Sunlight flooded Jude's room. "Uuughhhh. Five more minutes mom" she threw her pillow over her head in a failed attempt to block out the light.

"Last time I checked, I was not your mom."

"Kwest, do you not have a heart? It's so damn early." Pulling the pillow out of her grips, he laughed. "Get up rock star, we have a lunch date today."

Disgruntled she Jude sat up and folded her arms thoroughly annoyed from being woken up so early. "It's only a date if there are two parties interacting…..so it'll be you and Sadie and me. That does not constitute a date."

"That is where you're wrong m'dear. It's Sadie and I, and then my dashing younger cousin and you."

"Kwest- no. I'm here on vacation. I don't need the stress of entertaining someone while you and Sadie make those…faces at each other."

"Man, we don't make faces." Jude made mock kissy faces to him. "There are faces, trust me." Throwing off the comforter, it was a sign of surrender. "That's my girl! We'll leave in an hour, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. Hour, I get to play pawn in your sick dating game. I'm really not interested in getting involved, I'm really trying to focus on my mu-"

"Your music. I know, your music is fine, why not focus on your life for once? It's time to move on, Jude." Dismissing him, she grabbed her towel and made her way to the bathroom.

'From now on…separate rooms. None of the suite business.' Reaching for the faucet, she turned the water as hot as she could without burning herself. 'I do have a life, I'm just really busy with my music, it's important to me.' This scenario was all too common, Jude's justification for her hermit like lifestyle the past three years. Stepping out of her pajamas, she stepped into the scalding water and let it rinse over her, she hoped that maybe this time, the water would be hot enough, and she could scrub hard enough to wash away her past, her hurt, and the pain and baggage she carried around.

Freshly showered and dressed, Tom walked out of his room to the delicious smell of breakfast cooking and coffee being brewed. As he made his way to the kitchen, he stopped at the bar, where Cora was sitting and coloring in a Disney princess coloring book. He ruffled "her hair and kissed her on the cheek "Mi Corazon". Cora giggled, like she always did "y tu papi". My heart, Tom would call her and she would always reply 'and you, daddy.'

Walking into the kitchen, he opened one of the cabinets to get a mug off a shelf. "Morning Sandra, you're a life saver, have I ever told you that?"

"Only every morning, but it makes me feel needed and appreciated." She handed him a plate with a fresh warm pastry and cut tropical fruits. "Cora, would you like some more juice?"

"No thank you Ms .Sandra." Cora didn't bother to look up, but was concentrating intently on coloring near the hem of Sleeping Beauty's dress. As she finished she set down her crayon in a declaratory manner and proclaimed "Done!" Carefully tearing it out of her book, she hopped off of her stool and happily trotted over to the refrigerator. It was already plastered in her drawings and coloring pages. Most were of fairytales, Princesses and Princes who were riding off into the sunset. Cora was enamored with fairytales and the imaginary. Stretching to reach a free magnet, she called out to her father.

"Daddy?"

"Yes Corazon?"

"Daddy, where is your princess?" Cora asked innocently as she situated her newest creation, making sure it was prominently displayed amongst the others. Sandra froze in the kitchen and her eyes darted to Tom, his newspaper sunk down to reveal his eyes, traces of sadness could be seen. Answerless Tom concerned Cora and she walked out of the kitchen, "Daddy?" Tom snapped out of it, rapidly blinking away the images that were apparently flashing past his eyes. "Corazon, com'ere." The little girl happily bounded towards her father and hopped up in his lap. "You are my princess, and that's all I need." He kissed the top of her head.

"I'm ready to go whenever you are, go put on some shoes and we can leave, okay?" He told Cora, folding his newspaper and finishing off his coffee. The little girl slid off his lap and ran to her room to get ready.

"You know," Sandra spoke up from the kitchen, "She has a point. I have a couple of friends. Single and pretty, and I can just call one of them up."

"Sandra, work and my daughter. That's all I have time for in my life right now. Anything else would hurt too much. And it wouldn't be fair to whomever I got involved with."

Wiping her hands off on her apron, she stood with her hands on her hips. "Tom, don't lie to me like that. You spend all of your free time that could be with someone else alone. Alone if your dark room, in an eternal state of depression. It's time to move on and let go."

"I killed her, I know it. She hasn't been seen for 3 years. I can't just let that go." He stood from the table and brought his dishes to the sink. "Thank you, but I can't do it." His voice was full of pain and suffering. Though Tom made the right decision, he wouldn't stop beating himself up and torturing himself for what he did to Jude. On the brink of a blossoming relationship, he chickened out and flew to Miami. Cora needed her father, but her father needed his life. He picked up and left everything he knew in Canada, unable to believe that his past and present could ever fit together.

"I'm ready daddy!" Cora's voice carried from by the front door. "I'll be there in a second-" Looking at Sandra, he smiled weakly. "Maybe," He hesitated, "and sooner than later, I'll ask you to call. But not right now." Sandra smiled back, it was obvious she cared for Tom and the wellbeing of him and his daughter, "Just let me know, I want you to get your life back." Leaving the kitchen he turned back, "I'll never get it back, but I can at least try to make this one work."

Jude looked into the mirror as she applied the final touches to her makeup. Her critical eye scanned over her appearance head to toe. A voice from behind made her jump.

"You know, for not wanting to go to lunch, you sure are making quite the effort." Sadie smiled as she adjusted a strap on Jude's top.

"Well, I haven't seen the light of day in three years, well, you people would like to believe so I figured I'd make an effort, whatdaya think?" Jude spun around and struck a pose. Sadie laughed, "very nice cover girl. So I take it you're ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose, just let me grab my bag and we can go…oh. Where are we going?" Jude walked around her room, throwing her cell phone, chapstick, and other random essentials she might need into her purse. "It's this great little café by a park, it'll be fun."

"Great." A forced smile was plastered on Jude's face as Sadie grabbed her by the arm and dragged her out of the room.