"I miss you too. And your friends miss you. Everyone has asked what’s going on and whether the rumors are true. I tell them that your sexual preference, whatever it may be, doesn’t effect their lives so they have to wait for you to come home to explain. I hope you don’t mind but I didn’t feel that it was my place to tell anyone," Jane explained quietly. Sam looked at Brooke who just shrugged back.

"It’s OK with us, Mom. You’re right, it isn’t their business anyway," Sam said. "At least until we chose to tell them."

"So, where are you staying?" Brooke asked.

"I have a room at the hotel next to the convention center," Jane said handing Brooke the phone number to her room.

"You can stay here," Terri said.

"Yeah," Sam agreed with her eyes lighting up. Jane shook her head.

"I’d love to but I need to stay at the hotel in case Mike calls." Sam nodded at the logic in that.

"OK," Sam said a little disappointed.

"So," Jane said, "tell me everything I’ve missed."

**

"Terri, I can’t thank you enough for taking the girls in. It was above and beyond what you were obligated to do," Jane said later after the girls went to bed. Terri waved her off.

"My pleasure, Jane. I love my Pumpkin-nose too much to just turn her away, no matter what the reason. Mike’s being an ass. Nicole and Lily are her friends so they’re more than welcome. And as for your girl, Jane, well, Sam is certainly something special from what I’ve seen," she said. Jane smiled and nodded.

"I like to think so. God, I betrayed them both so badly," she complained.

"And yet they don’t hold it against you so you shouldn’t either. Don’t let it eat at you, Jane. Let it go and work on fixing things. Sam’s driving herself nuts trying to find a way to get everyone home," Terri explained. Jane frowned.

"That’s my Sam, trying to change the world before she hits twenty," she sighed. Terri tilted her head as she thought of her next question.

"Has she always been like that? Taking things so personal and behaving like everything is her fault?" Terri asked. Jane nodded slowly.

"Unfortunately," she said. "Sam may act tough and like she’s strong but she’s not. She has always taken things to heart. I think she even blamed herself for her father Joe’s death."

"Poor kid," Terri breathed. "She’s sweet though. They’re all good kids. This is an unfair mess they’re in."

"I know. And I’ve been racking my brain trying to find a way to clean it up, but I’ve come up empty."

"Give it time, Jane. Eventually an answer will present itself," Terri reassured her.

"I hope so."