The two painful days that led up to Maria's memorial service felt like two hundred years. The boy's missed their sister terribly, especially little Ernie who had not stopped crying since Diane and Sam broke the news to him and Spencer. Of course Spencer was sad and cried the first day but he had the mental toughness to smile again and go on playing. While they both were understanding of their sensitive son, they were immensely proud of Spencer's strong, positive spirit.

"You know, Sam," Diane said in a moment of clarity. "I think Spencer is reacting just as Maria would want him to. She would want him to smile and play again and not sit around feeling sorry for her. I think she would have done the same if it were him."

"Diane," Sam said in a state of despair. "I've already lost one child. I just can't think of losing another one. Believe me, I would feel as devestated if it were Spencer."

"I never said you wouldn't," Diane would reply, shocked by the coldness of his words.

"Yeah," Sam would say while he left the room.

It was disheartening that at this time of all times Sam would turn cold towards her. Did he not think that she was hurting too? Diane may not have had the spiritual connection with Maria that Sam had shared with her, but Diane did love her with all her heart and soul. What she wouldn't do to literally open up her soul to Sam and realize what a huge hole Maria had left. A huge hole that would never be fixed or healed until she and Maria would be reunited together in heaven.

A surprising source of comfort for Diane and the boys came from an unlikely source. Peter Pan had come on the t.v. the night before her memorial service. It was Ernie that asked if Maria had become a lost boy. Diane was taken aback by his question but it somehow had made sense. She saw through her children's eyes how Peter Pan would come take these children and bring them to a place where they could remain carefree children forever and never grow up.

"You know, Ernie," Diane said, tapping her son on the shoulder. "I think Maria is in Neverland. I think you may be right."

"I know I'm right," Ernie said, never taking his eyes off the t.v.

"I agree with both of you," Spencer piped up.

They had her memorial service at Cheers. It definitely seemed unconventional seeing as a bar was no place for a child or a child's memory but it made perfect sense for anyone who knew Sam and Diane's children. They were immensely proud of their dad's place and they loved anytime they could visit. Maria especially loved it and always got a kick out of Carla. She would say she was going to have Carla's job when she was old enough. It was recipricol; Carla always got a kick out of Maria.

"She was such a sweet girl," she said while she broke down into Sam's arms.

"Thank you, Carla," Diane said with open arms.

"You're a great mom, whitey," she said genuinely with a hug and a kiss. "Stay strong."

"I'm trying."

Woody; Woody's wife, Kelly; Norm and Cliff were the next ones to offer their heartfelt condolences. Sam and Diane's boys were chasing Carla's youngest kids and Woody and Kelly's daughter, Indiana, around the bar. Elizabeth stayed glued to her mother the whole time. Ever since Maria's death, Elizabeth would cry whenever Sam held her. Diane was the only one Elizabeth allowed to touch her. His daughter's seeming rejection made a brokenhearted Sam even more disgruntled. He had become so hard and bitter towards everyone that even his own baby daughter didn't want him around.

"We're here to honor the memory of Maria Anna Malone," the minister had begun. "To start this service, Diane Malone, Maria's mother, would like to sing a song in dedication to her memory."

Diane got up to sing with Elizabeth still attached to her. She was a little nervous as she got up in front of everyone in silence. She knew her kids loved her singing but this was the first time in years that she sang in a public setting. She picked a song from the musical of Peter Pan. It was the song Peter had sung to Wendy, John and Michael just before their first trip to Neverland. There wasn't a dry eye in the house during or after Diane's performance. Her angelic soprano voice hadn't rusted one bit. Through the tears, almost everyone made the effort to smile at Diane, as if that would make any difference to her broken soul because there was one who didn't smile to her, and it was Sam. Sam just stood there with a hard look on his face and his arms crossed. His one act of seeming apathy froze everyone else's empathy. It seemed to Diane that the light couldn't drive out the dark that time. Sam was lost and she, in that moment, realized just how scary it was to think that he might not find his way back to her.