"Don't...last time you saw me I was four years old, and that was fifteen years ago. Don't be sorry for not being able to say 'hello'."

"Fifteen years Ellie, it's too long."

"I should've..."

"No, you had no choice."

"I'm here now, I could have come before."

"Yeah, you're here. It's not that I don't want you here but, why?"

"Because I needed to tell you. She died, of cancer," tears forming in her eyes, "two weeks ago."

"God, Ellie," Jack whispered now turning to see her red eyes and the falling tears. Turning to show her his sadness too.

She closed her eyes and leaned into him. Jack hugged her, like he had once, a long time before, not wanting the time to pass, not wanting to break apart.

"Why don't we go get your things and bring them to my place, okay?"

Ellie nodded.

They crossed town without speaking, without even looking at each other. Words only came out of his mouth once they entered the small room where her things were stored.

"What's all that?" Jack asked pointing at a silver box.

"Paint. I paint. I got a scholarship. I study arts in NYU," she answered with a hint of pride in her voice.

"Well, check that out!" He was proud too.

"Ready," she said showing her beautiful smile.

"OK...let's go."

"What are you going to tell her? What are you going to tell them?"

"The truth. I've got nothing else."

They talked an the way back to the apartment, "catching up." He looked at her in the eyes once more before opening the door, and smiled. He couldn't believe it, everything was happening so fast.

Samantha had just put Caia into bed when they entered.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on or should I guess?" she said slightly showing anger.

"Samantha this is Ellie, Ellie, Samantha."

"Hi," Ellie said.

Samantha nodded.

Jack continued, "last time I saw her she was four years old. It was the day before I got married to Maria. She's my daughter," he said making his way into the kitchen.

"Why after so long...?" Sam dared.

"She died, my mother. They had an agreement and she couldn't break it, but I had to tell him."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, it's not your fault."

"Please, make yourself at home."

There wasn't much awkward silence. Jack was the one to ease the tension that could have been.

"She studies art, second year."

"Really?"

"Yeah...here," Ellie said giving Samantha her art folder, "those are just sketches, the teacher keeps all the work and gives it back at the end of the year."

"Oh, this is beautiful."

"I like drawing people...copying them."

"I can't even draw a tree," Jack commented, sitting in between the two women. "But Terri could draw pretty well if I recall correctly."

"Yes, she could."

Samantha smiled. She couldn't believe Jack had a nineteen-year-old daughter, and she couldn't believe the present situation: the three of them there. She smiled, happy for Jack.

"Hey, we have a bed in Hannah's room. The sitter's not coming back so it's all yours if you want to stay," Sam offered.

"I'm still not sure. They...what if they don't like me?"

"They'll have to get used to it. Don't worry, they will like you," Samantha stated, giving her a smile. "Come, I'll show you."

Samantha took the folder and Ellie grabbed the box. They both popped their head into Kate and Caia's room and then entered Hannah's room. Ellie placed her things by the empty bed.

Jack had moved into their bedroom and got into bed. He was waiting on Sam to come in, she wasn't long.

"What is it?" she asked him when she got into bed.

"How are you feeling?" Jack asked seriously.

"I'm okay...I like her. Why do you ask?"

"You seemed concerned last night."

"I was," Sam admitted moving closer to him. "Erik told me Danny feels more for me than he says he does."

"No kidding, Sam he loves you."

"Well, he has always been able to talk to me in the past, and he hasn't told me anything about this."

"It's not an easy thing to do, specially if it's you."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Samantha questioned pressing a kiss to his lips.

(Meanwhile, in Hannah's room.)

Ellie sat on the floor, across from Hannah's bed and stared at her. A smile crossed her face. In the morning she had to hand in some drawings, no specific theme or technique, so she picked up a drawing tool and copied the girl, who Ellie knew was just pretending to sleep. She made a quick sketch, taking advantage of the moment that Hannah didn't move and then, when it wasn't necessary for the kid to stay still, she decided to talk to her.

"Hannah," she whispered, "oh, I know you're awake. I'm Ellie."

Hannah took a few minutes to open her eyes. As soon as she got a glimpse of what Ellie looked like, she whispered back.

"You look like Kate."

"Yes, I guess so." Ellie wasn't sure how to tell her who she was. She didn't say anything else.

After some seconds of weird silence the girl lying in bed sat down putting her back against the wall, and smiled. Then she sad "We all look like dad. I bet you have your mom's eyes though."

"Ahh," Ellie replied, kind of surprised at the brightness of the twelve- year-old, as she moved the pencil to draw the shadows.

"You can turn on the other lights you know, to draw I mean."

"Nah, this is OK."

"Can I see?" Hannah asked curiously, pointing at the folder.

"Sure."

Hannah jumped out of bed and taking the folder carefully, sat beside whom she was 99% sure was her elder sister.

"Did your mom draw too? 'Cause this is beautiful. I wish I could draw like this. Dad can't even draw a tree."

A sigh, a couple of smiles.

"Well, it's mostly about practice, like reading."

"But you draw because you like it, and I bet you like it because it's easy for you, because you can."

"I'd never thought about it."

Hannah finished looking at the drawings and started over. Half hour and the sketch had become a vivid picture of the girl.

The question came out of nowhere: "Are you going to stay?"

Ellie wasn't sure if Hannah meant to tell her 'get out of my room, I don't want you here' or 'It'd be good if you stayed.' So before she could give an answer Hannah spoke again as if she knew absolutely everything.

"You should stay. Dad is your father too. He'd like you to stay. Caia and Kate would love you. Sam has already accepted you and so have I so I really think you should stay. Besides, next month dad is going to Moscow for the weekend with Samantha and he still doesn't know what to do because mom has been very busy lately. You and your boyfriend could watch over us. That'd be great."

Ellie was in shock, totally astonished. Then she finally managed to ask Hannah how she knew about her boyfriend and how she realized they where sisters. (Though it was pretty obvious.)

"Well, you look like Kate, I couldn't think of anything else. And I don't know why I said you have a boyfriend, but you do right?...So are you going to stay? Dad says he made a promise and that's why he's taking Samantha to Moscow."

"To my mom. He made a promise to my mom." After a short pause she continued, "I think I COULD stay...Now get to bed. You have to wake up early tomorrow and your dad is going to kill me if..."

"Our," Hannah interrupted.

"What?" Ellie said smiling. "Well, he's going to kill me if he finds out about this. Go to sleep."

After that they were both fast asleep and the house was in complete silence, in wonderful silence.

* * *