With only three weeks left until school started, Nathan and Sydney were doing everything they could to finish up all the work on the house. They had finally decided on colors for the living and family rooms and Nathan was hard at work painting after Sydney finished the taping portion. While he worked, she went off to Just Be to pick up Susan. She was in training and her first night of "real" work was in two days. Arlen had put off her training until everything at home had calmed down.

Sydney walked into the lobby, happy to feel the air-conditioning at full blast – it was nearly triple digits outside. She barely made it into the main room when Arlen stopped her.

"Hey, honey," he said, something "off" in his voice.

"What's wrong?" she asked, immediately.

He frowned. "Always hated that about me, I'm so obvious." He sighed, then took Sydney's hand. "So, I'm not going to say what I think's going on, but…oh, hell, yes I am. Charlie stopped by today."

"Did he interrupt?"

"Mm…not really. He wants something to do to, though he certainly doesn't need the money…anyway, it's fine and I could use all the high school kids I can get to drum up odd nights of the week and…"

"Arlen."

"Right. They fought, he left, and Susan's in my office. I don't know what about – they fought out of ear range."

"Out of your ear range? That seems impossible."

Arlen blushed. "Long phone call from David."

Sydney smiled at him. "How much longer is he staying in, um, there?"

"He wants a couple of more weeks…Syd, it's gonna work this time."

Sydney put her hand on her best friend's shoulder, rubbing gently. "I know it is." She left him and made her way back to his office. She could hear Susan sniffling through the door. "Susan?" She knocked, pushing the door open a little. "Honey, are you okay?" Honey. It had slipped out, sounding perfectly natural, but Sydney felt a pang of worry instantly. She sounded…motherly – something she wasn't sure Susan would want her to sound like and…

"Syd…" Susan shot up out of the chair and pulled the door open the rest of the way. Her eyes were red and her cheeks wet with tears. She looked at Sydney, obviously wanting something, but scared just as Sydney was.

Screw it… Sydney took Susan into her arms and the young woman hugged her tightly, her chest shaking. "Susan, what happened?"

"He's so stupid!" she yelled, her face reddening. "He can go anywhere he wants and has so many opportunities and he wants to just throw them away and…" She rested her head on Sydney's shoulder. "I…" Her breath caught a little and Sydney rubbed her back. She needed a mother and if she wasn't ready to talk to her own yet, feelings of guilt or not, Sydney was going to step in.

"Susan…"

"Syd," Susan interrupted. "Can we go somewhere? I just…I don't wanna go home and Dad will be there and he'll…I…"

Sydney handed Susan her car keys. "Go get in and I'll take care of your dad." Susan took the keys and left the office, grateful. Sydney pulled her phone from her purse and called Nathan.

"Would you believe I stepped in the paint tray?" Nathan said as soon as he picked up the phone.

Sydney smiled. "Maybe…hey, are you okay being there on your own for a bit or do you think the paint tray will attack again."

"I think I tamed it," he laughed. "Only got the tarp, the carpet is safe. Everything all right?"

"It will be, I just think that Susan needs a little girl time."

Nathan smiled widely. He knew how hard Sydney had been trying to keep at least some distance from Susan, not wanting to be a replacement, but he also knew that both of them wanted more from one another. "Bring home a pizza?" he asked, letting her know he wasn't going to press for details.

"I love you," she answered. She hung up and went out to her car. Susan had started it, the air conditioner and the radio on.

"Good music," Susan said, seeming surprised.

"Gotta keep up with you kids," Sydney teased, making Susan smile. "Hungry?"

She shook her head. "Not yet. Arlen had us taste just about everything on the menu so we'd know what we were talking about."

"Okay then…different idea." Sydney pulled out of the parking lot and let the music play as she drove. She wasn't going to ask Susan anything until she decided she wanted to talk. Twenty minutes later they were sitting in oversized massage chairs, their feet being pampered.

"He won't even think about Oxford," Susan blurted.

Sydney raised an eyebrow. "Uh, Charlie?"

Susan nodded. "He might get into trouble, but he's so smart! His grades are amazing and when he visited his father yesterday, they were talking about colleges and…aside from his grades, he has an 'in' there! He could have an amazing opportunity but he won't go…because of me."

"Susan…" Honestly, she had no idea how to approach this. Whatever she said could be taken in the wrong way and the last thing she wanted was to hurt Susan. "…there's still a couple of months before any decisions need to be made…"

"Please tell me what you're really thinking. I think I've run every single scenario through my head that's possible and all of them turn out shitty." She blushed. "Sorry."

"Swear away, Susan, especially when it comes to men." She sighed. "You love him?"

She nodded. "Yeah, of course…but it's…" Guilt ran through Susan's veins. "…it's high school, you know? I'm seventeen and I know that just because I love him now doesn't mean…" Her eyes watered. "I'm a bitch."

Sydney reached over and took Susan's hand. "Furthest thing from it, sweetheart. You've already figured out what most girls don't realize until they're in college." She rubbed her thumb along the back of Susan's hand. "That's not to say that some people don't find 'the one' at your age, Charlie may well be…and if you didn't truly love him, you would tell him to stay, not argue for him to possibly go."

"I don't want…" Fresh tears fell. "I don't ever want regrets if I can help it. I don't want to be bitter like…" Sydney understood immediately; Susan didn't want to wind up like her mother. Susan saw the look in Sydney's eyes and knew that she had honed in on her thoughts - she went on the defensive. "I wouldn't trade Dad for the world, even with his past…"

"I know you wouldn't, but I understand what you're afraid of." She leaned her head back, but didn't let go of Susan's hand. "Is he angry?"

"I think so."

"Give him a little bit of time, it'll force him to think about your fight…and just maybe, he's a smart kid after all, he'll understand where you're coming from." She shifted her upper body to fully face Susan. "He adores you, and rightfully so. I wish I'd had your head on my shoulders at your age."

"Thank you, Syd, but I still feel like…" She wiped at her eyes, tired of crying.

"First fight too, huh?" Susan nodded, blushing. "I don't know whether to tell you that it gets worse or better," Sydney chuckled. "Both things are true."

A moment of clarity happened then, for both women. Susan looked at Sydney, really looked at her. She was thankful to her for so much, but needed to make something clear. "Just, please, don't ever hide the truth from me. If you want to tell me something harsh, or something you think will upset me, don't ever talk yourself out of it." She put her free hand on top of Sydney's. "Is that…okay?"

Sydney nodded, refusing to cry. Susan had just asked for so much in only a few words, but it all made sense. Her parents had kept harsh truths from her and finding them out later only made things worse. She was only asking Sydney for honesty, but somehow, to Sydney, it meant more than that. "More than okay," she finally answered. "I think you and Charlie will be fine in a few days and…encourage him. He may decide to take an opportunity to show you…well, you know."

Susan finally smiled with dry eyes. "You have a good handle on 'the mom thing.'" Sydney's eyes fell. "No matter what she might have said to you, I…Syd, I'm going to think of you that way, especially if you and Dad…you know, get married."

"I don't want to take anything away from anyone."

"You're not," Susan said surely. "You're only adding, I promise.