Hi everyone! Lily here, I just wanted to say thanks for popping in and I hope you enjoy! Just for a little more information because I HATE FF's summary limit:

Sam and Mercedes' lives have never quite been perfect. His dad has never been in his life and his mom is in rehab more often than not. Her dad is serving a 10 year prison sentence and her mom died when she was 9. They've both experienced more loss than most kids their age. Mercedes' grandmother and sole guardian Abeline, famous in their city for literally anything that comes out of her bakery, brings Sam under her care in a last ditch effort to keep him from aging out of foster care and officially losing everything, but can he make things work when he realizes he just might have feelings for Abeline's quiet, shut-in granddaughter with a beautiful voice and even more beautiful spirit? What about Mercedes? Can she do what's best for the troubled, charming jock once she realizes she has feelings for him too?

Shelly Sims: Adina Porter

Amaiya Lynn Jones: Trinitee Stokes,

Abeline Jones: Cicely Tyson (May she rest in peace!)

"Mama, I'm home!" Sam closed the door behind him and sat his backpack down on the table beside it. "You won't believe what happened to me today." He beamed, not even waiting for a response from his mother. "The football roster went up and guess what? I made head quarterback AND captain. Can you believe it?" He went into the kitchen and opened up the refrigerator, groaning when he saw it was nearly empty. "Hey, I thought you said you were going to get some groceries on your day off today? We're almost out." He examined what remaining food they had and started pulling out ingredients. "Anyways, about football. I thought for sure I was going to have to wait until my senior year to make head qb. I didn't think I'd ever see captain. And when I asked Coach why he decided to make me both, he said he believed that this was my year. And he's set up a meeting with us next week with the head coach of the Crimson Tide, Ma. The third leading college football team in the country! He really thinks I can make it."

He counted and recounted their ingredients. "Alright, I've got enough to make three of my top chef fried egg sandwiches. How about we split the third for 1 ½ each?" He asked with no response. "Mama?" He left the kitchen looking for her. "Ma?" He looked in the living room, nothing. Bathroom, nothing. "You can stop ignoring me. I saw your car in the garage and I know you're here." He smiled. She liked to do that. When he looked in her bedroom and she wasn't there either, he became really confused. He decided to check her bedroom and bathroom one more time. What he saw made his heart fall to the floor. "Mama?"

His mom lay on the floor beside her bed, pale and unconscious.

He ran over to her, trying to shake her awake. "Mama, wake up." Nothing. He shook harder. "Mama? Can you hear me? I need you to get up. Wake up, please." With no response still, he went to grab her phone to call 9-1-1 and that's when he saw the empty pill bottle. "No." He felt his heart sink even lower than he thought possible. Feeling sick to his stomach, he put his hand up to her nose. She wasn't breathing. He felt her wrist for her pulse and it was barely there. He fell in on himself as he cried not just for her, but for him. This was it. She was dying and he was going back. "6 weeks, Mama," He cried. "6 weeks." He picked up the phone and called 9-1-1.

"Sam, do you want anything to drink? Or something from the vending machines? I have a few dollars left." Shelly looked over at the boy who was lost in his own world. "Sam." She waved her hands erratically. "Hello?"

Sam looked up, startled. "Sorry, what?"

She sighed and sat down at her desk. "Sam, I know that yesterday was really frightening and probably the worst day of your life, but—"

"The worst day of my life?" He asked rhetorically. "On my 13th birthday, I was in foster care. Do you remember that?"

Shelly sat back in her chair and nodded. "I do."

"I had been there for a few weeks after my mom let a little too loose and somebody else found her slumped over, od'ing on some other floor somewhere. When you came to visit me, I was upset because I wouldn't be able to have a 13th birthday party, so you picked me up and took me to get some cake and ice cream at DQ. You remember that?"

"I remember."

"And you gifted me this used mp3 player which I still have, by the way. And I listened to it the entire ride back to the house I was staying in. And then, just as I went to get out, you asked me if I had a good time. And when I said I did, you told me that you wanted me to have a good time before I heard the news you were about to tell me. Something about—"

"Remembering the before," she said. "So that you know there can be an after."

"Do you remember what that news was?"

Sadly, she nodded. "That your brother and sister were leaving."

"That my brother and sister were leaving and going to another family across the state. And I haven't seen or heard from them since. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't even know they were alive," he said, tears forming in his eyes. "That was the worst day of my life. And then, months later, when I went back to my mom and was excited to see my siblings again, only for you to tell me that she was only deemed fit to care for me and that they would remain with the family they were with, that's probably the second worst. But this? This is just the natural order of things. I should've seen it coming."

"Sam." Shelly shook her head.

"No, I should've expected it. But I got too comfortable and I let myself hope and believe that this would be the time when she got clean not just for her or for me, but for them. And we had 6 more weeks until she would go to court to get them back. She just had to stay clean for 6 more weeks, Shelly. But she couldn't." He wiped his tears and sat back in the chair, crossing his arms. "So, what happens now?"

Shelly opened the folder on her desk in front of her even though she already knew what it said. "3, maybe 6 months in a rehabilitation center. It all depends on her. Then weekly drug testing, counseling, and an official parental fitness evaluation for another 3 months until she'll be able to get you back."

"If she can," Sam said. "I don't know what judge would let me back into her custody for a third time."

"Neither do I, but I'm going to do my best to fight for you, Sam. I am."

"You said 3-6 months in rehab and then another 3 months. Why the range and the extras? Why not just the standard 3 months like before?"

"Because she's been here before one too many times." She hated to be so frank, but there was really no other way to put it. "Now, they want to make sure she's got a better foundation for herself and her kids. So, her sobriety isn't the only thing they're going to be monitoring. They'll be also considering her employment status, evaluations and statements from her employers and other peers, home visits from CPS to ensure she and the house are ready for your return, even psychological testing. There are a number of things they're going to be looking at."

"Great," he said blankly. "Shelly, I turn 18 in less than two years. If I go back into foster care now and she doesn't get it together, I'm going to age out of the system. And nobody's going to want to foster a 16-18-year-old boy, I'll probably have nowhere to go and no one to turn to."

"Sam that's not true. And you don't know how and where you're going to end up. There are plenty of people, good people out there who would foster you."

"And what if those good people don't find me in time? Then, I'm out on the streets. Even if my mom can stay clean for long enough to help me out, why would she want to see her son that wasn't even her son for almost half his life everyday? I'll still be in school with no freaking address. How rich is that? For all I know I'll probably end up slumped over like her by what, 21? Dead by 23?"

"Okay, I'm going to stop you right there." She pointed at him and shocked her head. "Stop spiraling. None of that is going to happen. I won't let it."

"I guess my question is when do I need to have my bag packed and where are they sending me?"

"Well, you know I have no way of knowing that second part yet, but we're going to go get your things as soon as we're done here."

Sam shook his head in disbelief. "I just… I don't know how this happened. Why it happened. Do you know I made head quarterback and captain of the football team today? I was supposed to commit to the UA next year. It's early, but I was going to be preparing myself for a full ride on the Crimson were supposed to meet next Wednesday to talk about my plans for the future, but I already had my mind made up. My plans for the future were to attend my top-choice D-1 school, all expenses paid, so my mom wouldn't have to stress over putting me through. 'Were' being the operative word obviously. This 'was' supposed to be my year."

Shelly studied his face for a moment, almost as if she was looking for something. "Sam, I may have a proposition for you."

"A proposition?"

"Yes. It's not foster care and it might not work. It also won't be ideal. You won't be able to stay here, you'll be living with new people, and I have no idea how it'll affect your football dreams, but it can give you somewhat of another chance. "

He grinned just a litte, but quickly straightened his face. He couldn't hope. "You had me at 'it's not foster care'," he said, faking confidence.

She chuckled. "Okay. You remember how we talked about finding a way to make sure you had connections to people outside of your mom? Well, this woman that I know, her name's Abeline Jones but everyone calls her Ms. Abby. She owns a bakery in my hometown a few hours from here, she has two granddaughters that she takes care of, straight A students, really wonderful girls, and she's a pillar of her community. Now, I've been talking to your mom and to her, and she's agreed to have you over for a weekend here and there. Your mom also agreed and thought it would be a good idea. Ms. Abby is a great weekend mentor for sure, but more importantly, someone that a judge would be extremely pleased to hear that you'll be staying with while your mom is in rehab. Again, you won't be able to stay in this city, but you'll be more than well taken care of and your mom gets to retain custody of you, aka no more foster care. As long as we get things worked out with the judge, you can stay with Ms. Abby for as long as you need."

"Shelly, I would do anything not to have to go back into foster care. So yes, please, I would love that."

"Alright then. I'll make a couple of phone calls and get things set up. We're going to go back to your house so that you can pack your things and we'll get you a temporary placement. If all goes well, you'll be there within the next week."

Sam stood up. "Thank you, Shelly. Seriously, you have no idea how much it means that you would do this for me."

Shelly accepted his gratitude with a smile. "Go ahead to the car, I'll meet you there." When he left the room, Shelly immediately placed a call. Getting the person's voicemail, she sighed. "Good evening, Ms. Abby. Have I told you lately how much I absolutely adore your sweet potato pie? Honestly, it's one of the best I've ever had. Oh, also, random question, completely out of the blue, but do you remember how you said you'd be willing to accommodate that boy? With the mom situation? Well, how about instead of a weekend or two, you just take him in?! Full time!" She tried to convey a sense of excitement in hopes that it would help Ms. Abby be more receptive to it. "Look, I know this is sudden, but he's got what feels like one last chance not to age out of the system and I think that chance is you. It's a big ask, but you have no idea how much you'd be helping this boy if you took him in. If you think you'd be willing to, let me know." She went to hang up, but winced as she remembered what she told Sam. She said her last piece really fast, "Also I really hope you think you'd be willing to because I kind just told him that you would. Ok! Hope you're doing great! Send love to the girls and Jay for me! Bye, now!"

"So, do I call her Ms. Abby? Or is that like a friends and not acquaintances kind of thing?"

Shelly smiled at Sam's silliness. "You're going to be living under her roof, I'm sure that qualifies you as much more than an acquaintance."

"Maybe."

Once she pulled into the parking lot and found a spot, she looked over at him. "Sam, I know that this hasn't been the easiest of days for you, but I want to challenge you to put your best foot forward here. Here as in this city. It's a new place with new people and while it can be scary given your circumstances, they really are good people here. It's my hometown and I've never known them to be anything but hospitable. So, put on that southern charm that you love to use so much," she smiled, "and show these people how good of a person you are too. Because you are. Okay?"

He nodded and opened his car door. As they walked into the bakery, the smells of multiple fresh baked goods entered his nostrils. He couldn't stop smelling them even if he wanted to. He took inhales that quickly became deeper and deeper, trying to implant that scent in his brain somehow. On his last deep inhale, he took in so much air that he somehow choked on it. Enough of that, he thought.

"Oh, my goodness. You're early!"

Sam was snapped out of his trance as an elderly woman strided over to them. She was small and frail, but you wouldn't be able to tell from her stature and the way she carried herself. She walked like a 200 lb 6' tall grown man, with more purpose than you could ever imagine.

Shelly hugged and said hello to her. "I want to thank you again for this Ms. Abby. I really feel you could help do right by him."

"Of course, Shelly. We're going to do our best to make him feel at home." Abeline smiled.

Shelly looked over to Sam. "Sam, this is Ms. Abeline Jones. She's who you'll be staying with." She stepped a little closer to him. "If the last thirty plus years of my relationship with her are anything to go on, she's going to do her absolute best to take care of you. Okay?"

Sam nodded.

"Well," Abeline walked over to Sam, enveloping him in a hug, "it is so nice to meet you, Samuel. I'm Abeline, but everybody calls me Ms. Abby."

Sam wasn't expecting the hug, but he fell into it nonetheless. It was nice.

When they separated, she introduced him to a smaller girl, with glasses and braids. "This right here is my Moonshine and, there she goes." She smiled brightly as an older rushed up to them.

Wow. Sam froze and felt his heart skip a beat. Or had it stopped beating altogether and he'd died and gone to heaven? He couldn't tell. When Shelly said Ms. Abby has a granddaughter, she didn't tell me she looked like that. She was as tall as her grandmother, which was to say she was short. Her coily hair reached just past her shoulders. Even wearing a graphic t-shirt with jeans and sneakers, she looked so good in it that you could've told him she invented it and he'd believe you.

"This here is my Sunshine. Why don't you all make yourselves acquainted while I talk to Shelly for a minute. Go on, now."

"Hello!" Amaiya wasted no time. She shot her hand out for him to shake before beginning her introduction."My name is Amaiya Lynn Jones, but you can call me Maiya. Or Amaiya. Or Lynn. Or Jones. Or Jonebug. My grandaddy used to call me Jonebug." Her smile, despite missing a couple of teeth, shone bright. "It's like junebug, but with Jones, but you take the s off the end. My dad's nickname is Junebug and everybody says I look just like him, so sometimes, people call me Junebug Jr. You can call me that too. I'm eight years old, and—"

"Maiya." The older girl called out to her sister.

Sam watched as she brandished a smile of her own at him. She has to be an angel. There's no way this is real.

"Stop talking so much. You don't want to scare him off when he just got here."

Sam chuckled at their exchange. "Oh, she could never scare me off, I promise." He bent down to Amaiya's eye level and shook her hand. "Hi, Maiya. I am Sam. Sam I am. And I do not like green eggs and ham."

She nodded approvingly as she shook his hand. "Nice. I'm more of a Horton Hears a Who girl myself."

"Oh, yeah? What do you think of," He sorted through the mental arsenal of Dr. Suess books he knew of, "And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street?"

She giggled. "That's my second favorite."

"Now, that's nice," He said, smiling at her.

Sam stood back up to look at the older girl, Sunshine. While he was about to learn her real name, there was no way it could be as fitting as that one. "And what about you, Sunshine?"

They locked eyes and she tried to open her mouth to speak, but they must've been lost in their stares for a while, because her sister nudged her and said something that he couldn't quite catch.

"Mercedes. Hi."

"Any nicknames I should be aware of?"

"Well, it seems like there are plenty of those going around," she briefly cut her eyes at her sister, "so, no."

She can do better than that. "I mean, we're all going by nicknames, aren't we? Including Ms. Abby. In the spirit of shortening our names, mind if I do the same for you? How's…" he studied her for a moment before smirking, "how's Cedes?"

She twisted her mouth and shook her head. "Nobody calls me that."

"I call you that." Maiya pointed out.

"I know, and I've been trying to get you to stop for forever," her sister retorted.

"Tina and Santana call you that, too."

His smile grew watching them. They're fun. Cute.

"Okay, you know what? Cedes is fine."

Sam's smirk turned into a lopsided grin. He extended his hand once again. "It's nice to meet you, Cedes."

When their hands touched, Sam felt his world light up. Maybe I'm not dead after all. Dead people don't feel feelings like this.

"Alright, Sam." Shelly reappeared from her huddle with Abeline. "I'm going to go. You're in good hands, I'm sure of it, but should you need me for anything, you have my number. Don't hesitate to call. And don't forget," she squeezed his shoulder, "there's always an after. Abeline," she turned to the older woman, "we'll be in touch."

"We certainly will. Alright. Sunshine," Abeline said as Shelly left, "why don't you and Moonshine take this young man up to his new room and help him get settled in. Then, we'll get started on this Welcome Day Feast."

Welcome Day what now?

"Sure. Follow me." Mercedes took one of Sam's suitcases and walked up the stairs.

Sam had been in all kinds of homes before, but this one felt… different. It didn't feel like hope or anything like that. He wasn't crazy. But it felt like a place he'd actually want to stay at for a change.