"Smells good in here." Sam placed a kiss on his mother's cheek. He'd popped by his parent's place to pick up Scout. The chocolate furred pooch was nowhere to be found. Most likely hanging out with his father.

Hands covered in yellow rubber gloves, Evelyn stood at the sink scrubbing a glass bowl with a thick blue sponge. "Your father had a craving for brownies. And I needed a pick me up."

"Something wrong?" Sam searched his mother's face for signs of depression, illness, pain.

"No, no, nothing really. Just feeling a little nostalgic. Best not to dwell on the past." She deftly switched the topic. "Where's Ali?"

"Sleeping in. She's still on California time. The change is hitting her hard, and we were up pretty late last night." Sam grabbed a towel, picked up a plate and started drying it. 

Part of him wanted to tell his mother the events of last night, the other wanted to protect her from it. She didn't know much about Vicky and never would if he had anything to say about it. But he knew he couldn't keep it a secret for long. The press would get a hold of the story. Even if he could control the narrative, use Leif's friend to break the news first, reporters would still come after his parents.

Sam avoided starting the conversation. "And you know she's not much of a morning person to begin with."

Evelyn chuckled with him. Whereas his older brother and his father were cut from the same cloth, he and his mother spoke a secret language and always got each other's humour. It was why it was easier to have this conversation with his mother first.

"So, what's bothering you?" Sam stared at his mother. How did she know? Evelyn raised and lowered her shoulders and tipped her head towards the dish in Sam's hand. "Even as a little boy, you hated helping clean up."

Placing the dish in its rightful place in a cupboard, Sam asked his mother to sit at the table with him. He took her hands in his and began.

"You remember Vicky, right?" Her lips pursed in a frown. Guess that's a yes.

His mother hadn't been as vocal about her dislike of his high school friend as his father, but she'd expressed her distaste in other ways. If only he'd listened to his parent's instincts. "What's she done now?"

"First know everything is fine, and they've arrested her." His mother's hands tightened in his. "Mom, it's okay, I promise."

"Tell me everything."

Sam told her enough. Explained about Vicky's obsession with him, the suicide attempt, how she'd used it to manipulate Sam and the plan Sam and Charlie put into action to get her help. At the mention of his cousin, his mother relaxed her grip, although the worry lines that had formed on her face didn't fade. They etched deeper into her pale skin as he launched into the details of her attempting to abduct him yesterday. He didn't want to tell her about the gun, but it was the reason the police could arrest Vicky.

Before he'd finished, his mother moved across the table and engulfed her son in a hug. Sam wanted to resist, insist she didn't have to fuss, but the thing was it felt good. Her embrace soaking up the tension his body held on to, pulling the toxin out of him, her warmth filling the void left behind. Wrapping his arms around her, he hugged her back even harder.

"Is this an exclusive hug or can anyone get in on it?" His father's voice floated through the kitchen.

"More the merrier," Sam offered.

Christopher took his wife and son in his arms, and Sam felt a warm weight on his foot. Scout. The dog had indeed been with his father. The head of the household kissed his wife on the forehead. "I know it's a rough day. I feel it as well."

This confused Sam. His father couldn't possibly know about Vicky already. He was good, but not that good. Then it hit him. The reason his mother was upset when he arrived. The reason for the brownies. Thomas's favourite.

In the turmoil of the last few days, it completely slipped his mind today was his older brother's birthday.

A year ago, he would have avoided his parents. A day of torment for Sam, full of guilt and remorse. Back when he believed his brother's death was his fault. Before he discovered Vicky's deception, her role in luring Thomas out that fateful night.

Today they consoled each other. Today they were healing. Today it hurt a little less. The loss of Thomas would always be there, the pain never truly fading. But now, after having the courage to talk about the events and repercussions that followed, they had allowed a modicum of pleasure to return to their lives. Thomas was no longer a taboo subject, talked about in whispers or avoided altogether. The family told tales, remembered, celebrated the life he lived, the love he gave and received.

"Has anyone talked to Sophie yet?" Sam knew this would be a hard day for his brother's girlfriend. Of all of them, the loss of Thomas left a crater in her life still echoing today. She'd never moved on. For years she'd been petrified in mourning, like a butterfly in amber, as if moving forward would erase their love.

Evelyn let go of the men. "I called her this morning. She's spending time with Emily." A modicum of sorrow lifted from Sam's heart. Emily had been Sophie's roommate when she met Thomas, was there with Sophie through the hard times. Besides being the kindest person he'd ever known, Emily knew Sophie best, would be able to give her what she needed today.

"I sent her a text. Asked her to come up for the weekend." Christopher announced. Sam looked at his father in awe. He'd always assumed it was his mother who insisted on keeping Sophie in their lives.

It had been a while since he'd seen Sophie in person. "We could go to The Charcoal Pit." Thomas had loved the family-run burger joint. "I'd like to take Ali there."

"It's a date." His mother smiled.

And just like that, they were freely and openly talking about Thomas. It felt so good not to have to hold back. To focus on the good.

"Speaking of Ali," Sam shifted in his seat, "I could use some... perspective."

"Oh?" Christopher pulled up a chair beside his wife. "What's up?"

"Remember, I told you her ex-husband is meddling in her family's business?" His parents both nodded. Sam loved it when they were in unison like this. "It's getting... dirty. Jack's not letting go and I want this over. I want to use my trust fund to buy him out."

"I thought Ali's strategy to get enough votes at the upcoming shareholder's meeting and get rid of him was a solid one. Has that changed?"

Sam met his mother's eye. "No. That's still what she wants. I... she won't admit it, but she's concerned it won't work. She's having trouble finding backers to revitalize Stinson Studios to prove to the investors she has what it takes to move the company into the future. Jack has all the advantages and worse, I think he's sabotaging her every step of the way."

"That man is dishonourable for sure," Christopher rubbed his hands together. "I wouldn't put anything past him."

"Don't I know it." Sam wanted to use the information they'd learned from Penelope last night to prove his point but knew Ali wouldn't want them knowing. "That's why I want to short circuit him. End this once and for all. The best way I see to do so is overpower him with the one thing I have over him – money."

"You have Ali," his father reminded him.

"Of course. But..."

"Sam," his mother reached out and put her hand over his, "I know you're trying to help. You must have patience, let Ali do this her way."

"But Mom, it doesn't have to be this hard."

"This isn't about easy. This is about your relationship with Ali." Evelyn glanced at her husband. "You have to trust her, have faith."

"I do. Of course, I do. I feel useless. She's doing it all on her own, won't let me help. If I use my trust fund— "

"Sam," interrupted his father. "Sometimes you have to support the ones you love even if you know they are making a mistake—"

"But— "

"Like when your son runs away to the other side of the country. Do you think we didn't want to follow you immediately and drag you back here?"

Today was a red-letter day. They'd never even broached the subject of Sam's disappearance last year. When they showed up out of the blue in California, the events around Ali's discovery of his lies superseded the reason his parents were there. He'd returned to New York to get Ali away from Jack, not because he wanted to come back.

"What would have happened if we'd gone behind your back, manipulated things to force you to come home?"

It bit at him, but he saw his father's point. "I would have hated you for it."

"We had to let you come home on your own." His mother squeezed his hand. "No matter how much I pleaded with your father to send a security team to pick you up, he insisted it had to be on your terms."

"You stopped mom? I would've thought it'd be the reverse." Scout shifted at his feet, a small whine accompanying the motion.

"I simply put myself in your shoes. See, we're not so different after all."

"I'm beginning to." Sam turned his eyes to the ceiling and let out a long breath. "Fine. We'll try it Ali's way."

Christopher Harrington beamed. "That's my boy."