Author's Note: Sorry, I lost all motivation for this fiction and became super busy. I highly doubt there is anyone reading this story anymore, but I'm updating in case there is at least one reader out there still interested in reading this.

I apologize. This is super short, but I'm trying to get back into the swing of writing again. I'm also thinking of adding some chapters of one-shots to my "Back to You" fiction. I'm open to any ideas, opinions and suggestions for both this fiction and my previous one.

I hope you enjoy…

Chapter 8: The Sign of Loss

"It's time to tell him, Norma."

Norma shutters and then promptly sighs at the words of the Sheriff. Deep down she knows he's right, but the idea of telling her eldest son about another relationship puts her on edge. To soothe her gradually increasing nerves, Norma tucks her phone between her left shoulder and ear before placing her tea kettle on the stove. With the distraction of making her favorite calming tea, Norma doesn't realize how long the silence lingers through the phone until the voice on the other line startles her.

"Norma? Are you there?"

"I heard you Alex," she whispers while reaching for the teacups placed in the shelf above her. Once her finger tips brush the handle of one, she stands on her tip toes and carefully brings it down to the counter.

"I know this is stressful for you, but if we keep this from him any longer it could cause even more problems. I've been talking to him for a while now and I believe we've built some sort of friendship." Romero pauses for a moment when he hears no response. "He's going to approve of us Norma, you just have to give him a chance. He's a great kid and I have no doubt he'll be supportive."

"You're right. I guess I'm just nervous," she says with a tremor in her voice. "You don't know everything about me, Alex." She can't help but let a tiny sniffle escape at the memories of her mistakes.

After several minutes of encouragement from Alex and a cup of calming tea, Norma finally relents and agrees today is the time to tell her eldest son the secret she's tried so hard to protect.

"You'll be here with me, right?" She asks full of hope.

"If you want me to be there, then I will be. Let me just finish up things at work and I'll be over."

Norma smiles widely and nods, then giggles in realizing the Sheriff can't see her reaction. "I need you here with me, Alex."

"Then I will be."

XXXX

Dylan has lost track of time.

As he remains sitting in his truck, Dylan's thoughts become increasingly more chaotic. He's starting to get a headache as his mind fills with a mix of past memories of the strained relationship with his mother and the constant evaluation of Norma's recent antics.

His mother dating the Sheriff is in all honesty, not his business. He knows this. But, the newly formed relationship between Norma and Romero isn't the troubling issue for Dylan. In fact, Dylan can truthfully say he's grown to actually like the guy who is dating his mother. Speaking one on one with Romero over the last month or so, has gradually allowed him to gain respect and trust for the older man. This doesn't happen often for Dylan and when he thinks more of it, he realizes it's never happen with a male figure in his life. Maybe that's why this surprising situation is such a disappointment for him.

It was all fake.

The latest trickery cuts deep for Dylan right now. Not only has Norma reverted back to her sneaky ways but now the man he thought he could seek some sort of support from if he ever needed it, is no longer an option. Dylan darkly chuckles to himself in the realization of how really clueless he has been to this obvious joke of a situation. He partially blames himself for letting his guard down once again in dealing with Norma. Honestly, he should know better than to once again become a casualty to the deception that seems to surround his mother.

The longer Dylan sits in the desolate parking lot in the middle of nowhere, the more furious he becomes. Maybe he is being irrational and he most likely would be considered a hypocrite since he hasn't been exactly forthcoming regarding his relationship with Emma. However, at least he can say he's never put Norma through multiple phony paperwork exchanges only to force some sort of bond. Plus, he already knows his mother would disapprove of him being with Emma, since Norma has said multiple times Emma belongs with Norman. For all of these reasons, he feels justified in his discontentment.

He takes a deep breath in, squeezes the steering wheel tightly in his grip and squeezes his eyes shut. After slowly letting the air empty his lungs, Dylan attempts to focus and wipe his mind of the anger. After a few more minutes of silence, Dylan feels his emotions gradually slip away and eventually dissipate to nothing.

This lack of an emotional state, brings a familiar comfort to him.

A small sigh then escapes his lips as he turns the key to hear the roar of his truck's engine and feel the motor vibrate below him. With a squeal of his tires, Dylan takes to the open road and heads in the direction of his mother's motel.

XXXX

Dylan finds his mother staring out the kitchen window, casually sipping out of her teacup. Norma appears to be distracted in her own thoughts since she doesn't seem to hear his footsteps gradually approaching her. When he's within an arm's length of his mother, Dylan simply places the earring on the counter next to her and walks out of the room without a spoken word.

Norma forcefully blinks her eyes, bringing her back into the present just in time to see Dylan's retreating figure jog up the staircase. Her face lights up and even a tear drops to her cheek in seeing the irreplaceable earring she thought she lost forever. With an elated giggle, Norma trails her eldest son up the stairs but her smile fades instantly in witnessing the scene in front of her.

"What are you doing?" Norma questions in barely a whisper from the doorway when she observes her son stuffing clothes into duffle bag, but she's met with silence as a response. Norma can't just stand idly by and watch this happen. She needs to get to the bottom of this, so she charges forward to where Dylan is diligently grabbing items packing his bag.

If an outsider would be observing the situation unfolding right now they would probably laugh hysterically at the sight. Norma rushing to empty out the duffle bag as soon as her son tries to fill it is truly a comical sight, until Dylan can no longer conceal his anger.

"THAT's ENOUGH NORMA!" He yells through gritted teeth, pulling the bag from his mother's tightened grip. Dylan immediately slides the duffle across the bed by the handles and roughly out of the woman's desperate reach. With another attempt to become silent, he turns his back toward Norma and continues to shove all of the belongings back into the bag.

"Talk to me!" She whimpers with a sniffle while forced to watch her son soundlessly, yet furiously pack without a spoken word. "Why are you doing this?"

Dylan hurriedly zips the bag and then turns around to face his distraught mother. "I'm moving out," he grumbles while gathering his bag by the handles. "I've stayed too long here."

"You're not coming back?" She sobs, trying to reach for her eldest son as he moves to push past her.

Shaking his arm out of her attempted grasp, Dylan ignores her question and stops abruptly to face Norma. "Do you know where I found your earring?"

Norma shakes her head, tears now staining her cheeks from reddened eyes.

"The Sheriff's office," he answers with a hint of a smirk.

"I-um, I…" Norma stumbles with a weakened voice and widened eyes.

"I already know Norma," he sighs in exasperation with a roll of his eyes. "You lied to me. I realize that's nothing new for you though."

"I just wanted you to get to know him," her voice trails off into almost a whisper.

Despite his willpower to remain numb during this conversation, he's losing the battle with himself as he feels his blood start to boil in his veins. "Well, congrats Norma. You're little plan worked because I did get to know him."

In hearing her eldest son's words, Norma's eyes brighten with hope. "You like him?"

"Don't you get it!? It's all fake!" He shouts, unable to control his resentment any longer. "You both lied to my face!" Immediately after his outburst, he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath to calm himself.

Norma flinches at her son's angered tone.

After a few seconds of silence, Dylan speaks again but in a softened voice this time. "I trusted you and I was starting to trust him." The young man says while shifting toward the open doorway with a lowered head. "I should've known better." He mumbles under his breath before disappearing out of the room.

When she hears the front door slam about 30 seconds later, Norma completely breaks down as she drops to her knees. Her hands instantly move to cover face as she huddles into herself on her eldest son's floor. Norma doesn't know how long she's in this position or how long she's been crying for, before she feels a gentle hand massage circles on her back. Her sobs soon turn into quiet whimpers, recognizing the familiar touch.

"What happened?" Alex asks, continuing his soothing movements while squatting down next to his distraught girlfriend.

Norma gradually drags the palms of her hands down her cheeks and then focuses her tearful blue eyes on a pair of concerned brown ones. "D-Dylan m-moved out," she stutters in between sniffles.

The Sheriff bends down, easily gathers her in his strong arms and stands up with a barely noticeable groan. "Ok, let's get you off this uncomfortable floor," he says quietly while taking a few steps toward the bed that has been pushed up against the wall. Slowly he lowers her onto the mattress, then takes a seat next to her. As if on instinct, Norma curls her body around him while she feels a tender touch smoothing her hair in an attempt to relax her. "I thought you were going to wait for me to talk to him about us?"

"He found my earring, Alex."

"I don't understand how your earring factors into this?" Romero questions, squinting his eyes in confusion.

Norma moves to sit up and then cuddles into the Sheriff's side. "Dylan found the earring in your office. He figured out all of the meetings between you two were orchestrated and not real."

Romero pulls her even closer to his chest, feeling his shirt start to dampen as Norma nuzzles her teary cheek into his shirt. "Oh."

"Please don't say you told me so. I know I made a mistake and now I've cost all of us. He doesn't trust me, but now I pulled you into this too."

"We'll get through this," he whispers and then leans downward to place a brief kiss to her forehead. "He'll be back in this room again. Just give him time."

All of a sudden, Norma jerks out of his hold and moves to get off the bed. "I need to do something!" She exclaims while rushing out of the room.

With a quick shake of his head in disbelief, the Sheriff promptly follows the sometimes irrational woman. 'This woman will be the death of me.' He thinks to himself, unable to control the small smile briefly forming on his lips.

When Romero finds his occasional emotionally unstable girlfriend standing in the kitchen, she's frantically pressing random buttons on her cell phone.

"What are you doing?" He asks while carefully approaching her, avoiding any sudden unwanted movements that may set the woman in a tailspin. He's learned this lesson the hard way.

"I'm calling someone I know will help." She responds with a wide smile as she holds the phone to her ear. As the phone rings, Norma reaches out her left hand. Taking the hint, the Sheriff quickens his step until he's close enough to intertwine their fingers. Norma sighs in contentment the second she feels his touch, giving his hand an extra squeeze when the ringing in her ear stops and a voice answers.

XXXX

Dylan drives down the long lonely highway. Unfortunately, the music booming through the speakers of his truck is doing nothing to distract his clouded thoughts of the recent past.

Eventually he drives past the "Leaving White Pine Bay" sign, but oddly seeing this doesn't give him the relief he thought it would.

Normally seeing a sign would bring his soul a sentiment of peace; however, this time he only senses an overwhelming feeling of loss. He grips the steering wheel a little tighter in an attempt to push the emotion aside while continuing to drive forward to the next town and then the next, still finding no reprieve from the familiar ache in his heart.

XXXX

Again, sorry for the ridiculous wait! Help keep me motivated by leaving a review. Thank you for reading!