"Yeah, that sounds fine, T, I'll meet her brother. Are you happy now?" Will can't believe he's finally letting T set him up on a blind date with his girlfriend's brother. He shifted the phone from one shoulder to the other and scrolled through his email while he talked.

"Great, Will! I think you'll like him. Can you be at the new coffee shop at 8:30 tonight?" T was moving on this fast.

"I suppose," Will replied looking at his watch. He had an hour to clean himself up enough to meet this guy. "8:30. At Common Grounds."

"Fantastic, dude! He'll see you there!" Will could tell T was pretty proud of himself. When Will first came out, T hadn't taken the news so well, but over time T really came around. Who would have ever imagined Will would be going on a date with someone - some man - T recommended. If T could change, anything was possible. So, going on this date was the least Will could do.

"Um, T?"

"What Will?"

"What is this guy's name? It would be helpful to know that."

"Oh. Sorry. I kinda' forgot. It's David. His name is David. He's tall, got the same color hair as you. Glasses. Majoring in computers or something like that."

"Thanks, T."

At exactly 8:45 pm, Will and David sat across from each other at a table in the back of Common Grounds, sipping their black coffees, and talking about absolutely nothing. They had already run out of things to say 15 minutes into their date. Will thought David was sort of cute but definitely not his type. Will liked dark hair on a guy, olive skin, and a to-die-for smile accompanied by a sweet, sexy laugh. He was attracted to outgoing, social, engaging. And while David seemed nice enough, he was blonde, studious and pretty shy. David reminded him far too much of himself.

"Who's reading Kite Runner?" all of a sudden Sonny was next to their table, scooping empty cups and saucers onto a tray.

"Um, me," Will responded, grateful for the interruption. "I'm reading it for a World Lit class I'm taking. Why? Have you read it?" Will glanced at David, who was chewing nervously on a finger.

"I did, and I loved it! It's a great book. How far into it are you?" Sonny stopped cleaning to come stand next to Will. He picked up the book looking for a marked page.

"Well, I haven't actually started it yet. Which is a problem because I have a report due on it next Thursday." Will bit his lip thinking he would really like to ask Sonny for his help. But Will knew it would be inappropriate to do so with his date sitting there. Although David didn't seem to care that Will was talking to another guy, the last thing Will wanted was for David to go back to T and tell him he flirted with someone else all night.

"Here, give me your phone." Sonny reached for Will's cell once he dug it out of his front pocket. Tapping digits and letters in expertly, Sonny finished and handed the phone back to Will. "If you have questions, you know about the book, just text me. I'd be happy to help you out. It's a great book but it was hard to get into at first. It's worth it though, I promise." Sonny smiled, displaying perfectly straight and sparkling teeth outlined by smooth, full lips. Now this guy was Will's type.

"Great, Sonny, thanks so much." Will flashed what he hoped was an equally dazzling smile. "Gosh, I'm really grateful for the help."

"Will," David finally spoke again, forcing Will and Sonny to break eye contact and remember there was someone else at the table. "I-I have a big test tomorrow, so I should get back to studying."

"Okay, David. Well it was nice to meet you." Will stood and wondered if he should hug him or just shake his hand.

"You too, Will. Sonny." And with a slight nod of his head, David was out the door. At least that took care of Will's hug-handshake dilemma.

"Will, I hope I didn't break up your date?" Sonny looked at him apologetically once David was gone.

"No, no, you didn't. I haven't been on too many dates, but I have to say that was the most awkward, unexciting one I've ever been on. So, I'm glad you jumped in. Or I might still be sitting here with him in another hour, sipping coffee in complete silence." Will chuckled and shook his head. Well, at least he could tell T that they tried. The night wasn't a total bust though because Will got to see Sonny one more time that day. And Sonny was equally as happy to have been the one to save Will from his boring blind date. Giving Sonny a simple wave, Will grabbed his book and left.

**********

Sonny wiped down one of the last dirty tables. It was closing time, and he wanted to get as much done as he could before he headed home. His conversation earlier with Will had him more motivated than ever to start taking classes again, and he wanted to check out the U's schedule online. He put the towel down and looked around at his coffee shop. Not too long ago, this would have been nothing more than a dream to him. He never would have thought that he would be almost 21 years old and have his own dignified business. Sure, he and Janice had their own business together and they made a great living, but it wasn't exactly a job he could put on his resumé.

Sonny thought back again to the last couple of days he spent with Janice before flying thousands of miles away from her. When she told him that she had contacted his parents, he was angry. When she told him that she was sick, he was angrier with her because she was making him leave her in her time of need. She was his sister, his best friend, his savior, and now she was making him go when he should be there for her, when she should want and need him the most. Sonny had tried to find her after he got settled in Salem, but she was nowhere to be found. She had liquidated their account, sent him half the money and disappeared. He shook his head, and came back to the present, trying to focus on the rest of his closing duties.

He cleaned one empty and one half-empty cup from the table where Will had sat earlier with his date. Thinking back to their conversation, he settled his hands on his hips for a minute and smiled. He was lucky, he was happy, and he was developing a crush on Will. Sonny hoped Will would contact him for help with his paper. Or he wouldn't mind if Will just contacted him to hang out sometime. Either was fine by Sonny. He just hoped he'd see Will again soon.

He picked up the towel, laid it in the sink and turned the lights off. As he went to lock the door, he turned around and looked at his shop. Yes, he had a life in Europe and there were times he missed it and Janice terribly, but thinking about what he had now, he was sure that this is what his life was meant to be.

Sonny walked up to his apartment and immediately heard the phone ringing. He was one of the few people he knew who still had a land line. He kept if for business purposes, plus he was too frugal to pay for an expensive voicemail plan when had a perfectly good, perfectly functional answering machine already. As he was trying to pull the keys out of the lock, his message kicked in followed by the obligatory 'beep'. He laid his keys down on the table and headed for the kitchen to grab the phone. Sonny stopped in his tracks once he recognized the voice leaving the message. Could it really be her?

"Sonny? Son, hi it's Janny. I am in the states and wanted to see you. When you get this message, I'm staying at the Salem Inn. I'm in room 204. The number here is um... hold on let me look at the pad on the desk... it's um... 555-903-0983. Jet lag is killing me, so I'm sure I'll be up for a bit longer. I know, I'm rambling, I just need to see you, to hear your voice. Anyway, just... call me."And she hung up the phone. Not able to move, he waited until her message finished before letting out the breath he didn't realize he was holding. Was that why he kept thinking of her lately? He had to admit he was relieved to hear her voice to know that she was still alive. He would never forgive himself for leaving her when she was ill. She had multiple stitches from her fall, and she still made him leave.

:::Flashback:::

"Janny, you can't expect me to go." Sonny said as he turned to look at her. "You're sick, you need me. Come with me. If you want me to go back to my family, come with me."

Janice looked at the tall teen, who no longer had the mind and heart of a boy his age. He was wise now beyond his years, and Janice was so proud of him. She struggled to look at him because she knew that they both had tears in their eyes. "Son, you know that I love you, but you belong with your family. I belong here. This is my life, not yours. Please, promise you will go and be happy."

Sonny, walked over to her and hugged her. He whispered in her ear sorrowfully, "But why?" Just then, there was a knock at their front door. Janice broke the hug, wiped the tears from Sonny's eyes and her own and replied, "because I love you and I know that they love you and want you back in their lives. You deserve the chance to be successful in your life. Go to school, get a guy, have your life. I won't be around much longer Son, and to tell you the truth, I don't want you to see me die. I'm selfish, I want you to remember me like this."

She walked to the door and opened it. Adrienne and Justin walked in, and his mom immediately rushed to Sonny, grabbed him and hugged him tightly to her. She had such mixed emotions; she had beaten herself up since they kicked Sonny out those years ago when he first told them he was gay. But despite their best efforts, Sonny had become invisible, living on the streets, with no address, and finding him proved to be impossible. Adrienne stared at her son who had grown up so much. He was gorgeous, just like his father, but he looked weathered and worn. She could never get back those lost years, and it had taken its toll on all of them. She sobbed on Sonny's shoulders and begged for his forgiveness. Not yet ready to respond, Sonny broke the hug and kissed her cheek. He then walked over to Janice, hugged her, kissed her shoulder, and went to pack his bags.

"If you decide you want me, come to the states. Please Janny. Call me." He had said, hugging her one last time. Sonny walked out the door with his parents and didn't look back. He had no clue what life would be like for him back in Salem. He was going to a place he wasn't sure would accept him. He was leaving the only person who loved him unconditionally to go back to a place that he had never considered home. He was so afraid of the unknown. And for the first time in his life, he was truly scared.

:::Present:::

Sonny had driven on autopilot to the Salem Inn. How he got to his car and to room 204 he didn't know. Now standing in front of the door, his hand ready to knock, he didn't know what to expect. How would she look after the years? Was she still sick or had she gotten better? How do you say hi to a person who was your life for so long but sent you away as soon as things got tough? He put his hand down and turned to go, but something was pulling him to back. He turned around and faced the door. He fixed his jacket, took a deep breath and looked down at his feet. He raised his hand and knocked softly twice. Sonny took another deep breath and waited for the door to open.