Her eyes flicked down and then she pulled me into a bear hug. "You deserved to know. I trust you, David. I'll always trust you. And I'll always Love you for what you did for me.”

Eventually, she patted my back and then released me.

“You should go catch up to Kevin."

I let her out of my arms but held her hand before she pulled away completely. "Yeah... And you should stop by the house. Really..."

Cherys looked away for a second. "I want to. I really, really want to.”

She let out a heavy sigh.

“I wonder all the time if I made the biggest mistake of my Life. Danielle was my world for so many years."

“Then why don't you come back?" I pulled her a little closer.

Her eyes were fixed onto my chest, unwilling to look me in the eye. "I can't. Not after what I did to her. Not yet. And I still have to decide."

"Decide what?"

Cherys Looked up at me, pain and determined fire both evident in her eyes.

“Decide whether Danielle was just an adolescent phase or if she's worth giving up all those dreams of a normal family."

For once, I was dead speechless. The gravity in her voice just floored me. So without knowing how to answer that, I let Cherys pull out of my grasp.

She half-turned to walk away before Looking at me. "When I'm ready...

I'L be there."

“Hey, David! You busy tonight?"

I stopped three feet inside the doorway, my hand still on the doorknob as I looked at what appeared to be a carefully organized firing squad.

Danielle was in the lead and she was waiting for me to come up with an answer. My brain was still in Lockup over the heavy discussion I'd had with Cherys.

And my jaw wouldn't work right either. Not while Danielle looked at me with a hopeful gaze and Amber, E-Beth, and Diane just two feet behind her Looking at me with obvious do-NOT-fuck-this-up expressions.

“Uh..." I began, then caught my girlfriend shaking her head in a clear

‘no’ gesture. "No. No plans. What's up?"

Danielle beamed at me.

“Feel like spending some time with your big sis?"

"Sure..." My eyes swiveled to Amber who just smiled at me and then started sliding away.

Danielle caught my gaze and she turned her head to catch my gaze. But