The next week was full of warm bright days that Natalie spent with Cristian, almost everyday they saw each other, and everyday they grew closer and he loved her more and more. They had just had dinner together and Natalie was wearing a smile on her face as she entered the living room. Viki was sitting on the sofa reading and Natalie sat down next to her.
"How was dinner?" Viki asked setting her book down.
"It was good, we went to this little Mexican place and they had the best enchiladas, it was great."
"I'm glad, I wanted to remind you that you have a check-up tomorrow, have you been feeling all right?"
Natalie smiled at this woman who was her mother, it still seemed impossible that she finally had the family she had wished for her whole childhood. "I'm feeling fine; hopefully I'll get a clean bill of health."
"I'm sure you will, Jessica told me that you talked to Seth last week, how did that go?"
"Not good, I don't know what I ever saw him, though the last I remember he was a pretty nice guy, but when I talked to him he accused me of faking the whole thing."
"Don't pay him any mind, we all know the truth and that's all that matters."
"I can't really blame him, I mean from what I know about this last year I wasn't a very honest person."
"Well that has all changed and I am very proud to have you as my daughter."
Natalie felt her cheeks go red, she had never heard those words said to her before.
"That means a lot to me Viki…mom."
"It's nothing more than the truth. I've seen the real you these past few weeks and so has everyone else. I've noticed you've been spending quiet a bit of time with Cristian lately."
"Yeah, he's great, I love spending time with him."
"It's good to see that you two have become such close friends, he's a wonderful young man. Are you two seeing each other?" she asked casually.
Natalie felt her face go red again, "What gave you that idea?" she said trying to hold back a smile.
"Nothing I was just wondering," Viki said with a smile.
Natalie returned it; it was wonderful to have a real mother.

Later that evening Natalie got in her car and drove to Max Holden's, she wanted to see Roxy. When she pulled into the driveway she began to get nervous but she pushed it away, Roxy probably wasn't even home, not if there was a bar in the ten mile radius. She knocked on the door and it was answered by a handsome middle-aged man. "Hello," he said with an easy smile.
"Hi, I was wondering if Roxy was here."
"Yes, she is, hold on. Roxy, you have a visitor!" he yelled into the house and Natalie smiled, she liked this man, maybe Roxy had gotten something right after all of these years.
He turned back to her, "Have fun, she's a bit drunk."
Max led Natalie in just as Roxy came down the stairs looking as Roxy-ish as ever.
"Natalie! What are you doing here, girl?" she asked with a smile.
"I wanted to talk to you," Natalie said, the last memory she had of this woman was her yelling for her to get out of her house.
"Oh, well I meant to go to the hospital and visit you but I was real busy. I heard you had anemia, how's that going for you?" she asked pouring herself a drink.
"I have amnesia, Roxy."
"Same difference, so how are you kid?"
"I'm fine. Considering I was lied to my entire life. Why didn't you tell me you weren't my real mother?"
"Uh…I guess it slipped my mind."
"It slipped your mind? I went through eighteen years of hell because it slipped your mind?!"
she asked outraged.
"Now listen here, I was a good mom to you, I did my best."
Natalie laughed, "Your best? You passed out drunk every night, you forgot my birthdays, forgot to get me Christmas presents, you forgot school events, I had to get myself ready for school when I was five, you forgot I was alive half the time, and you say you did your best? You let your boyfriend molest me!" Natalie clamped a hand over her mouth a second to late, she hadn't ever meant to say that…ever, saying it made it real and she didn't want it to be real. She ran out of the house and jumped in her car, her hands shook as she fumbled with her keys, finally she got the car started and she drove away to a place where she could be alone, the quarry. She climbed over the rocks and sat down. She had blocked out what had happened to her, but with the accident and everything afterwards her defenses had weakened and she remembered. She hated the feeling of being helpless and she had never been more helpless than back then. She buried her face in her hands and cried, just when she thought her life was good something bad happened and destroyed everything. A little while later she heard someone behind her and knew who it was, who it had to be.
"How do you always know how to find me?" she asked wiping her face as he sat down beside her.
"It wasn't that hard, Roxy called your mom and told her that you were upset and Mrs. Davidson called me. I know this is where you like to go to think."
"Wow, I can't believe Roxy took the time to care."
"Do you want to tell me what happened?"
"Not now…could…could you just hold me…please?"
Cristian wrapped his arms around her and held her as she started to cry.
After awhile she told him what had happened and she was surprised that it was so easy to open up to him. He listened to her, holding her tightly in his arms. When she had finished telling him everything he kissed her on the forehead and wiped away her tears, he was so gentle and caring, that in that moment she realized how much he must care for her…and how much she cared about him.
"Let's get you home," he said taking her hand.