Thank you for the reviews.

Now before we all hate on Mia (don't worry, she isn't here for the long run), let's see how that came about... I mean, Tommy isn't the only one who is protective of their cousin. It might also work the other way around as well.

Nerves

"Sophie, you're a girl," Tommy said, knowing how stupid what he had just said sounded.

"Good observation skills."

"Just..."

"Mia Smith."

"How…"

"Because of the heart eyes you give her every time you see her and she says hi to you. If you like her, just talk to her and maybe, you know, ask her out."

"You make it seem so simple."

"Because it is that simple. And I have heard that she likes you as well. That party you went to the other week and you came home at like midnight and talked at me for like two hours about her? Apparently she was exactly the same."

"I know just…"

"Tommy. How many times do I have to tell you? You are not your father's son. You will always be a better man than he will ever be."

"Philip said just to be myself."

Sophie laughed. "Oh yeah. And how many girls has he picked up being himself?"

"That is your brother that you are talking about."

"But you can agree."

"Yes, but there is a difference between Philip being himself and me being myself, isn't there?"

"Yeah, there is."

"So I've just got to do it?"

"Just ask her."

Tommy sighed. He wished that it was as easy as Sophie made it out to be.

"Look, she is on her own. Now is the perfect opportunity."

Sophie watched as Tommy looked at her before looking down the corridor at Mia.

"Okay. Fine. I'm going to do it." He said.

There was a small part of Sophie that thought that it probably would have been better for her to just leave her cousin to it but she couldn't stop herself from watching when he relaxed into the conversation that he was having.

"What are you watching?" Rachel asked as she joined Sophie.

"Tommy is asking out Mia."

"Really?"

Sophie laughed. "Rach, stop worrying. Christ, you are a pair of worriers."

"Your father called me a natural worrier."

"But your little boy is growing up and he is a better man than Adam would ever be. So can you stop worrying?"

"But… He might not be his father's son but what is he is his mother's son?"

"It's not like I am planning on stealing the one he is meant to be with away from him. And I would tell him if I thought that, you know." Sophie said, trailing off at the end.

"Doesn't stop me from worrying."

"I can tell."

She shared a smile with her auntie. It was clear that she was always going to be the worrier.

"What are you two smiling about?" Her dad said as he joined them.

"I'm guessing Tommy didn't come to you for advice." Rachel said.

"About this girl he liked? Yeah, he came to me for advice. I did make sure that he understood and didn't take it in the wrong way."

"Like Philip did."

"What did Philip do?" Sophie asked.

Her dad and Rachel looked at each other.

"Maybe later." Rachel said. "And maybe don't tell Philip that you know. I think Tommy would probably want to hear that story as well."

"We are thinking of the same story, aren't we?" Her dad said.

"The 'Please don't tell me those are mine' story."

"Definitely thinking of the same story."

"Now I want to know more," Sophie said.

"What are you three doing?" Tommy asked.

They all turned to him, not realising that he had joined them.

"Nothing." Rachel said.

"You told them didn't you?"

"Well, what did she say?" Sophie said.

He sighed. "We are going to the cinema on Saturday. Okay. Happy?"

"Yeah, we will just need to talk about your choice of movie." She said as she grabbed his arm and pulled him away from her dad and Rachel.

Tommy ran a hand through his hair as he waited for Mia. It was a habit that he realised that he had picked up from his mum. Not that it was a bad habit. He smiled as he saw her and he was glad that he had also picked up his mum's habit for being at least five minutes early for everything. He wasn't the one having to answer stupid questions just before getting out of the car.

Mia rolled her eyes at him.

"Hey." He said.

"Did you walk here?"

"No, Eddie dropped me off."

"Eddie?"

"Mr Lawson. The man my mum is going to marry in like five months time."

"Right. Yeah sorry. It's just weird to hear his first name."

"It is weird to call him Mr Lawson now. Shall we?"

He pushed open the door for her and they walked into the cinema.

"Isn't it going to be weird for him to be your step-dad?" Mia asked once they had settled on a film.

"Not really. He makes Mum happy and that is all I want."

"Well more Sophie being your cousin but also your step-sister."

"It is the reason why Sophie isn't really calling Mum, Auntie Rachel now. It is but it isn't like it is going to change our relationship. Either way, we are still family."

"I don't think I would be happy if my mum married my uncle."

"Eddie was never my uncle. He did propose to my auntie but they never married. It is part of their weird love story, as Sophie says."

"It is just weird."

"Maybe one day, I'll tell you the full story."

It was like she relaxed more as he did. "Maybe."

"Did you miss me?" Tommy said as he entered his room to see Sophie lying on his bed.

"Dad and Rachel went out and I stayed behind because I am still trying to find a song for their first dance as Dad has given me that task. Couldn't find anything that just seems suitable. Called Philip but he was busy."

"I'll take that as a yes then."

"Maybe I am just not used to having the house to myself."

He lied down next to her. "It does seem quiet."

"How did it go?"

"Yeah, the movie was good. I think you would like it. Then we grabbed a milkshake at the new place in town and then her mum picked her up. She did offer me a lift back but I thought that I needed the walk."

"I did do a bit of digging. Just… I don't want you to make the same mistake as I did. Anyway, she went out with Dave James. He's in my year and actually, he started talking to me the other day, weirdly enough. He said that Mia was a lovely girl but it just didn't work out between them. Plus he had nothing bad to say about you. Especially when he was at my 16th."

"I know who he is now. He was one of the boys that backed me up when Josh wouldn't leave."

Tommy smiled as silence fell between them. This was the comfort that he felt from his cousin that no one else could offer him yet. His mum and Eddie had their own ways as well. But the way that he and Sophie was something special to him. Like nothing else could match it.

"I love you, Sophie."

She picked up one of his pillows and hit him with it.

"Why do you go all soppy on me?" She said as she turned to him. "But I love you too Tommy."

"So the song for their first dance? Can I help?"

"What have you got in mind?"

"Just something that Mum said after their first date after they were reunited."