Thanks for the reviews hope you'll like this chapter. I'll get Sara and Catherine interaction soon, I'll just have to find the words to put my ideas down on paper. Enjoy and take the time to review, it's always motivational to hear what you think of my writing.


Chapter 29

Halloween had never been something Sara had gotten to do as a child. Living with Caroline she had been at the age where everything was seen as childish. Emily had been too young for Halloween to be anything big when Sara had lived in San Francisco.

So Sara was surprised when by the start of October, Emily and Cam had started making plans for Halloween.

Cam was always up to fun with Emily. It gave her an excuse to act like a child, not that she usually needed one, but it was always more fun when you could take a child along with you.

Costumes was a major part of the planning, but as the time got closer to the actual night, Emily became worried about where to go trick or treating.

Sara and Emily lived in an apartment complex, designed and built with young adults starting out or singles in mind. Emily worried if there would be anybody home when it came to go trick or treating.

Cam didn't have any obvious solution, but she did at least recognize it as a problem, unlike Sara. Cam's home didn't offer a better neighborhood. She also lived in an apartment building with mostly singles.

Cam hadn't been trick or treating since moving to Las Vegas, and didn't know where it would be best to take Emily for the special night.

Emily was the one to find the solution to the problem of where. She had in the best child fashion invited herself to spend Halloween at Nancy's.

Sara wasn't sure why Emily had thought it best to go out from Nancy's home, but she did try to apologize for Emily's way of asking.

Nancy had experienced Jeremy do the same thing on several occasions. She liked being on the other side for once, and was enjoying not being the one that was embarrassed. She quickly took pity on Sara by extending the invitation to include Cam and Sara.

To make up for Emily inviting herself, Sara offered to take Jeremy out with them if the boy wanted to go. Sara wasn't sure if it was something Jeremy still wanted to do or if Nancy and Peter would allow him to go alone.

Sara didn't know that Jeremy earlier that month had let his parents know that trick or treating was for little kids, and that he had no plan to participate. And no he wouldn't need some silly costume.

Sara hadn't thought about a costume for herself, she had just expected to walk around with Cam and Emily in her usual clothes. That idea was put to rest a week before Halloween when Emily informed her that a costume was a necessity.

rrrr

On Halloween Sara had left work earlier than normal to get as much time with Emily for their trick or treating. By 4 pm Emily, Cam and Sara pulled up to Nancy's house.

Nancy couldn't keep her laugh in when Cam and Emily walked up her driveway together.

Emily was dressed as her version of Cam. Hair colored bright pink, tattoos painted on, what looked to be rings in both nose and ears. Dressed in leather pants, a muscle tee with a leather west to complete the ensemble.

Cam was dressed nice. Hair dyed blond, tattoos covered to blend into her skin tone, piercings removed and only one earring in each ear, a beautiful dress and high heeled shoes completed the look. Cam looked every bit like her usual dates, made more obvious by Emily leading Cam up the driveway with a small hand on Cam's lower back.

The prospect of going out trick or treating with Emily, Cam and Sara, had Jeremy forgetting how childish his friends thought it to be.

"My feet were not meant to be stuffed into shoes like this."

Cam had soon after they headed out from Nancy's house begun to feel the effect off wearing new and unfamiliar shoes. She had kept her voice low, not wanting to ruin the night for Emily, so only Sara heard her.

"That's what you get when you take advise from a 7 year old on what to wear to walk around for hours."

Sara didn't even try to stop her laugh from escaping. She was glad she had chosen to dress up as a CSI and let Emily decide her costume. It had been easy to put together with her lack of time, but the best part was her well worn booths she knew wouldn't be a problem to walk around in for as long as Emily was trick or treating.

Emily and Jeremy had several times convinced Cam and Sara of continuing. By the time they got back to Nancy's home it was later than Sara had planed, but the pleading eyes had been impossible to say no to.

Cam had been the one to at last demand they head home in the end, her feet killing her, and she had contemplated going barefoot, but the thought of accidentally stepping on a peace of glass had kept Cam from doing that. She didn't want to chance ruining Emily's night, so she had toughed it out. Cam wasn't used to wearing high heeled dress shoes. The promise of a part of both children's candy had made Cam endure the pain for longer than she would have normally.

With all the candy Emily had gotten, she would have candy till Christmas even after Cam got her share.

The night had been a great success, even though they would all pay for it in the morning. Emily had been up later than her bedtime and combined with all the sugar, she wouldn't be easy to get up in the morning. Sara would have the joy of an over tired child coming down from too much sugar. Cam would have trouble at work having to stand for most of the day, with blisters on both of her feet.

Nancy had invited Lindsey to join Jeremy and Emily for the trick or treating. Lindsey had at first been exited, until she heard Sara was going to go out with them.

She had tried to find out why Lindsey was so opposed to anything Sara. But hadn't gotten any answer besides more anger from Lindsey.

Telling Sara about Lindsey's rejection of the invitation hadn't crossed Nancy's mind. She knew Sara was still hurting from Lindsey and Catherine's rejection.

rrrr

Time seemed to fly by for Sara and Emily, and before they knew it, they were on their way to San Francisco to spend Thanksgiving with Caroline.

For Catherine each day seemed to drag by. Lindsey was getting worse, acting out and pulling away from everyone increasingly.

Catherine knew thing weren't working, but she didn't know what to do about it. She still hadn't admitted to herself what was causing the empty feeling that seemed to take over whenever she wasn't keeping her mind occupied. It was most effective when she was at work. That Catherine could put aside her personal emotions and problems at work only made her work longer hours than usually.

Staying longer at work, gave less time to be with Lindsey. That again made Lindsey's anger at the world show at everyone around her. Pushing her mom and family away, without knowing it Lindsey was making everyone around her as missable as she herself was. Every time she spoke to her mom it was in anger.

Catherine wanted to spend time with Lindsey, and knew it was the best for both of them, but she didn't know how to spend time with her daughter. Especially when Lindsey didn't want to be around her.

The day that Catherine got a call from Lindsey's principal that she needed to come to the school because Lindsey had been in a fight, was the day Catherine consciously made the decision to change things.

Having to hear what was happening to Lindsey and having been unaware of the problems her daughter was having hadn't been easy for Catherine. But most of what the principal and Lindsey's teacher told her about Lindsey didn't register with Catherine.

After the meeting Catherine was glad she had been able to get the principal to decrease Lindsey's suspension to 5 days instead of the possible expulsion the principal had mentioned. It didn't mean Catherine was anywhere near happy about what had happened.

It was probably Lindsey's luck that her mom only registered part of what had going on with Lindsey at school. As it was Catherine wasn't all that fond of her daughter at that moment, but she did recognize that things would only get worse if she started yelling.

She had to find a new way to reach her daughter and fast. Catherine wasn't sure how to accomplish that, but she did know it had to start with herself.

She knew she wouldn't be able to figure things out on her own. If for not anything else Catherine knew she was good at self denial and tended to flee from her private life if the emotions got too much. The only person she allowed to call her on it was Nancy. Her sister was also the only person Catherine knew to tell the truth no matter if she liked it or not. Nancy was probably also the only person that dared stand up to Catherine when she got really angry.

First step was talking with Nancy, but that turned out harder than just showing up at Nancy's home. Catherine had forgot it was in the middle of the day, and that Nancy was at work.

Catherine at her best of times wasn't all that patient and this was no where close to a good time. So having to wait for Nancy to get home was wearing on Catherine.

Instead of talking with Nancy, Catherine thought it was as good a time as any to start talking with Lindsey. She needed to find out what was making Lindsey so angry that the girl had started fighting again and why Lindsey hadn't told her something was wrong.

Catherine knocked on Lindsey's bedroom door, but didn't get an answer. Not that she had expected any, Lindsey tended to become silent when angry.

Catherine slowly opened the door and stuck her head inside.

"Sweetie, you ready to talk?"

Catherine would do her best to keep her temper in check, and not allow her anger to flare up.

Lindsey just shrugged. Catherine took that as a yes, and entered Lindsey's bedroom. Softly sitting down on the bed next to Lindsey, she tried to get her thoughts in order.

"I know we haven't talked much in the last months, but I would like to know why you're fighting at school."

"Whatever, it's not like it'll change anyway."

Lindsey didn't bother looking toward her mom, instead keeping her eyes focused on the ceiling. She really didn't want to have this conversation or any conversation with her mom. Pretending she didn't care Lindsey hoped her mom would leave her alone.

The words hurt more than Catherine let on, but she didn't want Lindsey to see the pain. It didn't matter either way as Lindsey wasn't looking anywhere near her mom.

"I know I've been distant for a long time now, and I would very much like to change that. And a part of that is helping you with what is causing you to be so angry."

"It's never worked before, why should I think it would now."

With that Lindsey turned on her side, looking at the wall. Blocking her mom out. She had heard her mom promise to change and spend more time with her before, but it had never worked for more than a short time. The previously times Lindsey had believed that her mom's change would last and each time it had hurt more when the changes didn't last. Now Lindsey din't dare believe. It was just easier to not believe and not risk being let down than to believe and have her hopes crushed yet again.

Catherine tried for some time after Lindsey had turned her back, to get through to Lindsey but she didn't get any reactions. Lindsey refused to talk to her mom and ignored everything she said.