Chapter 8

"Miss Emily?" Alice asked incredulously when she opened the door to the youngest of Alan and Monica's children.

The younger woman laughed as she walked in. "In the flesh. I came by to see my mom. Is she here?"

"Yes mam let me see if I can find her for you. It's so good to see you." Alice bent forward with a hint of glee, "By the way," she whispered looking around, "if you see your aunt Tracy having a fit just ignore her she hasn't been too happy since Mister Luke's daughter moved in."

Emily tried to keep a calm face, "I will," she whispered back. At that same moment she was nearly knocked off her feet as Lucky's little sister ran by her and out the door as her aunt screamed obscenities from somewhere upstairs.

Alice grinned before turning to leave. "See what I mean?"

"Some things never change." She said to herself while walking into the living room.

Monica entered shortly after giving her daughter a hug. "Emily I'm glad you decided to come, I'd have gone to see you but…"

"It's ok mom." Her parents hadn't approved of many of her decisions lately especially the one she made to accept the offer of a roof from Port Charles' most notorious mobster.

Monica decided to tread softly. Alan and she had made so many mistakes with their children and though they were estranged from Jason more than Emily she didn't want to lose what little bit of one she had with her daughter. "So," she sat down, "I heard you had asked for some time off."

Emily sat down across from her mother. "Yeah. About that mom…"

"It's ok honey I understand."

She hadn't expected this reaction. "You do?"

"Of course. Your first loss, even as a med student, can be just as difficult as the first one you will experience as a doctor. Honey I just want you to really think before you do this. You've accomplished so much."

"Actually I have been and I'm on my way to GH to talk to them about coming back."

"Oh Emily I'm so happy. What made you change your mind?"

She decided not to tell her mom about her talk with Sonny. "Let's just say that I see it a little differently now."

Monica suspected there was more to it but she wasn't going to push. "Well however it came about I'm glad."

Emily got up to leave and they walked to the front door together. She reached out and hugged her mother close. "Thanks mom."

"You're welcome, and Emily?"

"Yeah mom."

"Call me if you need me. I won't always know how to help but I want to try."

"I'll try to remember that. I love you mom." She quickly kissed her mothers cheek before turning to walk out not seeing her mother reach up to touch the spot, touched by the simple gesture of affection or the tears that followed.