CHAPTER 87

The next day…

(GIDEON)

"Well, that was delicious" I say with a contented sigh as I drain my wine glass and place it back on the table.

Christian grins at me, and then looks at Ana who looks embarrassed.

"See! I told you baby, you are an amazing cook and I said Gideon would like it".

Ana flushes red at the compliment but doesn't say anything.

"Where's Gail then? I thought she did all the cooking?" I ask.

Ana immediately looks up at that, "She always has the weekend off although she was around yesterday, but that was only because it was Christian's birthday, and she wanted to wish him a happy birthday before she went".

"Went? Has she gone somewhere?" I ask and Christian nods.

"She always goes to visit her sister in Portland at the weekend" he explains.

"Is Taylor with her or is he still around?" Eva asks.

"He went with her today, I think with the impending family meeting this afternoon he decided to give us all some privacy" Christian explains.

"Is Caroline on board with coming along, after all it is a Sunday?" Eva asks and Christian nods again.

"I explained what had happened and she is of the opinion it should all happen sooner rather than later, and she is willing to sit in an offer any advice or help" he says.

"Or referee" I say sardonically, and then I shake my head, "Sorry that was uncalled for" I add. I hesitate a moment and then continue, "It is quite impressive that you have pulled this family meeting together in what was essentially a few hours' notice and that everyone is willing to show up and participate".

Christian holds up his hand, "No don't apologise, I think everyone really wants to clear the air which is a good thing, El is completely up for it and to be fair I don't think things will get that out of hand although I've never seen El this upset about anything before… so there is the chance he could need some calming down if mom calls Meg a gold digger again".

"I can't understand why she just didn't say something yesterday, when she overheard what Grace said? Why didn't she just say, excuse me but I've signed a pre-nup" Ana says shaking her head sadly.

Eva shrugs, "Why should she? She doesn't have to explain herself to anyone. If you ask me Grace shouldn't have made the assumption that just because El and Meg met and married quickly, she was going to take him to the cleaners and that she was automatically Kate mark 2. Meg has said that she has tried reaching out to Grace a few times but as soon as it became obvious that she and El were serious, Grace froze her out and always made excuses about not seeing her, claiming she was busy with work".

Ana shakes her head, "To be fair that probably wasn't an excuse, on Grace's part. I have tried many times to arrange a coffee with Grace and she has said that to me or she has agreed only to cry off at the last moment due to work commitments".

"She is supposed to be retiring soon, but she won't. She is far too dedicated to the hospital to do that" Christian says.

"So, it seems like there has been miscommunication and misunderstanding on both sides" I say with a shrug.

Christian nods, "There has and it needs to be nipped in the bud before any lasting damage is done".

"Well, it worked before, when Ana and I went to see Grace and Carrick. Which resulted in your dad totally changing his attitude. From my perspective it did and your relationship with your dad is much closer now as well" Eva says and Christian nods.

"It is, it was the best thing we ever did and I can't thank you both enough for your part in that" he says.

Ana wraps her arms around him and presses a kiss to his shoulder but doesn't say anything.

"Let's hope this meeting is just as successful" Eva says as she also drains her glass.

"Does anyone want any more wine?" Ana asks but I shake my head and Eva also declines.

"I think a clear head will be needed" she says with a grin.

"What time is everyone arriving?" I ask.

"At about 3 o clock. We agreed that would give everyone time to have some lunch and relax a bit before coming over. It also gives El time to drive over to Sadie's and drop off Ava before coming here" Ana explains.

I glance at my watch and see it is nearly 2 o clock now, so it won't be long before people start to arrive.

oooOOOooo

The first to arrive is Caroline, she arrives and greets us all warmly.

"Hello Gideon, Eva it's good to see you both again. Are you participating in the meeting today?" she asks.

Eva shakes her head, "No not really, we are just here for moral support, El is really upset about everything that has happened and he also seems to have a number of issues which seem to be deep rooted and go back to when he was a child so I wanted to be here to support him… after all he is my brother. Also, Meg is a close friend of mine. When she lived in New York we were quite close".

"I see, do you miss that friendship now she is here in Seattle?" Caroline asks, but Eva shakes her head.

"No not really as I talk to El and Ana daily and Meg is always around when I speak to El just as Christian tends to be around when I talk to Ana".

Caroline nods and looks at me, "What about you Gideon?" she asks me.

I let out a small snort, "I have been credited with this whole meeting taking place after I spoke at Christian's party. It apparently was all my idea, and Christian asked me to be here so here I am" I say.

"Are you feeling resentful about that?" Caroline asks.

I pause and think about that, "No, should I?" I ask.

"No not at all, I ask because of the way you said apparently it was all my idea, I just wondered" Caroline says.

I shrug, "Well it was, when it all kicked off yesterday after Grace said what she said about Megumi and Elliot got upset. I tried to smooth things over saying that everyone should sit down and talk things out, but there and then wasn't the time or place. As we have discussed the events of yesterday it appears that there has been miscommunication and misunderstandings and it needs to be sorted out. As I said, Christian asked me if I would be here and I agreed. I knew Eva would want to attend because of her link with both Elliot and Megumi as well as Ana and due to the fact she was present when a similar family conference happened a couple of months ago".

Caroline nods, "Yes we discussed that in one of our sessions, didn't we? In fact, I think it was one of the first ones we had after I became your therapist?" she says looking towards Christian for confirmation, which he gives with a simple nod.

"Yes that's right" he says.

As we are chatting, Christian's phone buzzes and he answers, "Thank you let them up" he says after a moment, and then he hangs up.

"That was the security at the gate, everyone has arrived altogether. I'm not sure if that is a good thing or not" he says.

A few moments later we hear the cars coming to a halt outside as the tyres crunch on the gravel path. I look out of the window and see Grace and Carrick climbing out of one car, along with Mia who has obviously come with them. I can't help but notice that when Elliot and Megumi get out of their car, Mia runs to Elliot and gives him a fierce hug, before repeating the gesture to Megumi and Carrick walks over and greets Elliot warmly, but Grace walks towards the front door without a word. I frown as this is totally out of character for her to behave like this as I have always found her to be a warm and welcoming person.

I glance at Christian and Ana who have also witnessed the events outside and Christian sighs, before rubbing his eyes, and then his face with his hand.

The front door bell rings and Ana also sighs, "Ok then here goes" she says simply.

As Ana opens the door, the difference is jarring as Grace steps in all smiles and greets Ana with a warm hug. She turns to Christian and deliberately slowing her movements she hugs him tightly. Before turning her attention to me and to Eva.

"Oh hello, I didn't expect to see you and Eva here today" She says by way of greeting.

Before I can answer Eva jumps in, "Hello Grace, yes Ana asked me to participate as support for her and El and I'm also here for Meg as we were close friends when she lived in New York. Christian also asked Gideon to participate. He wanted him here for a bit of moral support as they have got quite close recently… you are aware that Christian's therapist is also here aren't you?" she asks and Grace nods.

"Yes, yes I was. I see, it is admirable that you and Gideon are here to offer your support, but this is really family business" she says carefully.

Ana visibly bristles at that and steps forward, "And Eva is family, she is my sister and she is Elliot's sister" she says.

"A fact we are not allowed to forget" Grace mutters.

Christian's eyes widen at that, and he quickly ushers everyone through to the main living room. Caroline was standing unobtrusively nearby and clearly taking in everything that was said.

Carrick wraps his arm around Grace and mutters something in her ear, before leading her to a seat. When we are all in and sitting down, Grace turns towards Ana, "I apologise Ana that was rude" she says.

Before Ana can answer Christian speaks, "Yes it was mom and I'm surprised you said it, you will remember I decide who is welcome in my home. I have asked Gideon to be here and Ana has asked Eva to be here. If you have a problem with that I suggest that is a good place for us to start".

Ana places her hand on Christian's arm and we watch as he visibly relaxes at her touch.

We hear Caroline clear her throat, and everyone looks towards her, "From what Christian outlined to me and from what I have witnessed so far, it appears that there seems to be numerous issues which need to be addressed, discussed and worked through today. I am aware of some of them but I think it would be advantageous if we go around the room and everyone states why they are participating today. I also think that maybe some extra sessions may be advantageous for those who would like them".

I smile inwardly at that, as I was just thinking how the hell are we going to sort everything out today.

Christian nods, "That sounds fair enough" he says as he leans forward and clasps his hands in front of him.

There is a long silence as it appears nobody wants to go first. In the end Elliot speaks, "Ok so I'll kick things off. I'm here because I want to know what my mom has against my wife? Meg has tried numerous times to reach out to mom but she has always knocked her back. Always using work commitments as an excuse, although that's nothing new. All our lives mom has had work commitments. I also want to know why she is convinced my wife is a gold digger which I can categorically say she is not and why suddenly it seems she has forgotten she has two sons". He stops and I see Mia nodding her head.

She clears her throat, "I'm Mia and I'm Christian and Elliot's sister – adopted sister. I grew up with El and Christian and… and… well quite frankly, in my opinion mom and dad let them down. Christian had major issues growing up from stuff that happened to him before he was adopted, we could all see it had totally messed him up. I don't remember it because I was just a baby when I was adopted but apparently it was me who got him talking. He didn't talk for two whole years after mom and dad adopted him and when I came along I seemed to spark some improvement but that makes me ask why didn't mom and dad see that and build on it? All mom and dad did was respect his boundaries and farm him out to therapists. He was in desperate need of specialist help. I was the only one allowed to touch him and even then I had to be careful I didn't freak him out, why didn't mom and dad do something to help him overcome his phobia? It wasn't until he met Ana that he got his life in order. He was completely fucked up, and it got really bad when he was a teenager and for a while he totally spiralled out of control. But it's not only Christian, El got let down as well. He is such a naturally happy easy-going person that mom and dad basically just assumed he was ok… but he really wasn't he struggled with being adopted, he wanted to have some sort of place and I think…" she pauses and glances at Elliot. "I think, the way El was bouncing from one woman to another was him looking for some kind of place. He thought he'd found it with Kate but she turned out to be a bitch and now he has finally found happiness with Meg and mom is shitting all over it, thinking she is like Kate because she is upset because they married without her. Growing up mom and dad didn't see any of it, they didn't see anything because they were too focussed on their own careers. I was their baby girl and I was their princess and as such I got attention but not the right kind. I didn't get their time I got their money and stuff and it made me a materialistic spoilt brat, like Kate. A fact which was brought home to me when El and Ana discovered they were related and I made Ana cry, so I'm here today to support my brothers and just say it. Say that I think everything that is happening now has its roots and I think it was our upbringing and I want to say it as it was, when we were growing up because I really don't think Christian or Elliot will. Christian won't because he still feels he owes mom and dad for adopting him. I'm not saying they were bad parents; I mean we had a privileged up bringing with every possible opportunity and we weren't abused or anything". She stops and her eyes widen as she looks directly at Christian. "I mean… but…" she stops and Christian smiles at her.

"Mia" he says and she looks at him sheepishly, "It's fine, we are all here today to say what we need to say. There is nothing which is off limits if it is important to you, you say it" he says encouragingly.

Mia nods, "I just didn't mean to bring up what happened to you with Elena" she says.

Carrick and Grace gasp in shock and it is clear they had no idea Mia was aware of this part of Christian's life.

Mia looks at them, "Yes I knew what happened. I overheard when Christian was telling you that he wanted to testify against her, I know… I heard it all" she says.

There is another silence and then Ana clears her throat, "I'm here because I want to support Elliot and Meg. I have already made my feelings clear and we have talked through my opinions on Christian's childhood which as far as I am concerned is now closed. However, it appears that both Elliot and Mia want to discuss their childhood and so I am prepared to offer my opinions once more as to that time".

Elliot and Mia both nod in agreement at that, and then Meg clears her throat. "I would like to know why Grace seems to be completely of the opinion that I am only with Elliot for his money, why she thinks I have in some way brainwashed him and am manipulating him and why she is totally convinced that I am like Kate Kavanagh when I am not. I would like to know why, when I have tried to reach out to her that she closes the door and doesn't seem interested in getting to know me".

Elliot wraps his arm around Meg and presses a kiss to her temple and I watch as Meg leans into him, Elliot responds by whispering in her ear and placing his hand on her stomach.

Carrick takes a deep breath and lets it out. "I'm here because I am watching my family break apart and I feel helpless. I don't know what to do. I accept that I failed Christian when he was growing up and we have made our peace over that and I believe our relationship has flourished as a result?" he looks towards Christian questioningly and Christian smiles at him and nods.

"It is" he says simply.

Carrick looks relieved at that, he pauses and glances at Grace. "I am also here because my wife fears she is losing her children. I have tried to reassure her that this isn't the case, we have always been open with our children about the fact they are adopted and we always knew that at some point they would want to search and find out where they originally came from. Now this has happened, in the case of Christian and Elliot, although it was more accidental in Christian's case. I believe that Grace feels threatened by the arrival of Christian and Elliot's birth families and I want to know how to help her and reassure her and prevent these feelings she is having becoming a self fulfilling prophecy".

Everyone gasps at that, and finally Grace takes a deep breath, "I will say I do not want to be here. Christian and Carrick persuaded me that it would be a good idea. It is true I am concerned about my children. I feel the family breaking apart and I feel powerless to stop it. It all seemed to start when Ana discovered that Eva was her sister and it all seems to stem back to then".

I stiffen at that, ready to leap to Eva's defence as I won't have anyone blaming my wife for everything that is going on here today.

I open my mouth to speak, but Eva gets there first.

"So, what are you saying Grace… are you saying that I had no right to find out where I came from? I had no right to discover who my biological father was?"

Grace shakes her head, "No of course not, but it has had a knock on effect, which has spread like ripples of a pond when a stone is dropped in it. It has affected everyone… it affected Christian as through the events that transpired he discovered his birth family…"

"And that was a good thing" Christian interjects.

"I know darling and we are happy for you" Grace says.

"Then it made Elliot want to seek out his birth family and it transpired that he was actually related to Ana and you…"

"Mom, I told you over dinner that time I had been thinking about it for a while. Ever since I became a dad it had been in my mind. Don't blame Eva for any of this" Elliot says butting in.

Grace shakes her head, "I'm not blaming anyone, but as everything evolved Mia felt abandoned when you three discovered your link and I'm sorry but you three have been very insular since you found out you were related, it's almost as if you have forgotten other people in the family exist".

Ana gasps at this and Christian immediately wraps his arm around her.

"Mom, this has been discussed already, Eva, Ana and Elliot are aware that they have been focussing on each other quite a bit and they have apologised for it. They were unaware of what they were doing, and I feel it is a little unfair to persecute them for wanting to make a success of their new found relationship" Christian says and I nod in agreement.

Grace acknowledges that and then she glances at Megumi. "That relationship then brought Megumi into Elliot's life and things happened so quickly. The ink was barely dry on the divorce papers when you took up with Megumi. Everything happened too quickly and then you announce that you went to city hall and married in secret, without your family present. That hurt Elliot, it really did and now you are having a baby, bringing another life into the world. Which reminds me where is Ava?"

Elliot is glaring at Grace, "She's with Sadie" he growls.

Grace gasps at that, and Elliot looks confused, "What? I didn't want to bring her here as there was nobody to watch her as it's Gail's day off. What was I supposed to do bring her and sit her down and let her hear just how fucked up everything is?"

"No of course not" Grace says simply.

Elliot nods and leans back in his seat.

Grace pauses clearly thinking and trying to regain her train of thought. "Where was I? Oh yes… you are bringing another child into the world. I am worried Elliot, Megumi has such an influence over you and it worries me. You have rushed into another relationship, and I just worry".

"That I'm like Kate" Megumi says simply.

Grace purses her lips and doesn't say anything.

Megumi sighs, "Because I'm not and it's not fair for you to continue to think that".

"But what if the marriage fails?" Grace says.

"I signed a fucking pre-nup!" Megumi snaps. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, when she opens them she speaks in a more civil tone, "I signed a pre-nup. I got the name and number of Elliot's lawyer from the divorce and adoption paperwork and I called him and I asked him to draw up a pre-nup which stated I wasn't entitled to anything should the marriage fail. We discussed it and he made provisions for any children we may have but that is all. Elliot and I had an argument about it when I presented it to him. He said it was obvious I was nothing like Kate and he said with hindsight that is why he insisted on a pre-nup with her. I told him I wouldn't marry him if he didn't accept it…" she pauses and looks up lovingly at Elliot, "So he accepted it… grudgingly, but he accepted it eventually" she says.

"Oh I see" Grace says in a slightly deflated manner.

"But you would know that mom if you had just taken the time to get to know my wife, when she reached out to you" Elliot says.

"I wasn't purposely declining her invitations, I really did have work commitments". Grace says defensively.

Elliot bristles at that, "You say you are afraid of losing your children, and yet we have always come second to your career. Now that we are grown and expanding our families and finding out where we came from it is dawning on you that you have missed out on so much, that's why you got so bent out of shape when Meg and I eloped".

"That's not fair Elliot, I have always been there for all of you when you have needed me. Look at what happened when you brought Sadie from Detroit we all bent over backwards to help her and she barely interacts with any of us, only coming to see us when she is invited and yet you seem to be gravitating towards her".

Elliot's eyes widen at that, "Don't bring Sadie into this, she has done nothing wrong. She made it clear to you right from the start that she was no threat to you. She knew she had no claim over me. she signed the adoption papers and as far as she was concerned that was that. All she wants is to be my friend, and she is a damn good one as is my sister Lucy. Sadie keeps to herself as she knows you feel threatened by her and she doesn't want to come between us and she doesn't want to upset you, she just doesn't want to cause any trouble. She is naturally a very shy person and after everything that she went through at the hands of that bastard husband and her other daughter it has made her incredibly wary. She tries to avoid any confrontation as it scares her and so she just keeps her head down and stays out of the way. She is a lovely person though, she is finally getting her life in order after a lifetime of being shit on and she is my friend so I am helping her do it".

Mia nods in agreement, "I spend a lot of time with Sadie as I also spend a lot of time with Lucy and they are both very nice genuine people and neither of them wanted to cause any trouble. Did you know Sadie feels bad for her decision to opt for the quick option instead of making that bastard of a husband pay for what he did to her? She just wanted to be rid of him and get him out of her life completely and as quickly as possible so she could rebuild. But she was also very mindful of everything that dad and Gideon's lawyers did for her and she felt she let us down because she did what was best for her. She still worries that we think she threw back everything we did for her in our faces, I think that is another reason she keeps to herself as she worries that she wasted our time".

"That's ridiculous, she did what was right for her. Would I have liked that bastard to get what was coming to him? Absolutely, but that wasn't my decision to make. I accepted Sadie's decision and I could see that it was what was best for her" Carrick says in surprise.

"I just feel like my family is drifting away. Elliot, Eva and Ana are totally wrapped up in each other and their sibling bond. Mia is just as absorbed with Lucy and Megumi" she pauses and glances at Christian, and smiles, "It seems I only have you left and I don't want to lose you again Christian, as I lost you for years" Grace says.

"And whose fault is that?" Elliot retorts sharply.

"El stop" Christian says. "Let's try and bring things down. Mom, you and I have already talked and I've told you I don't blame you for anything that happened growing up… do I feel that you put work first as we were growing up? Maybe, to a degree yes you did. But I also accepted it as it was your career that saved me, if I hadn't met you that night when the police took me to the hospital I wouldn't be where I am today end of story".

"You also wouldn't have spiralled out of control in your teenage years and ended up falling into Elena's hands, which fucked you up even more than you already were" Mia says looking at me meaningfully.

Both Ana and Eva nod adamantly at this, but don't say anything.

"If I may interject here" Caroline says and we all turn our attention towards her.

"It appears that there are some really serious deep-seated issues which have arisen here which seem to be at the root of everything else which has happened recently. So, I think now is a good time to recap and regroup and see if by acknowledging and coming to terms with the newer issues it then clears the way to deal with the obvious deep-seated resentment which appears to flow under the surface".

Everyone nods, and I inwardly smile this is exactly how she dealt with myself and Ryan. Just kept pealing off the layers until we reached the core of the issues which affected us and in our case made us see that we were blaming each other rather than who was ultimately to blame for everything that happened and we have become closer as a result. This situation isn't as clear cut though as ours was and I am interested to see where Caroline takes it.

"Alright then, Grace your main fear is that you are losing your children and would it be fair to say that fear has caused you to lash out for want of a better word and feel a level of unintentional resentment towards those who you feel set the current events in motion?"

Grace shuffles in her seat, "I… yes I suppose I have. I totally understand that Eva naturally wants to know where she came from and I don't begrudge her that for one moment but I also can't help but think if she hadn't approached Ana then none of this would've happened. But I also realise that is unfair of me to think that. The last thing I want to do is upset Eva as all she wants to do is find out the truth about where she came from and if I upset Eva then that would upset Ana. I really don't want to upset Ana as I know if I did I would never see Christian again. I told Carrick as much when he made his unfortunate comments about Eva when we first met her".

"Yet you have no problem with upsetting my wife" Elliot says.

"El, let her speak" Megumi says resting her hand on his knee.

"I apologise for my assumptions, I should never have compared you to Kate. I had no idea Elliot's marriage to Kate was in the state it was in until it was over, so when you two got together so quickly I naturally was worried… as a mother I had failed to protect my son with one wife and I didn't want to see him get hurt again. It made me behave in a manner which was out of character for me, and I can only apologise unreservedly for the things I thought and said. I will say though, it was never my intention to snub you. I really did have work commitments every time you reached out to me. However, it appears from everything that has been said today, my career has always been put before my family and that has caused resentment. I can only apologise, I have no idea what else I can say. I love my children, and I only ever wanted what was best for all of you but I see now… I hold my hands up and admit I got it wrong. I failed Christian, as I was too close to the situation and failed to be professional and to help him overcome his issues, which left him vulnerable to more abuse in his teenage years. I failed to see that abuse concentrating only on the fact he had turned his life around and stopped brawling and drinking and closing my eyes to what had caused it. I failed Elliot as I just assumed he was alright as that is the assumption he always gave me, and I didn't take the time to make sure and confirm that assumption and I failed Mia as I indulged her materially. I can only hope that with help we can work through this resentment and come out of it the other side stronger and that you can all forgive me for my failings".

There is a deathly silence and nobody says a word after that, eventually it is Megumi who breaks it as she stands up and walks over to Grace, gesturing for her to stand up.

As Grace stands she pulls her into a hug. "I accept your apology, we have all made mistakes. I made assumptions that you were freezing me out because you didn't approve of my relationship with El. I accept your apology and I hope we can move forward from it" Megumi says.

"Thank you dear, and your assumptions were understandable given how I have treated you. There has been a massive lack of communication and we need to put that right, right here right now" Grace says.

I glance at Elliot and he is saying nothing. He watches Megumi with pride and love as he follows her with his eyes as she retakes her seat beside him. While I feel this is a start, and a massive one I think there is much more work needed to heal this family.

Eva clears her throat, "I am a huge advocate of therapy, it helped me through a very dark period of my life and I think today has been massive for everyone. Everyone has laid out how they are feeling and the resentments they have. You are correct Grace, it was unfair of you to think that my actions caused everything, but I can understand why subconsciously you thought that way. I didn't cause it, I was the catalyst that lanced the boil so to speak and started a chain of events which brought years of simmering resentment out into the open. It started when you and Carrick resolved the issues you had with Christian and that was a good start, so now everyone has to build on it and move forward". She pauses and looks at Elliot.

"El, I need to say this… I think your resentment has caused you to unconsciously gravitate towards Sadie as she gives you the attention and affection you clearly crave. While she knows she has no claim on you and doesn't try to make one, she always makes herself available for you when you reach out to her – as friends do which you have capitalised on and which has then fuelled Grace's fear of losing you. With Mia, Meg and Lucy being so close that has also fuelled that fear and so that is something you and Grace need to work on and overcome. I want to apologise unreservedly for how my relationship with Ana and El has appeared to everyone. Christian and Gideon both made comments about being superfluous when Ana and I first met because we clicked and bonded so instantly. I just want to say, it was never my intention to make people feel pushed out as Ana, El and I developed our relationship and I'm sorry that we have".

Ana nods at that, "My dad pointed this very fact out to me yesterday and it floored me thinking I had hurt people as that was never my intention. I would never knowingly hurt Christian and it upsets me to think that unconsciously I have done by my actions".

Elliot nods, "We didn't realise what we were doing. We all bonded so easily and instantly and our relationship felt so right. We had the issue with Mia but we sorted that out… didn't we?" he asks looking at Mia for confirmation and she smiles and nods at him.

"We did" she says simply.

He pauses and looks down at his hands, "I would like to have some therapy sessions with you mom as I think we have a lot to work out… and you too dad" he says while still looking down at his hands, and I realise that this is probably the first time he has willingly allowed them to see his vulnerability.

Carrick nods, "Of course son I'll do whatever it takes".

Grace also nods, "I will and I want to apologise to you Elliot once again for how I have failed you".

Elliot looks up and I see the hope in his eyes, "Thanks mom" he says.