“Dr. Wexler, would you care to explain the reason behind that big, goofy grin on your face?” Eve asked in an authoritative tone.
Karen looked up from the book she was reading from the couch in the on-call room and saw that it was just Eve.
“Would you believe I’m just really into this book?” Karen attempted blushing slightly.
“Not a chance, kid. So, does this cheery mood have anything to do with the news you had for your father this morning? He was convinced that I knew something about it, but I promised him that I knew nothing. I wasn’t lying, because I don’t know anything…right? I mean unless it has something to do with…oh my God! That’s it! You’re glowing because you…with Sonny?”
“Shhh, I don’t need the whole hospital hearing about who I spend my nights with! But, to answer your question, yes, I told my parents that I'm in love with Sonny and that we’re together.”
“And Scott didn’t disown you? Wow, you must have flashed those puppy-dog eyes at him.”
“Actually, he flipped, and so did my mother. They called Sonny every name in the book and basically told me that I was completely stupid for thinking that I could have a relationship with him.”
“Okay, I don’t get it. If they told you how much they disapprove, then why are you all smiles?”
“Because I stood up to them and told them that Sonny makes me happy and that just because they disapprove, it doesn’t mean that I’ll just stop loving him. So, they said that said that they still don’t approve, but they know that there’s really nothing they can do. Scott told me that he just didn’t want to see Sonny hurt me again and that he couldn’t stand it if something happened to me because of Sonny.”
“Your father loves you so much. He’s always saying that he wishes he told you more often. I’m so glad that you were honest with them, and that all things considered, they handled it fairly well.”
“Better then I expected. Well, Scott did forbid me to see Sonny, but I just told him that I wasn’t a child and that it wasn’t his call to make. My mother actually agreed that it was my life, therefore, my decisions.”
“She seems like a pretty reasonable woman. So, are you and Sonny going out tonight?” Eve inquired.
“Sonny’s helping me move into Kelly’s after work, so we’ll probably just stick around there. I should get back up to Peds,” Karen said looking at her watch, “Oh, before I go, I forgot to tell Scott that I can still take Serena Thursday night and bring her to Lucy’s after school on Friday. I can’t believe you talked him into going to the Grand Cayman Islands for a long weekend!” Karen shook her head, leaving.

“Hello?” Rhonda asked picking up the phone.
“Hey, Rhonda, I know you said you don’t want to talk about this, but we really need to figure out what we’re going to do about Karen.”
“We’re not going to do anything about Karen. She’s not going to listen to anything we say. As much as I hate the thought of her wasting her life with that man, that’s exactly what it is, Scott, her life. We need to show her that we trust her, or we’re going to lose her. I’ve already missed out on too much of her life because I was always too drunk to notice my own daughter.”
“Yeah, well I was never even given the chance to watch my little girl grow up! I’m not blaming you, I’m well over that, but I’m not going to just sit back and give him the chance to hurt her.”
“Scott, she respects you and if you go and try to interfere with her relationship, she’s going to think that you don’t respect her. Seeing your face light up when she called you ‘Dad’ for the first time today made me hate myself for not telling you about her as soon as I found out that I was pregnant. I wish I could go back and do everything differently so that Karen could have grown up knowing her father and having both her parents be there to raise her. She might be an adult now, but she still needs her father and calling you ‘Dad’ was a big step forward in building a close relationship with you. However, if you go and try to keep her from being with Sonny, she’s just going to take two steps back.”
“Ah Hell, why does this have to be so complicated? I just want to keep my daughter safe and there is nothing I can do,” Scott said helplessly.
“Welcome to the joys of parenting an adult,” Rhonda replied.

“Joe? You’re early, Neil doesn’t come home for another hour or so,” Courtney said opening the front door.
“I know, I wanted to talk to you before he came home because I can’t stay long.”
“Have a seat. It sounds serious, are you alright?”
“Uh, well I have an appointment with Kevin. I had one yesterday, but I cut out of there early and I need to start taking my sessions more seriously, so he squeezed me in today.”
“You’ve been seeing Kevin? But Kevin’s a psychiatrist, why would you need to see him?”
“Karen, um, she broke off our engagement and she moved out…”
“Oh Joe, I always knew you were too good for her. You’re better off without her.”
“You’re not going to be thinking that when you hear the reason she left me. You know that Karen and I have been fighting for a while now, but what you don’t know is how bad it got. I let my temper run the relationship and I treated Karen horribly.”
“I’m sorry that things didn’t work out, but why are you telling me all of this?” Courtney asked trying not to smile at the thought of finally having a chance to go after Joe.
“Because you’re the mother of my son and you have a right to know what kind of person I’ve become. Now, there’s no easy way to say this so I’m not going to try to sugar coat it. I hit Karen…I just lost my temper and hit her. I never thought I was capable of doing something like this to the woman I love, but to think that I have the potential to lose control and hurt my son scares the Hell out of me,” Joe admitted, his voice shaking.
Courtney tried to hide the shock that crossed her face. Looking into Joe’s sad, regret-filled eyes, she knew exactly what she had to do. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him close.
“It’s okay, Joe, I know you would never hurt our son. Anything you need…I’m here.”
Joe sat back and looked for the sincerity in Courtney’s eyes. They stared silently at each other for a moment until Courtney leaned in and pressed her lips to Joe’s.