Disclaimer: The only characters I own is Sara, Annie and the therapist

Troy and his father Jack were really close. You might even say they were best friends. Still, like every father and son, Troy and Jack have had their moments of arguing. Today was one such time. Troy was really angry with his dad

"Troy when are you going to tell me what's wrong son?"

"What's wrong is that Gabriella's coming back from her trip on Saturday and you're making me do stupid chores instead of seeing her," Troy said angrily.

"Oh honey it's only for a few hours"

"I haven't seen Gabriella since she left last year as an exchange student"

"I know you're disappointed," Jack said trying to be reasonable, "but you were disruptive the other day and I wouldn't be doing her a favor if I let you get away with that"

"Yeah whatever," Troy said tears were streaming down his face.

"Listen she's going to need to unpack and get settled in first," Jack said feeling guilty but not willing to give into his son. He genuinely felt it would be in Troy's best interest to stay firm.

"Right," Troy said shortly. It was obvious he was infuriated… wouldn't you be?

Just then Troy's cell phone rang. He picked it up and shut the door to his room signaling that at least for the moment the conversation was over. Jack sighed and walked into the kitchen where his oldest child, Annie was sitting at the table eating a snack.

"Hey dad"

"Hey honey," he said dejectedly.

"Troy still upset," she guessed

He nodded. Annie sighed thoughtfully.

"Well I can understand where he's coming from," she said.

"So can I but…"

"Dad," Annie said gently, "what would you give to spend one more day with mom". Amber Bolton had died 3 months before that in a car accident on route 12.

"I would give anything to have one more day with your mom," Jack said, "but Gabriella's not dying"

"Neither was mom," Annie pointed out

That stopped Jack in his tracks

"Are you saying that you think your brother's behavior may be attributed to your mother's passing away?"

"I didn't even think about that. However I wouldn't be surprised if it was"

"But we're all suffering from losing her," Jack pointed out, "that shouldn't excuse him from-"

"There is no such think as coulda shoulda or woulda," Annie said, "because if you shoulda and you coulda you woulda,"

"So what do you think should be done Annie," Jack asked.

"If I were you and my son was displaying signs of disturbing behavior my first move would be to get him into therapy as soon as possible" Therapy! Jack hadn't thought of that.

"Do you really think therapy would be good for him?"

"Would I even suggest it if I didn't." Despite himself Jack had to smile. Annie certainly knew how to say it how it is.

"You might be right," he admitted to his daughter, "but how would you deal with the immediate problem. That can't exactly be ignored"

"I don't know," Annie admitted, "but I think that I would be quick to look for positive ways to handle the situation."

"I'll go talk to him," Jake said. He headed upstairs to Troy's room and knocked on the door.

"Come in"

"Troy," Jack said sitting at the edge of his son's bed, "can we talk"

"Sure dad," Troy nodded, "and I'm sorry for being so abrupt. I was really upset and I took it out on you. I didn't mean to do that"

"I know that," Jack said tenderly, "look Troy I'm not going to pretend that what you did was the right thing to do. You punched out a schoolmate. That was wrong"

"Yeah I did punch out a schoolmate but you don't even know why I did it"

"What can you possibly have that would make it okay for you to punch out Sharpay," Jack asked, "besides that she's evil"

"She was making fun of me because mom passed away. She said "Ha ha I have a mom and you don't anymore" Hearing that Jack felt lower then he'd ever felt before.

"Troy," he said, "I'm so sorry I was so hard on you. I should have taken the time to find out what was going on."

Troy started crying.

"I miss her," he said, "I miss mom so much"

"I know honey," Jack said, "I miss her too. I want you to start therapy," he told his son.

"I'm not insane," Troy said.

"Of course you're not insane," Jack told him.

"Then why do I need therapy?"

"Because you're going through a hard time sweetie. It's not only you. Annie and I are going too"

"Okay dad," Troy said, "I'll go to therapy on 3 conditions"

"Sure," Jack said, "name it"

"One," Troy said, "I get to see Gabby tomorrow."

"Okay," Jack said, "but in between now and 10 o'clock tonight you need to have the chores done. We'll help but you need to do the ones that I give you."

Troy looked at his father's list.

Take out the garbage

Clean out the refrigerator

Vacuum your room

Clean the bathroom, your room and Annie's room

Help Sara with her Spanish homework

"That's not so bad," he said, "I'll start by helping Sara with her Spanish homework" It took about 3 hours to help his little sister, Sara with her Spanish homework. Jack took out the garbage and Annie cleaned the bathroom and her own room while he was helping Sara. That left the bathroom, the refrigerator and his room. Sara offered to help him with the bathroom. That only took a little over an hour to finish the bathroom.

While Troy was cleaning the bathroom, Annie decided to surprise him and clean his room for him including vacuuming. By 7 o'clock the chores were done. Jack made the children hot dogs and French Fries. Troy wolfed it down and then went to bed. He was tired and Jack was concerned about him.

Sara seemed to have been adjusting well to the loss of their mother but he didn't want Sara to end up like Troy. Sara had a habit of pretending that everything was okay when it wasn't. He decided that Sara would have to talk to the therapist too

One week later Troy sat on the therapist couch.

"So Mr. Bolton," the therapist asked, "your mother recently passed away?"

"A few months ago," Troy answered

"You must miss her," the therapist said gently

"Very much," Troy said, tears filling his eyes.

"I see," the therapist said, "and how is your relationship with your dad?"

"Terrific," Troy said, "I mean we have an argument from time to time but we love each other and he's my best friend"

"Would you say you had a better relationship with your dad then with your mom?"

"In some ways I did," Troy said, "but in other ways I got along with my mom better"

"I see," said the therapist.

"See I'm the middle child," Troy said, "I have an older sister, Annie who's 10 years older then I am. She's 25 now and she lives with us now that mom died. My younger sister, Sara is a Freshmen in Jr. High. Being that I'm the only son I was sort of a momma's boy."

"I see," said the therapist, "why did you punch out your classmate"

"She was making fun of me," Troy answered, "about how she had a mom and I didn't"

"I see"

"DAMNIT WILL YOU STOP GOD-DAMN SAYING I SEE LIKE THIS IS JUST A FASINATING CASE. I LOST MY MOTHER, NOT A GOLDFISH," Troy exploded.

"What I'm hearing," the therapist said, "is that you feel I'm not actually paying attention to what you're saying. You feel angry and annoyed because of that"

"I'm angry and annoyed that my mother's dead and your acting like this is a nothing thing. It's not a nothing thing. It's a something thing and your cavalier attitude is driving me insane!"

"I understand how that might bother you," the therapist said, no sign of anger whatsoever.

"Then why do you act like I'm just an interesting case instead of a person that's hurting"

"What make you think I'm treating you like an interesting case," she asked, "instead of a person who's hurting"

"Well because that's how you're acting," Troy said.

"When I was about your age I lost my boyfriend," the therapist told him, "it was an awful experience to say the least"

"I can imagine it was," Troy said, "but you don't know what it's like to lose your mother"

"I know what it is to grow up without a mother," the therapist said, "mine died when I was two"

"I-I didn't know," Troy said embarrassed.

"There's no way you can know," the therapist said. Half an hour later the session was up and even though it was over Troy knew that everything was going to be okay in the end… and it was