…Lu, I love ‘er so much that I’m sitting here thinking about how much she’d love the cheeseburgers here…She kissed my best friend and I’m sitting here thinking about her eating habits," he sighed. "That make any sense to you?"

Lulu smiled softly and nodded. "Yeah it makes sense. It makes that crazy kinda sense that it does in romantic movies…when people love each other so much that they just forgive each other…even when it seems like they shouldn’t," she sighed.

"I guess that’s the difference huh?" She continued upon his silence. "Between like me and Robert and you and Elizabeth…you guys – you guys are really in love………I’d say that probably makes a kind of sense that I can’t understand yet."

He could only raise and eyebrow and sigh.

"Wow," she continued as she bit into her burger. "I just hope somebody loves me like that one day…"

He grinned at her as he bit into his own burger. His sister had not only made him smile a few times today, but had succeeded in making him forget about his problems for nearly a half-hour.

"Oh…I can pretty much guarantee that."

~~~~~~~

Wallace watched her as she traipsed back and forth from the kitchen to the living room. Back and forth…back and forth…

First she’d needed a drink. Then she’d needed ice, now apparently she needed a napkin to hold her glass.

"I think I just got it," he sighed. Cutting the silence, previously sliced by only the sound of her feet moving across the hardwood floor.

Beautiful feet…

They stopped in their tracks at the sound of his voice. And he looked up into her eyes just as she turned towards him. "You get what?"

"You’re scared…You’re afraid of falling into the same trap that you did with Jack. You didn’t see it with him at first – but if you can catch me at it from the get go, then good for you right?…Yeah, that’s what it is," he said almost to himself. "I’m paying for Jack’s sins."

He said it without apology and without accusation in his tone as he looked up at her from his place on the couch.

Lucinda placed one hand on her hip and shook her head. "You know Wallace, I didn’t invite you here so that you could psychoanalyze me."

He rose from the couch and neared her. "That’s not what I’m trying to do…but the more I think about it, the more it makes sense…Why else would you have slapped me? Why else would you STILL be giving me the cold shoulder after I explained to you that it was Elizabeth who kissed ME, not the other way around."

"Maybe because you LET her! Maybe because…"

"Because what?" He asked. Watching as she floundered for words. "See, you can’t even think of a good reason!"

"The fact that you let her kiss you, isn’t a good enough reason?!" She gasped. Moving around him when he got a bit too close.

"I was in shock!" Wallace countered. His mouth hanging open like it had after he’d pushed Elizabeth away just a few hours ago. Damn, it already seemed like days.

"And listen…maybe this is still too fresh in everyone’s mind but Elizabeth didn’t exactly look like she’d had a grand time kissing me either!"

"Which means what?" Lucinda sighed. Sinking down on her couch. "I’m supposed to feel sorry for you guys that maybe you had incompatible kissing styles?"

Wallace threw up his hands. "Which means that the kiss meant absolutely NOTHING to either one of us! It was a stupid move made by Elizabeth for some…stupid – God only knows what – reason!…I just happened to get caught in the crossfire…and so did you.

"If it hadn’t have been me," he continued. "It would have been some other poor defenseless shmuck. It would have been Jack for God’s sake……

When she looked down, he could have kicked himself. "Shit…I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have – I shouldn’t have gone there," he stammered. "Damn."

Looking down at his shoes, Wallace shook his head after a moment and grinned sardonically. "I really am batting a thousand here aren’t I? And we’re not even officially ‘going out’ yet –

"You’re right," she said suddenly, from her sitting position. Her voice soft and thick with emotion. "You’re absolutely right."

Wait, wait…he wasn’t expecting her to just agree with him outright like that. See, that was just MEAN.

"No…I mean about what you just said," she continued. Having read his thoughts. "About Jack," she chuckled bitterly. "He would have been all for it. Here I am punishing you, when Jack would have taken the opportunity and run with it. He probably would have had her in bed quicker than I could say ‘double shot of Vodka please.’"

She was silent for a long moment and Wallace walked slowly over to her. Sitting down next to her on the couch and removing her glass from her hands. Sitting it down on the nice little girlie coaster on the coffee table. She had tons of cute little girlie…things.

"I’m not Jack."

He’d said it already, but maybe this time she heard him. Because when she looked up, something in her eyes had changed.

"I know that," she sighed after a second. "And I sit here…blaming you, when I was just as guilty – if not more – than you were last night."

His brow creased. "You’re the one who stole my Heineken?"

She grinned and looked down. Determined not to laugh yet. "No but I may have stolen a night that could have belonged to us…to you and me. I stole another 3 hours of my life and gave them to Jack," she sighed. "Even after I’d already broken up with him."

Broken up? They’d broken up?…THEY’D BROKEN UP?!

"Wh – when…when did – did you –

"When did we break up?" She finished for him. Asking the question he couldn’t as she glanced towards her drink. "RIGHT before the party. He came here," she sighed. "He came here and was acting like the world class jerk that he is…and I…God, I don’t know what happened really – nothing out of the ordinary…but something inside me just SNAPPED – and I told him to get lost. I told him to get all his shit and hit the road."

"Wow…" Wallace mouthed. Watching her as she fiddled with the engagement ring on her finger. A ring she never even touched.

Most women, when they got engaged – liked to show their rings off to everyone. Liked to dreamily sit and gaze at it when they thought no one was looking. But not Lucinda. He couldn’t even ever remember her looking at it…let alone touching it – like she did now.

"Not that I’m not…completely HAPPY about this," he began slowly. "But what brought that on? I mean, you SAID you would –

"But you didn’t believe me?" She finished. "I don’t blame you. I didn’t believe myself after saying it so many times."

He only nodded as she looked at the high vaulted ceiling. She shrugged and looked down again. A part of her desperately afraid to admit what she was about to.

"I did it because of you."

Wallace inhaled deeply through his nose. "Wow…one date – no pressure."

A slow grin pulled at one corner of her mouth and she glanced at him sheepishly. "Wallace we’ve been going out a lot longer than just that one time…I feel like I’ve known you my entire life…I don’t know what took me so long to realize that this…this THING between a man and a woman," she gestured. Moving her hand between their chests. "Is supposed to be…fun…It’s not supposed to hurt all the time."

When he said his next words, they sounded so innocent that a part of her couldn’t help but believe them.

"I wouldn’t," he swallowed hard. "I wouldn’t hurt you."

Her smile grew a bit and she shook her head. "You will…and I will. But at least…" she paused. Reaching up to touch his face. She never realized before how wonderful his skin felt. He wasn’t as smooth as Jack or as slick. But a little rough……it was called character. Something she’d had far too little of in her life. "At least I’ll know that when you do…you weren’t deliberately trying to."

He knew it was a serious moment, but as was his nature – he was unable to keep from cracking a joke. "So you mean the next time you see me kissing some girl at a bar, you’ll automatically think it’s her doing, because I’m such a chick magnet."

She lifted her hand and pointed to the inside of her palm. "Did you like the way this felt the first time McKenzie?"

Wallace grinned. "Hey anything that gets your hands on me can’t be all bad."

They locked eyes for a moment and Lucinda breathed deeply. "I really feel like putting my lips on you right now."

His breath stilled in his chest and leaned back against the couch. "I have absolutely nowhere to be…do what you must."

She bit the inside of her lip and smiled a bit sadly the next moment. "I MUST have…time…a little."

Leaning forward once more, he nodded slowly.

"I’m sorry. I just – I know I’ve already made you wait forever…I just – I can’t jump into something right after –

His finger shushed her mouth before she could speak another word. "Like you said…I’ve waited this long," he said with a subtle smile. "I can wait another 5 minutes or so."

She laughed and felt him gaze at her as he pulled his finger away. She’d never felt anyone gaze that way at her. It was unnerving and exciting and made her heart pound like crazy all at once. In a moment she was back in junior high and passing notes about the cute new guy in Biology.

And good God, this was Wallace! What was happening…

‘Oh it’s already happened Lucinda…don’t question it, don’t even try and fight it.’

"So you’ll wait then?" She asked timidly. "It might be a little longer than five minutes."

He tilted his head to the side and connected his eyes to hers. "What do you think the answer to that question is?"

She sighed and reached for his hand. Weaving her fingers through his. "I think that nobody has ever taken a taxi in the middle of lunch hour traffic to come down to my job and give me a stern talking to. I think that most people are afraid of my photographer…beret and all………and I think that I’m gonna hurry."

Wallace stood up after a moment and leaned over. Placing a kiss on her forehead. "And that’s all I ask."

Each of them glanced upwards at the sudden knock at the door. Lucinda silently cursing the intrusion as he removed his lips from her head. She’d been just about to change her mind about kissing him.

"You want me to get that?" He asked. Standing to his full height. And he suddenly looked so…so big. Had she never noticed before that even as she stood up, he was taller?

With Jack, she’d never been able to wear heels. His ego went into some kind of seizure-like fit, every time she had.

"That’s ok," she whispered, moving past him. "Why don’t you just go ahead and make yourself comfortable…If you’re lucky maybe I’ll make you some dinner tonight."

He wiggled his eyebrows and sat back down. Watching her as she moved towards the front door to open it.

Each of them sucked in a breath as its opening gave way to Elizabeth.

Wallace stood up once more. Waiting to see if maybe he’d need to move between them as Lucinda continued to stare.

Elizabeth was the first to speak. She glanced at the floor and cleared her throat before looking back up at Lucinda and then towards Wallace inside.

"There’s absolutely nothing that I can say," she began slowly. "That will make what happened last night…alright…or…acceptable…What I did was completely and totally hurtful and disrespectful of not only Lucky…but you – Lucinda, and you – Wallace…and Jack…and myself –

"I wouldn’t worry too much about Jack."

The interruption wasn’t surprising because it had been one, but because of the timing and the content. Elizabeth nodded slowly in slight confusion, but went on.

"What I’m trying to say is that I’m sorry," she said. Placing a hand against her chest. "And that I know that doesn’t make up for anything…but I have to say it anyway.

"I did something…" she continued. "Something to hurt myself – by hurting Lucky…if that makes – if that makes any kind of sense," she sighed. Shaking her head. Her throat tightened to the point of pain, but she continued on. "And in the process I not only hurt us, but the both of you as well…and that’s something that I never set out to do."

From her position across the threshold, she gestured towards Wallace. "Wallace I never meant to get you involved like that. What happened…that wasn’t…I didn’t PLAN that – It just…

"It just happened?" Lucinda asked matter of factly.

Elizabeth took a deep breath and looked down once more. "I don’t expect you to believe this…but…yes – I didn’t…I didn’t THINK about it," she tried to explain. "I didn’t run back into the club thinking I was going to kiss Wallace – I just…I just had to get away from Lucky and from myself and from all the voices in my……" She broke off. Not wanting to get into certain things. "Listen, all the explanations I can possibly make aren’t going to make one damn bit of difference. I hurt everyone – it’s that plain and it’s that simple……I’m saying I’m sorry.

"Lucinda, you’ve been a friend to me since day one – and you didn’t deserve the shit I gave you last night…And as Lucky’s best friend Wallace…I can’t believe I did that to you. That I used that way…I’ll be ashamed of myself for the rest of my -

"Come in."

Her mouth abruptly clamped itself closed upon Lucinda’s blunt words.

"What?"

"I said come in," Lucinda sighed again. Stepping aside to allow her to cross over the threshold. "There’s no sense in you begging our forgiveness from out there. You might as well get down on your knees on some of this hard wood paneling."

Wallace stifled his laughter, and lifted a hand to cover his mouth.

At the slight grin that curved Lucinda’s mouth, Elizabeth’s brow creased. "Wait…are you…are you…NOT mad?"

"Oh believe me I’m mad," Lucinda quickly corrected. "And he’s mad," she added. Glancing at a still sitting Wallace. "At least…well…we were…very…mad…moments…ago," she finished. Turning back to Elizabeth.

Before the stunned girl could respond, Lucinda continued. "Listen, I’m not saying that what you did was ok with me…I think you can probably recall from how hard I hit our friend over there that I did NOT think it was right…but part of that – part of that had to do with me…and my own…crap…Someone pretty smart made me see that.

"If I had been," she continued. Glancing back towards Wallace. "With the person I should have been with that night…maybe I could have saved us all a lot of grief – NOT," she added before Elizabeth broke in. "That, knowing that – takes any blame away from you – because it doesn’t.

"I just…I just started to remember a little conversation that you and I had at Saks that day….do you remember?"

Elizabeth’s eyes began to cloud with tears as Lucinda spoke.

"You said he made you feel sublimely happy," Lucinda smiled. "You said that, and I believed you because you had a look in your eyes that I’d never seen in my own…I also believed you when you said you didn’t think that everyone was cut out to be happy…that YOU weren’t MEANT to be happy.

"The only thing that I hope came from last night is the knowledge that you not only deserve it…but Lucky does too………Elizabeth if you’re happy with him…tell him that you are. If you LOVE him -

"What’s his parent’s address?"

A huge grin broke out over Wallace’s features and he slapped his palms together and rubbed vigorously after a moment of stunned silence. "Well alright! Here we go."

"You’re serious?" Lucinda asked with wide eyes. Stepping aside as Elizabeth moved further into the living room and pushed strand after strand behind her ear. Wallace already busy flipping through a small address book. Thumbing through each tiny page.

Lucinda glanced over Elizabeth’s shoulder at the small black book. "You’ll be handing that over to me once you give her the address correct?"

Wallace looked up at her winked. "Of course."

A second later, he stumbled upon Luke and Laura’s address. But he quickly lifted the book, open-faced to his chest in order to hide the address from Elizabeth.

Both Lucinda and Elizabeth regarded him as if he’d lost his mind.

"So what’re you gonna say to him?" He asked bluntly. Taking a step back as Elizabeth eyed the book. Practically salivating over it.

She looked up at him with wide, pleading eyes. "I’m…I’m gonna…I’m gonna say exactly what Lucinda just said."

Folding her arms, Lucinda moved to stand beside Wallace and shook her head. Understanding the game of cat and mouse now. "Oh no. You gotta say IT – I wanna hear the words."

"Yeah, you should practice," Wallace agreed wholeheartedly. Glancing soberly at his new partner in crime. "Go ahead," he gestured with a wave of his hand as he turned back to Elizabeth.

On the spot now, she bit her bottom lip and took a deep breath. "I…I’m going to tell him that…" She gasped and smiled. "I’m gonna tell him that I love him! And that I’m sorry! And that he’s the only man that I’ve ever wanted to be with. EVER – in my whole life! And I’m gonna tell him everything I should have told him from the very beginning…I’m gonna tell him that I love him," she said again.

Wallace turned to Lucinda, for the approval rating. At her shrug, he turned back to Elizabeth. "That’s all well and good…but you’re missing something."

If it hadn’t been so pitiful they both would have laughed at the way Elizabeth’s face fell.

"Wh – what? What am I missing?" She asked frantically. "Anything – tell me – I’ll say it."

"You forgot to mention that you’re the one who stuck your tongue down MY throat. See – that’s gotta be the first thing out of your mouth when you speak to him…You also have to mention that I didn’t enjoy it all…that it was kinda like going to the doctor. You know when they stick the Popsicle stick down your throat and –

Lucinda held her hand up in disgust. "Ok…she gets it – she gets it.

"You DO get it right?" She asked. Turning towards Elizabeth.

Elizabeth knew that they weren’t just talking about Wallace’s request to be vindicated anymore. That this was about ‘getting’ something much deeper than that. About getting the fact that she’d hurt Lucky beyond measure…and now she had to do whatever necessary to make up for it.

She nodded slowly and locked eyes with Lucinda. "I get it."

Because she couldn’t hold back, and she’d always been too damn forgiving, Lucinda closed the space between them and hugged her hard.

"Good. I’m glad you get it…because I didn’t wanna have to open the same can that I opened on Wallace last night…I could have totally taken you…………Little shrimp," she grumbled. Patting Elizabeth’s back before taking a step backwards.

Wallace handed Elizabeth a small slip of paper with the address on it, and she seemed to gaze at it for a long moment. It was do or die time. The moment of truth…

Elizabeth bit her bottom lip and smiled. "Thank you…you’ll never know how much this means to me…To us – if there still is an us," she said softly. Lifting her head to the ceiling and closing her eyes.

Wallace sighed. "I’ve known Lucky a long time, Elizabeth…And in all the years I’ve known him – through college – through working together…never, EVER have I seen him this…INSANE over anyone…

"He’s hurt," he said after a moment. "He is MOST definitely, sitting around somewhere right now – eating a burger and licking his wounds…but I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that he loves you. And he wants more than anything to make it work…

"If you want it Elizabeth – if you want it and you SHOW him that you want it…..you guys will DEFINITELY have a ‘you guys’."

Because she looked like she was just about ready to cry, Wallace moved to hug her. Not expecting the hand that slid in between them.

"Ah – ah," Lucinda said suddenly. "Can we give it like 3 months or so? Huh? Before any physical contact takes place? Thanks I’d appreciate that. Thank you very much."

Elizabeth and Wallace shared a grin that each of them was grateful for. And she shared one more hug with Lucinda that she was even MORE grateful for.

"Thank you," she said again. Nodding at the both of them as she folded the small piece of paper and put into her pocket. Leaving her fingers wrapped around it. Protecting it like gold. "Thank you guys SO much."

"Just thank HIM Elizabeth," Lucinda called as she neared the door. "Just thank him for being the person that he is."

The realization of what that meant sank in slowly and Elizabeth grinned a bit with her hand on the door. The first real smile in many hours.

"I plan on doing a lot more than thanking him."

And with that…she was gone. Headed for Port Charles, and a fate unknown, but more than willing to take the chance.

~~~~~~~

Laura watched her son for a moment. Staring at him from her place at the bottom of the staircase as he stared at nothingness. No television, no radio…Nothing to distract him from the riveting pursuit of watching the atmosphere move by.

She moved slowly towards him. Further disturbed by the fact that he hadn’t heard her coming. Her son was just like his father, alert at all times. Except for today it seemed.

When she placed her hand on his shoulder and sat down, Lucky was finally shaken from his reverie.

"Hey," he said softly. Giving her a smile that she knew wasn’t real. One that he’d just painted on to stave off a lot of unwanted questions.

Now wasn’t the time to beat around the bush and she knew it. He was in a lot of pain. "What is it Lucky?"

He looked down at his hands in his lap and shook his head slightly. If there was one thing he had to say about his mother – it was that she always knew. No matter what, she always knew when he was upset. Even on those rare occasions when he tried to hide it.

Without looking up he asked the question that had been burning within him – among others – since he’d arrived home.

"How’d you do it Mom?"

Not following his line of thinking - she tried and failed to guess where the question had come from. "How did I do what?"

"It was hard enough for ME to handle," he sighed. "We all remember how that went…I mean half the time I can’t even reconcile it now…but what I don’t understand is how YOU ever did……I mean I guess what I came to realize is that it wasn’t up to me to understand…but still –

"Lucky, you’ve lost me…What are we talking about?"

"The same thing that’s been floating around between us since the day I found out Mom…the rape."

Laura took a deep breath and looked away. She thought they’d been over this? Hadn’t this been fixed already?! A would that had already been healed? What was he doing?

"Listen Lucky –

"I don’t bring it up again to hurt you or to cause trouble," he informed quickly. Sighing after a moment. "I just…I’m trying to understand something…I guess by seeing if YOU understand."

Her eyes locked with his but she remained silent. Whatever Lucky’s pain was, it went far beyond the resurgence of his anger over the rape.

When he began talking again, his voice was so quiet she had to strain to hear. "She did something…something that I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to get out of my head or my…or my heart," he sighed. Placing a hand to his chest.

"She hurt me," he continued. "And I’m afraid that the image of what she did is gonna stay imprinted in my head for a long time…but I…" he sighed once more in frustration. "I know that what she did actually had nothing to do with ME…I mean it did but…God, I’m not making any sense."

"Why don’t you start at the beginning?" Laura suggested. Lightly placing a hand on her son’s knee.

He smiled awkwardly and shook his head. "I’d start at the beginning if I KNEW the beginning."

Her brow creased and he tried the best he could to explain. "The reason that I…the reason that I bring the rape up is because I think…I think something similar happened to Elizabeth," he sighed finally.

"Oh Lucky," Laura gasped. "I’m sorry. When did –

"No, no…Not…not NOW," he tried to explain. Flustered by his own jumbled thoughts. How could he expect his mother to understand something he couldn’t even put together him self. "Believe me if it had happened now, I’d be sitting in a prison cell somewhere because somebody’d be dead.

"But that’s just it," he continued after a moment. "I feel like whatever happened…whoever did it – I feel like I’m fighting a memory. Fighting a ghost that I can’t see, instead of some guy that I could just put my hands on and strangle to death…And until she tells me what happened, all I can do is sit around and wring my hands – trying not to jump to conclusions and trying not to…ASSUME things. But then…" he sighed. At a complete loss once more.

Laura swallowed hard. "Why do you think…Why is it that you think this happened to her?" She asked. The question, finally emerging the way she wanted it to.

"I don’t think that the exact same thing happened with her. But I think……See, she’s told me certain things about her family," he paused. "About her stepfather in particular. Things he would say to her. Things that nobody’s father should ever say to them – EVER," he said vehemently. "Things that completely shot down her self-esteem. Things that make her think she doesn’t deserve to be happy. I mean have you ever even heard anything like that before? Isn’t the sickest thing you’ve ever heard?"

She could only nod, because she knew there was more. There was much more he wanted to get off his chest.

"There have been moments…things that she’s said or done…I remember this one time in the kitchen – she broke a glass, it had this rose in it that I’d brought her home like the day before or something…and Mom," he sighed. Turning towards her. His own face showing the anguish. "Mom you should have seen her face. You should have heard her voice. It was like she’d just done the most awful thing in the world…I mean it was just a glass – and I reached for her – I was afraid she’d cut her foot on one of the shards…and she flinched – she flinched like I was gonna hit her."

After a moment he sighed and looked down again. "There have been other moments like that – when she’s been…afraid of me."

And that, Laura knew, was her son’s biggest fear – someone being afraid of him. Someone thinking he could hurt them. Someone thinking he could be exactly like his father…hurt them like that…

Laura pursed her lips together and fought tears. He didn’t need that now. "And when you ask her about these…incidents…what does she say?"

"She never admits to anything. She’ll change the subject or say it’s nothing or tell me a little bit about her past, but when I ask too much or go too far – she gets angry…basically tells me to mind my own business."

His mother sighed. "It seems to me it’s far too late for that huh?"

Lucky closed his eyes and steepled his hands atop his knees. Pressing his chin atop his fingertips. "I think she’s been my main focus of ‘business,’ since the night I laid eyes on her."

Laura nodded. "And from what I can gather, if she had been returning that particular favor…you wouldn’t be here right now – or at the very least, she would be here with you……So what happened Lucky?"

He looked down and said the words he hadn’t really wanted to admit. Without any question in his voice over whom had done what to whom.

"She kissed Wallace…she kissed my best friend."

A long-suffering sigh escaped Laura’s chest and she stood up. "Oh dear."

Lucky smiled a little sardonically and shook his head. "Yeah – oh dear."

Her brow creased as she circled around the back of the couch. "And what did she have to say for herself?"

"I have no idea. I left."

"Wait," Laura said. Whirling around suddenly. "You left?…Meaning, you SAW this happen?"

"Right – before - my eyes," he sighed slowly. Shaking his head as if he couldn’t believe it himself. "Lucinda threw Jack and I this party…this…whatever," he gestured with a wave of his hands. "At this club we like…Elizabeth and I went outside. We wound up having a fight…I said some things that maybe now I’m thinking I shouldn’t have…but damn it, I needed to get them out…Anyway," he said. Getting back on track. "I walked back inside to find her – to straighten things out…and there she was.

"Mom, she looked STRAIGHT into my eyes…and kept kissing him…………like she wanted me to see."

Laura pressed her hands together. "What the Hell was she doing? Was she trying to prove some kind of a point?! You’ve been nothing but good to her and she –

"Oh God," Lucky sighed. Standing up quickly. "See this is what I was afraid would happen if I told you what went down…Listen, Mom I don’t – she’s…

"She’s what?" Laura asked. Waiting for him to make the excuse she knew was coming.

"I didn’t tell you this so that you could………Shit," he sighed. "I don’t know why I told you this. I don’t know why I do anything anymore………and please excuse my language."

"You’re excused," she sighed. Following him around the couch.

"I just," he began again in frustration. "I just don’t want you to hate her. Because I –

"You love her," she finished. Nodding. "I get that Lucky…My question for you, is does she feel the same?…Because if I know that she loves you…well then maybe I can forgive her this terrible lapse in judgment."

Lucky closed his eyes and stood very still. Opening them after a moment. Catching the quizzical expression on his mother’s face as she waited for an answer.

"I…I know that she does. Deep down – I know it. But she doesn’t…she doesn’t say it. For some reason she can’t….can’t say it."

Laura sank back down to the couch. Her son loved this woman…She had to find some reason to like her. Some reason…

He continued to speak as she searched. "I think that’s the whole issue. I think she can’t say the words because they’ve been completely tainted for her, by people that have hurt her in the past…and what she did last night – kissing Wallace – in this twisted way, I think it was because she loves me so much."

His mother looked up at him in complete bewilderment. "Excuse me?"

"I started to FEEL it," he tried to explain. Placing a hand to his chest. "More and more everyday I started to FEEL that she loved me…like she might even actually say it. But the closer we got, the more she started to become withdrawn. It’s like some sort of defense mechanism…….So," he paused. "What if she started to really feel it too? What if she finally realized that she loved me –

"And decided it was better to get out, than get hurt," Laura finished. Nodding slowly as the realization dawned. "Even if it meant hurting you."

Lucky nodded and slowly sat back down next to his mother. They were both, quiet before she asked the question she desperately needed to know the answer to.

"Why do you love her?…Tell me."

A slow smile spread over Lucky’s lips and he let his head fall against his mother’s shoulder. "She makes me laugh…She makes me smile even when there really isn’t anything to smile about. She tries to cook things that I like…even though we both know she’s like the world’s worst chef…she still tries. She’s the only person in the world who can get me on a dance floor…and actually make it possible for me to ENJOY myself. Next to Lu, she’s the only person who can even come close to beating me at my own videogames. She likes to watch sports in bed at night, she likes to GO to sporting events…She’s got this way of touching my face that……I don’t even really know how to describe it…

"She doesn’t tell me what to wear…but when she likes something," he thought. Thinking of that blue shirt he’d thrown on the couch, with some regret now. "When she likes something," he said again. "She really lets me know she likes it…Sometimes, before she goes to bed at night she’ll check in on me if I’m up working late…she’ll drape a blanket around my shoulders because she doesn’t want me to get cold," he laughed softly. "She likes it when I read to her. She listens when I ramble on about work. She’s happier for me than I am for myself when I do something good. She likes the same food I do…and she reads these ridiculously pretentious academic books…but somehow isn’t pretentious in the least little bit………and she moves like an angel.

"But more than all that," he sighed after a moment. "Even bigger than all that……It’s that I HAVE to love her. It’s like I have absolutely no choice in the matter…and I think I knew that from day one. Since the moment she walked out on that stage and I couldn’t bear to look at something that was not yet mine………I’ve never had a choice Mom…It’s fate."

Laura smiled and gently brushed a few strands of hair out of her son’s face.

This girl – this woman, named Elizabeth, whom she hadn’t met…did love her son. Perhaps she couldn’t admit it yet and she’d made some awful decisions. But she did love her son.

And that was all she really needed to know.

"Well…who am I to argue with fate?"