Lydia smiled tentatively at mom. "Hi mom, it's me, Liddy." Her voice was quiet and even as she spoke.

They slowly stepped towards one another and they embraced.

"You've grown up," mom said through tears.

"I've missed you," Lydia tearfully replied.

After a minute of crying and hugging, our mom led us to a table. We all ordered food, and then we started to have a very long conversation.

"I'm certain that you both have many questions for me. I want to answer them for you the best that I can."

"Why didn't you tell me about my sister?" I said. It came out meaner than I wanted it to though.

She let out a deep breath. "I knew you would ask that. I know that you'll think my reasoning is stupid, and I suppose it is. I couldn't figure out how to tell you. And then I didn't think you would understand. Plus I felt guilty about Liddy running away. I didn't know where she was and I just tried to push it away. I didn't want you to always-wonder why she left. I wouldn't have been able to give you an answer."

She was pleading for my understanding. As upset as I was I could see that much.

"I understand, sorta."

"Maybe I should explain why I ran away," Liddy said with downcast eyes. Both of us looked to her. "Back then things weren't like they are now Linds. You read my diary, I guess you could see that much. I felt like I was being neglected, and I knew that Charlotte would take care of me. I didn't expect to stay there for so long, but once I was there I actually felt safe. She has a daughter who is my age, and we went to school together so it wasn't too hard for me to live there in hiding. Part of me always wanted to return home, but I had no guarantee that things had changed. I kept hoping that my letter would be found. Before I knew it I was already an adult. I guess I was just too afraid to return home. I still am, even now after all these years and obviously everything is different."

Mom put her hand across the table and she reassuringly squeezed Lydia's hand.

"It's alright. When you ran away it scared me. I realized that my life was going down the wrong path. Both Eddie and I changed our lives in many ways. We both wanted to get you back, but it consumed me more than it did him. Then we had a falling out. We tried to be fine with each other for Lindsey's sake."

She reached her other hand over and held one of my hands. She squeezed it, and I squeezed back.

"I know you tried to get along with dad mom," I said sadly. "Even when you guys argued you tried to not do it in front of me."

"I'm so sorry that he's gone. It has to be hard on both of you."

Mom and I nodded. Lydia took my other hand. For several minutes the three of us just sat there holding each other's hands as silent tears ran down all three of our faces. We were all so hurt and right then just being with each other like that, without speaking, was helping.

Then my mom spoke, "We'll work on this together ok." Liddy and I nodded. "Here, I'll pay for lunch. Liddy, why don't you come home with Lindsey and I."

She smiled. "Alright."

So mom paid for lunch, and we left. I went with mom in her car while Lydia followed us in her own car. On the drive mom talked to me about how although she understood why I ran away, it was still wrong and she was scared before she knew that I was with Sara. I quietly agreed with what she said. If I had felt like it I could have argued, but I wasn't in the mood and I could tell she wasn't either. So instead of acting upon my ever-growing rebellious streak, I kept quiet and withstood the lecture.

When we arrived, mom showed Lydia around the house. Then she brought in her bags, which were put in a guest bedroom.

"All of your childhood things are at your grandmother's house, since that's where we lived when you were a child."

Lydia only nodded to mom's statement.

"I should make a phone call," Liddy said absently. "Do you think we could go over to Grandmother's soon?"

"Of course. When I found out that Lindsey was alright I told her that she was going to get you. I should tell her that you're here. She'll be happier; she's missed you Liddy; we all have."

"Thank you for everything. I'm glad to be home again."

"You've always been welcome. I'm just glad to have you back." They both smiled; I did too, but I felt so out of place with them. I could tell that they weren't comfortable either, but I just felt like a complete outsider.

"I have to go do something," I said. Truthfully, I had nothing to do at all, but I wanted to leave, so I went off to my room.

Lydia laughed gently once Lindsey was out of the room. "She looked so uncomfortable, I can't blame her for wanting to go. I'm a little uncomfortable too. I don't know how to start this relationship again. The one we had wasn't that great when I left and now…"

"We can work on it, the three of us can try to figure out how we're going to be a family together. Since none of us can do it alone."

Again they smiled. Then Catherine remembered something. "Didn't you say that you need to make a call?"

"Oh yeah," Lydia said as she gestured absently with her cellphone. "I need to tell Sara, your co-worker, that I'll be staying here. And I want to thank her again, what she did for us is truly amazing."

"Yeah, it is. I don't think that there are too many people who would take their co-worker's child to find another one of her children. I really owe her one, more than one in fact. She isn't normally like that. Ok, you should call her. Do you know her number?"

"Yeah, but my cell battery is dead."

"Here, I'll dial it on the house phone for you."

So Catherine went and dialed Sara's home number on a cordless phone, then she handed it to Lydia.

"Hello."

"Hi Sara, it's Lydia, Catherine's daughter. I just wanted to tell you that everything is fine, and I'm going to be staying with my mom for a little while."

"Alright, that's really good."

"Yeah, we have a lot to talk about. I also wanted to thank you for all that you have done for us. Mom is thankful too. We're both in your debt. Thank you."

"It's fine, it was nothing, really. I was just helping when it was needed."

"Well thank you, because it really means a lot."

"You're welcome."

"Well, I guess that's all, bye."

"Bye."

Lydia sighed as she hung up the phone. Catherine had been looking at her as she spoke; she was examining her face.

She let out a deep breath. "Lydia, I have something to tell you."

The young woman looked worried. "What?"

"I think that I may know who your father is."

Lydia just looked at her mother, open-mouthed.

Thank you guys for your wonderful reviews, and thank you for liking the stuff I don't like, I'm sort of a perfectionist when it comes to my writing, but I give it to you if I think it is satisfactory.

I'm going to make you wait a little in the story to find out if Grissom is Liddy's father or not, but that's just because it's enjoyable to make people wait a little.

I should be able to send the chapters out fairly quickly now, because I'm done with my research paper for English class.

Please Review, I really enjoy knowing what you think, weather it's good/ bad/ indifferent, I want to know : )