Chapter 1

"Talia! Nina, breakfast is ready." Sabrina Santiago called setting the steaming plate of pancakes on the table. "Cristian sweetie, eat it don't squish it up.

Talia came running into the kitchen of their new house. "How do I look mommy?" She asked placing her hand on her hip like she had seen other women do. Her eyes softened at the sight of her oldest. She walked over and attempted to straighten her ponytail which she insisted she could do herself today.

"You look beautiful angel."

Talia flashed her mother a smile and climbed onto the chair, her long dark hair swishing with the effort. She turned to look at Cris who was the spitting image of his daddy. She and Marco had been married for nine years and been highschool sweethearts. Sure they had married young but at the time they were madly in love, or so she had thought. Talia had been born a almost a year later and they had been happy for a while or maybe she was just being deceived the entire time. Maybe while she had been basking in their happy marriage and thinking everything was perfect, he had had other things on his mind. She wasn't exactly sure when things had gone wrong.

She for sure had never thought she would end up here, alone and raising two kids as a single mother. "Mommy will daddy call me tonight?" Talia asked with her mouth full.

"I'm not sure sweetie."

"But he said he would."

"I know he did, we'll just have to wait until tonight and see if he does. Finish your breakfast, ok. We have to hurry." Marco had told her he would call the kids but she wasn't too sure he really would. How can you explain to two young kids that their daddy is the reason they were no longer together. Why they had moved far away from their own home to start over in a new place. He hadn't even tried to stop them when she told him she was moving away and taking their two kids with her. Feeling a tug on her arm she turned to see Cris pointing to his sippy cup on the table, "Here you go baby."

When they had finished eating Sabrina quickly cleaned up, "Go brush your teeth monkey." She said turning to see Talia jumping up and down trying to make her brother laugh.

"I'm not a monkey mommy, I'm a little girl."

Sabrina drove Talia for her first day at the new school. When they pulled up outside, she parked the car and opened the back door. "Mommy is my new teacher nice?"

"I'm sure she is." Sabrina told her daughter as she unbuckled Cristian from his car seat. They paused outside the red brick building.

"Let's go mommy!" Talia shouted excitedly.

"Baby relax. Are you sure you want to start school today we can come back tomorrow," Sabrina joked knowing how excited she was about her new school.

"No today!" She said stamping her foot.

They walked into the brightly decorated hallway. "Ok sweetie, it says here your in room 2B with Mrs. Williams."

"Look mommy it's here." She said stopping in front of the door. The door was open and the teacher was greeting the kids that entered the class. "Hello I'm Mrs. Williams."

"I'm Talia and this is my mommy and my baby brother." She exclaimed happily.

"Sabrina Santiago," she said extending a hand to the teacher.

"Pleased to meet you Mrs. Santiago."

"Oh it's Ms. actually."

"Ok well Ms. Santiago we get out at two-thirty."

"Alright mi hija," she said bending down in front of her little girl. "I'll be here to pick you up at the end of the day. Be a good girl and listen to Mrs. Williams."

"I'm always good mommy, I love you." Talia exclaimed throwing her arms around her moms neck.

"I love you too." She said standing up as Talia ran off to join the other kids.

"She your oldest?" Asked a man with dark hair and the most amazing eyes she had ever seen.

"Yes it's her first day," she replied a sad smile on her beautiful face.

"My daughters right over there," he told her pointing to a little girl coloring at the table. Are you new in town? He asked her.

"Yes we just moved here from Puerto Rico."

"Oh wow you came a long way. I hear its beautiful there this time of year."

"Very beautiful. We came here for a new start." She said not wanting to get into the real reasons.

"Sometimes a new start is just what you need." He said sounding like he was speaking from experience.

"What's your daughters name?" She asked changing the subject.

"Emma and yours?"

"Talia and this is Cristian." She said turning so he could see the little boy.

"Hi Cristian it's nice to meet you," he said reaching out to shake the little boys hand.

Cristian buried his head in his mothers long hair, "I don't know what's gotten into him he's never shy."

"It's ok maybe he'll come around later."

Emma was coloring when another little girl sat down beside her. "Can I color with you?"

"Sure," she said handing her a piece of paper.

"I'm Talia whats your name?"

"I'm Emma, are you new here?"

"Yeah we just moved here from Puerto Rico"

"Where's that?"

"Far away. We had to get on an airplane to get here."

"I've never been on one, what's it like?" Emma asked picking up another crayon.

"Is lots of fun. It goes way up in the clouds."

"Really? That's cool."

"Alright class were going to get started, take your seats." Mrs. Williams said from the front of the classroom.

"I'm Patrick, by the way. Patrick Drake."

"Sabrina, Santiago." She said with a laugh realizing they hadn't even introduced themselves yet. "It's nice to meet you."

"Since your new in town if you ever need a tour of Port Charles..." He was saying as his phone buzzed. "Oh I'm sorry I really need to take this its the hospital." He told her excusing himself to take the call.

She shifted Cris higher on her hip, "What we gonna do today hijo? We have a few hours to kill until your sister comes home." She said tickling him.

"Sorry about that I just got bad news from work, one of our best nurses quit."

"Do you work at General Hospital?" She asked.

"Yes I'm the Chief of Neurosurgery there."

"Really? I'm starting work there in a few days."

"Please tell me it's as a nurse," he said with a smile.

"Yes as a matter of fact it is."