I couldn't help the sadness that filled my body as I stared at Raina. She leaned against the door, holding on to her chest, as if she was in pain. For all I knew, she could be in pain.

"What can I do, Na? What do you want me to do?" I asked, kneeling beside her crying figure.

She shook her head, tears flowing from her eyes. "Nothing. It's ok, Rae. It's not your fault. It's always been like this, and you know it."

Sadly, I did know. Since the day I was born, mother always made sure I had the best of everything. While Roman and Raina had hand-me-downs from cousins, I had the best. The best fabrics, the best threads, the best colors. At times it was exhausting. To this day, I still don't understand what it is about me that mother cares the most about, but at this point in my life, I've learned to not care.

"Na, I'm sorry. I don't understand why it is the way that it is. If anything, I hate all the attention I get from her. She's a terrible human being and I wish that she wasn't our mother, but she is. I know that you hate her but just-"

Na looked at me and wiped her tears, "I don't hate her, Rae. In fact, I think I love her more than she loves me. That's what makes me upset. As a mother myself, I could never not love my kids. I don't know why or how she is the way she is, but she is. But, Rae, I still love her. She is still my mother."

I shook my head, "Na, I'm sorry. I know how it feels to love someone who doesn't love you back."

Na looked at me strangely, "Who have you loved?"

I smiled at her, "I love Parker, remember? And he loves me, so that's all that matters."

Na nodded and stood up, taking me with her. "So, you buying dinner?"

I giggled at her as she gathered her family.

After the Chinese take-out we had for dinner, it was time for Raina to call Roman. I could already feel the embarrassment creeping it's way into my cheeks, but Raina dialed the number anyway.

"Ro, while we were at Tanny's today, something happened. Richard showed up." There was a pause, "No, we didn't see him, but two girls were attacked with paint.  The two girls were freaked out, and said that the man who did it told them to tell Rae that he was coming for her. Ro, we have to find him. Before something happens."

I listened to the one-sided conversation and decided that enough was enough. I didn't want to listen anymore. I stepped away from Raina and looked around the room for Kyle's car keys. I couldn't see them anywhere, so I went to the next best thing. Raina's beat up two thousand and five Mercury Montego. The white paint was chipping and the seats were peeling, but as long as it got me to where I was going, it didn't matter what it looked like.

I felt a nudge in my head, telling me that the phone in my pocket should stay far from that pocket. If Raina needed to contact me, she would know where to find me. I slipped my phone from my pocket and placed it in the passenger seat

The car started roughly, sputtering on it's last leg. I carefully maneuvered out of the drive-way and then, I was on my way.

I knocked on the door, hoping the one person I wanted to see would answer. There was laughter coming from behind the black door and I realized how big of a mistake I made. The door swung open and I nearly face planted when I noticed the boy - the man - that now stood in the doorway. I quickly bowed my head, and looked at my feet, hoping he wouldn't recognize me.

"Can I help you?" His voice had gotten deeper, more than it had when he first hit puberty. As I stood on his doorstep, admiring his smooth voice, I realized something again. He's waiting for an answer.

"Oh, um, is Tanny here?" I asked, keeping my head down, and my voice mumbled.

The familiar man in front of me spoke again in the alluring voice, "Yeah, give me a second."

He closed the door and I could hear him yelling up the stairs to the woman I was here to see. I stood awkwardly on the doorstep until the door opened again, this time revealing the woman herself.

"Oh, hun! What are you doing here?" She asked, giving me a quick hug. "Did something happen?"

I could feel them before they fell, but I knew the waterworks would not stop if I opened the pipes. "T-Tanny, I just really need a mother right now."

Tanny looked at me with sad eyes, before wrapping her loving arms around me. I relaxed and opened the pipes, soaking her shoulder in my tears.

I could hear her soothing words, they made me cry even harder. My eyes burned. I sniffled into her shoulder.

"You better not be snotting on me, I just washed this sweater," She said, making me giggle. "Here, hun."

She pulled a rag from the apron that I just noticed was still wrapped around her waist and held it out to me. I took it from her delicate hands and blew my nose, handing the rag back to her.

"I may act like your mother, but I am not your mother. You go throw that into the laundry basket, and I'll meet you in the kitchen."

She opened the door and we stepped off of the porch and into the warm house. I followed the path to the laundry room, even though I hadn't been there in nearly five years. In fact, I hadn't been inside their house since...

Nevermind, Raegan. Forget about it, it's over and done with. Can't change the past. They hate me now. They wouldn't even talk to me now.

I was too distracted by my thoughts that I didn't even notice the man standing in my path, well, at least until I hit him square in the chest.

"Umm, s-s- sorry. I wasn't paying attention. I mean, I just didn't see you. I -" I looked up and noticed the grin on his face. His stupid face. His stupid grin.

"Hi, Raegan."