Note: Okay, finally an update! I'm glad you guys are liking this. Just a quick note about the last chapter. Several people were concerned/intrigued/suspicious that maybe Roger's gay. Take note of what exactly he said though. He asked Mark "What if I don't want to date OTHER women?" meaning women besides Joanne. Roger's not gay.

Benny took a deep breath and dialed the hospital.

"Can I have Maria Davis's room please?"

"One moment."

"Hello?" a man's voice, not Roger though.

"This Maria's room?"

"Yeah…Ben?"

Roger shook his head at Mark. He still didn't want to deal with Benny.

"Uncle Benny?" Maria asked.

Roger shot a panicked look at Joanne.

"Hey, sweetie. How about you show me the pictures you were coloring when I got here? Looked like you were working pretty hard on them," Joanne said, picking up the coloring book from the bedside table.

Maria nodded, immediately distracted, and took the coloring book.

"Who's this?" Benny asked.

"Mark."

"Oh. Hey. Um…Roger around?"

"Uh, no…He just stepped out."

"How's Maria?"

"She's going to be okay. Broken leg and arm, stitches, she'll be fine though."

"Mark, would you just tell him that I'm sorry?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll tell him."

"Okay…thanks, man."

"No problem."

Mark hung up and turned to Roger. "He says—"

"I don't want to hear it."

"Roger—"

"No. Mark, I don't want to hear it."

"He's sorry."

"I don't care."

"Roger—"

"Mark, Roger, why don't you guys go get some coffee or something?" Joanne asked, shooting them a warning glance.

They nodded, realizing Maria was watching. "You want us to bring you anything, honey?"

"Could I have some choc-o-let milk?"

"Yes you can. Anything for you, Joanne?"

"No, I'm okay."

Angel sat in her office with her sketchpad. The commitment ceremony with Collins was scheduled for two and a half months from now. That didn't leave a lot of time for planning. Angel flipped to a clean page and looked up when she heard the phone.

"Yes?"

"Ms. Marquez is here."

"Oh! Send her in!"

Mimi came in a minute later. "Angel!"

"Mimi!"

The two embraced, giggling over the excitement of the engagement.

"Let me see the ring," Mimi said.

Angel held out her hand.

"It's perfect."

"I know! I'm so excited," Angel giggled.

"Congratulations again, Ang. I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks. Now, let's talk about you."

"Why?"

"Because you never told me how things went with Roger."

Mimi sighed and rolled her eyes. "Well I went to break up with Ben…"

"Yeah…"

"We were talking. He was babysitting his friend's kid. And then, um, I'm not sure what happened but…there just…we were talking and there was a screeching noise and a scream and she got hit by a car."

"The kid?"

Mimi nodded.

"Oh my God! That's horrible! Is she okay?"

Mimi shrugged. "I think so."

"You think so?"

"Yeah, see we go to the hospital and I get to meet the kid's father, Ben's best friend. It's Roger."

Angel's eyes widened. "Girl, this is like a soap opera!"

"Yeah, no kidding. Especially since the woman he dated before me is a woman I took a few classes with in college."

"Small world."

"Too small."

"So what happened?"

"Roger's pissed."

Angel nodded. "I love you, chica, but that's completely understandable."

"I know, I know…and I just…I told him I love him."

"And?"

"And he didn't say anything. The doctor showed up."

"Have you talked to him since then?"

Mimi shook her head. "He won't return my calls."

"Have you talked to Benny?"

"No."

"Have you tried to?"

Mimi shook her head. "He's called a couple of times, but I don't want to talk to him."

"That's not fair."

Mimi looked up, surprised. "What?"

Angel sighed. "Chica, you're upset because Roger won't return your calls. So what makes it fair for you to not return Benny's calls?"

"That's different."

"How?"

"Because it just is!"

Angel rolled her eyes and picked up her phone. "Mimi Marquez, you are not gonna completely lose your manners over this. Now you call that man right now. Even if all you do is tell him to kiss your ass."

Mimi sighed and took the phone. "I hate when you're right," Mimi grumbled as she dialed.

"Okay, Mar. Daddy's gonna go run some errands and get some clothes from the house. I'll bring back some of your pajamas too, okay?"

She nodded. "Could you bringed my teddy bear from Joanne?"

"Sure. Anything else?"

"Nope."

"Okay," Roger said. He leaned down to kiss her forehead. "I'll be back soon as I can. Mr. Mark's going to stay with you and Mrs. Cohen said she'd try to stop by too, okay?"

"Okay. Love you, Daddy."

"Love you too, honey."

Roger went to the office first. He assured the principal that he'd return to work as soon as possible.

"Is, uh, is Ben around?"

"Yeah. Actually, he's got his planning in a couple minutes."

"All right. Thanks."

Roger took a deep breath and headed upstairs. A few of his students clapped his back, waving across the hall.

"When you comin' back, Mr. Davis?"

"Soon as I can."

"Good to see you, Davis!"

"Thanks."

Roger made his way to Benny's classroom. When he got there, he stopped outside the door and took another deep breath. He seemed to do that a lot lately. Roger opened the door and stepped in, shutting the door behind him. Benny was bent over his desk grading papers.

"Can I help—" he looked up and froze. "Roger."

"Hi."

"Hi."

"Can we talk?"

Benny nodded, closing his gradebook. Roger hopped up on the stool Benny kept in the front of the room.

"Is Maria okay?"

"She will be. She's still in the hospital but she's feeling better each day."

Benny nodded. "Roger, I'm so sorry. I just…I don't know what…"

"I forgive you."

Benny looked surprised.

"I'm not going to say it's okay because it's not. But I forgive you."

"Thanks," Benny mumbled.

"Did you know she was seeing other people?"

"Other people? Yes. You? No."

Roger nodded. "Should've told you who I was seeing."

"Same here."

They sat in awkward silence for a few minutes.

"Roger?"

"Yeah?"

"What made you come down here? I mean, I'm glad and all, but you haven't returned my calls and now—"

"I've been reevaluating a lot of things in my life, Ben. And I made a decision. I don't want Mimi in my life. I'm going to do something I should've done months ago."

"What's that?"

Note: Cliffhanger! Couldn't resist it. So what's Roger going to do? I'll give you a hint: it's a decision that will affect Roger, Joanne, and Maria forever. And a reminder, he's not gay. He's just telling Benny his decision because, pissed or not, he knows Benny's one of his best friends.