Randy took Fredrick's advice to heart. Amazing that the only person who could get through to him was a complete stranger. He wanted to see Mia. If he couldn't have her, he at least wanted to see her. He wanted to watch her the way he used to watch her at the diner. From the outside looking in, he loved to watch her laugh with the customers. That smile and she worked so hard and quick.

The very next day, he put his plan in action, hoping that seeing him constantly would provoke her. Surely, she couldn't cast away their friendship. He knew she was going through a lot. She was a good girl with a strong moral code and what they had done must have devastated her. He wondered if the night she had been robbed also played a part in the way she had left her entire life behind to start anew. Maybe he was just a reminder of that terrible night. The night she had witnessed the life drain from breathing human beings. Despite what they were, that's what they were. Lives that were special to someone. Like their mother. They may have husbands, fathers. Somebody out there is missing them everyday and even though he had come to peace with what had happened, he knew Mia wouldn't get over it as easily. Not after everything else that had recently ate away at her.

The truth had been a relief, but it had caused Mia to run. He hadn't intended to chase her away. He wanted her for his own, but he never dreamed it would turn out as it did and he never wanted to hurt Roman. Actually, he hadn't, not as much as his actions should have.

Day one. He pushed the button beside his bed and after a long while of what he was sure was hesitation on the part of the girls at the desk, a couple of girls came in and he asked them to help him into his wheelchair. Then he told them to leave. Then felt foolish when he realized that he could not transfer himself to the shower stool. He had to have them help him, which was embarrassing as hell.

"I can't do this." he told them when they tried to help him remove his clothes. "Isn't' there a man somewhere in this building." He had to wait on the next shift, but two men did come. People from the therapy gym came to help him and as they helped, they began to teach him how to make the transfer by himself. It would take some time, they had said, but assured him that it could be done. Soon, he was dressed, shaved and looking more like his old self, except for the constant sitting position and metal contraption he had depended on.

Mia arrived at work. Another day, beginning the same as any other. She went straight to work instead of hanging out around the desk like the others. She collected fresh linen and went from room to room, greeting her residents who looked forward to seeing her every day. She helped them with their daily living activities with a smile and understanding. She worked quickly. The schedules were treacherous and everyone had an appointment of one kind or another. She didn't know how many times she had walked past before she was stopped in mid step. Randy was sitting outside of his room watching her every move. He looked like the same familiar, friendly face she had known so long before and she smiled before she could help herself.

And he was polite. Something that had everyone whispering and on edge. They wondered if he was bi-polar. They wondered if he was up to something and he was. She went on with her day, regaining her composure and finally managed to block him out. He made her more uncomfortable than anyone else, reminding her of her past and her mistakes. She had never been able to forgive herself for the wrongs she had committed. She wasn't an angel by any means and she knew the Lord above would forgive, but she didn't know if she deserved to be forgiven for the hurt she had caused.

A week and nothing more than that one damn smile. His room was so close to where she had to check her papers. So close to the little room where she sat at a computer once a day and nothing. She acted like he wasn't there. Week two had almost ended and she would be off the weekend so he rolled into that little room. She was alone for once and she didn't notice him behind her. He watched her fill in the little bubbles with a click of the mouse and then when it was done, she stood turned and fell forward. He grabbed her waist and pulled her right into his lap.

"how long are you going to ignore me? I didn't think we parted on terrible terms, Mia."

"Randy, let me up." she whispered. "Please, stop doing this to me."

"Fine." he released her and she rolled him out of the room like he had seen her do to others who had wandered in. She parked him back in his spot and walked off like he was any other patient. He didn't come out over the weekend and stayed behind the closed doors three days after that. He felt defeated, then it hit him. He needed to bring her in another way. So, he took his music with him, sat it on a nearby piano and plugged it up. He played his favorite play list filled with songs that reminded him of her and he hoped some of them would trigger her memories as well.

Randy was torturing her. Those songs she turned off when they played on the radio and he was blasting them throughout the room and no one would stop him because music was thought therapeutic and they thought he was making progress. He had the same rights as anyone else and she was happy that he was improving and was no longer the bitter recluse he had been, but he was terrorizing her and she wondered if he had any idea what he was doing to her. She started to forget her own steps, made her have to back up several times to retrieve items she had forgotten. Her past haunted her and she contemplated putting in a two week notice.

A month of that from Randy, only her breaks gave her refuge and then finally. He would stop her whenever she had to pass him. He would ask her for little things that he knew she had to fetch for him. Snacks, drinks. Somethings she had to run to the kitchen for. He threw her schedule behind intentionally just so she had to talk to him. She wanted to yell at him. Scream at him, but she stayed professional. And he was getting around so much better and popped up outside her residents room. He started following her to the cafeteria. Eating his meals at the same time as her and the dining room staff held his tray every day waiting for him to show up. He won them over with the fun loving, comedic attitude that she and always known. He made the staff laugh and they all loved him.

He never joined her. He kept his distance and picked up smoking again so he could follow her.

"When did you start this crap?" He asked. She was asked to take him that day and she couldn't refuse a request from the charge nurse and because they were alone, he was free to bring up their past relationship. "you always hated smoking."

"I guess I finally understand why people do it." She told him. "I figured you were through with them."

"The urge came back." he shrugged. "Mia, I really miss you. Do we really have to pretend we don't know each other?"

"I really don't want to explain us to everyone. And it's been so long, they'll all wonder why we've been distant. They wouldn't believe it now."

"Oh. You're afraid they'll think you're dating a resident and then fire you."

"That would happen." she assured him. "Randy, I really need my job."

"No you don't." he snapped. "You're husband had more than enough to support you. You know that."

"You're not my husband Randy." she wanted to yell.

"Well I have a piece of paper that says other wise."

"Just stop it." she told him. "Why can't you just respect the fact that I want to put all of that behind me."

"Because you and I were so close. I miss that. I miss everything!"

"It will never be the same as it was before."

"Because of Roman? When was he every really around when we hung out?"

"Not much."

"Then what would be different?"

"Randy, I don't want you to hate me."

"I could never hate you."

Then it happened. Her biggest secret exposed.

"Mia."

"Hey, Mrs. Parnam." It was unusual for her to come to her job with Cheyenne. She had brought her on holidays to eat lunch with her before, but this was different. It was unscheduled and unplanned and Randy was sitting in his normal spot outside his door.

"I'm sorry to bring her to you at work dear, but one of my oldest friends invited me to join her on a road trip. We're going to see some museums and she wants to leave right now.

"Oh, it's fine." Mia smiled. Her shift was over in an hour and she knew the girls behind the desk loved her and would let her sit with them while she finished up. "I told you, you should get out more often."

"I just hate last minute plans, but that's Rose." she shrugged. Cheyenne reached for her mother's arms, she held her and then Mrs. Parnam gave them a motherly hug. Cheyenne wanted down. She loved the attention the residents gave her.

Randy stared at Mia and the little girl who held tight to her hand, looking around the room, accepting the attention from the older residents with a shy grin. He wondered if she was Mia's and then thought that it was also a possibility that she was watching her for one of the other girls. He hadn't seen when the child had arrived because he had needed to relieve himself. Then the little girl looked his way and she grew serious. He gave her a smile and a little wave then went back to the hot rod magazine he was reading.

"Daddy!" The little girl with perfect braided pigtails had big eyes and she took off – for him. She jumped into his lap and threw her little arms around his neck.