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River shut the door behind her and sat on the steps with Dakota. His arms were rested on his knees as he picked with this fingers. She looked over with a sigh, "How you feeling?"

"I'm fine." He shrugs

"Dakota."

"I didn't mean to do the whole sobbing in your arms thing." He tries to joke, "That's my bad."

"Don't do that." She says, "I knew that was coming one way or another because you keep bottling things up and just letting it explode."

"It's what I do." He chuckles finally looking at her, "I don't know how to change that, alright?"

"I'm not asking you to completely change, I'm asking you to talk to me."

"I do."

"You give me the bare minimum in what's wrong with you. You tell me just enough, but don't actually tell me how you feel or how it's affecting you."

"Sorry." He mutters looking back down at his hands

River lets out a small sigh before scooting closer. She wraps her arms around his bicep and leans her head on his shoulder, "I just want to be there for you. Not just Liz. I want to help you."

"You do." He says, "Bottling and exploding is what I do. Not an easy habit to break."

"I know."

"But I'm trying." He says. She lifts her head and looks at him. Her eyes softening as he turned to her, "I'm trying for you. I promise."

"I want you to try for you, Dakota." She says, "You deserve that."

He nods and clenches his jaw while looking down again. River reaches up and kisses his cheek before laying her head on his shoulder again.

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The teens sneak into the living room as Megan and Laurel talk with Adam in the kitchen.

"Yeah. Thanks for coming all this way to back me up. They haven't been making it easy on me." Adam says as he takes a sip of his coffee.

"Oh, we're not here to back you up. We're here to back up the boys." Megan smiles

"You can't let them lose this house, Adam." Laurel says

"Well, it's done. Julia sold it."

"Actually, I, um, changed my mind." Julia says as she walks in, "Hi."

Adam laughs, "Okay, well, let's get something straight here. I'm not letting them lose anything. This has been out of my hands since the start. So don't go making me the bad guy here."

"We're not making you out to be anything. We're trying to help you." Laurel says

Conrad goes to step in, but Jeremiah doesn't let him, "Let someone else try to solve a problem for once."

"So, what? You're just gonna dissolve the trust and gift the boys the beach house?"

"No, she can't do that. She has a child of her own to consider." Megan says

"Yeah, well, I'm not gonna squander their trust to buy this house, and frankly, I'm surprised that you would support that."

"When did I ever say that? I just want you to move some money around to buy it for them."

"What?"

"Fair market value, terms negotiable, of course." Julia says

"I think, um, I'm gonna go now, because that's... That's not happening, end of story."

"Uh, you know what? I have a question for you." Julia steps up, "Why is it that those boys have been trying harder for the last three days to save this house than you have in the last several weeks?

"Adam-" Megan starts

"No, shut up, Megan." He says. Conrad looks over at Liz who looks down along with Belly. Dakota clenches his jaw as he sighs, "Listen to me. You don't have a vote, okay? I know Suze made you and Laurel feel like this house is part yours, but it's not."

Conrad steps in, "Where do you get off saying shit like that?"

"Con..." He turns and sees everyone else following him in, "It's for the best. Did you really think railroading me would change my mind?" He says as he turns to the moms

"Excuse me, but fuck you!" Megan spits

"Okay, all right, all right, let's..."

"Suze wouldn't want us fighting like this." Adam points

"You have no idea what she would want! You lost her a long time ago." Conrad says

"Can't you get past your own grief and see what it means to the boys?" Megan scoffs

"Look, I thought it would be better this way. Easier for everyone if we let this place go." Adam tries

"Easier for you." Conrad says

A short silence falls over everyone, "Yeah. Being here is hard. It's hard. Uh... She's everywhere here."

"She loved you. We tried to talk some sense into her. It's no secret I've never been your biggest fan." Laurel chuckles softly, "But she wouldn't listen, because when Beck set her mind on something, that's it."

"She set her mind on you, Adam. And on making this house a special place for our kids. Do this one last thing for her." Megan says

"Megan."

"Dad. Please?" Jeremiah says softly

Adam looks around at everyone, "Look, I'm not gonna let them use their trusts." He pauses, "But if I sell the Boston house, that could give us enough. You'd both be at school mostly anyway,
but we can't afford both houses. Is this really what you want?"

"Yeah." Conrad says immediately

"Yeah." Jeremiah nods

Adam shakes his head, "Okay, then."

Liz sighs in relief. Dakota pats her shoulder before they both go and hug Megan. She immediately hugs back and kisses their head as she pulls them closer.

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