Taryn got home early that evening. She'd spent the evening at the London Underground, listening to the band. Afterwards, she tried to talk to Toby, pointing out that she was still there supporting the band. He said thank you, but then didn't ask her to go anywhere else. Taryn was disappointed in him. She thought he should be more forgiving.

Taryn's mother Patti was up waiting for her.

"Oh, hi, mom," Taryn said.

"Taryn," her mother said. "How are you?"

"OK," Taryn said. "How are you, Mom?"

"Fair," Patti said, "Then it went to poor. I saw this in the paper. Why didn't you tell me about this?"

Patti handed the old Port Charles Gazette, which she had brought home from the law offices of Baldwin and Baldwin, to Taryn. It was the issue with the story about Taryn's plea bargain.

Taryn turned white. She dropped her backpack onto the floor, and sat down. "Oh, Mom," she said. "I didn't want you to worry about this."

"What happened?"

Taryn sat down, dejected. She told the whole story about how she had met with Alexis and worked the whole thing out.

"My goodness," was all Patti said.

"It turned out all right," Taryn said. "Don't be too mad at me, Mom."

"So your father didn't know anything about it either?"

"No."

Patti signed. "I'm not mad. I just wish you could have come to me with this problem."

"Oh, Mom," Taryn said. "I don't know what to say. Except I was not driving drunk. Clay can tell you. I was driving the car off the railroad tracks only."

"The railroad tracks!"

"It stalled on the railroad tracks."

"That car isn't safe. If only your father – oh, never mind," Patti felt tears welling up in her eyes.

"Mom!" Taryn got up and went over to hug Patti.

"I'm proud of you," Patti said, through her tears. "Really, I am. Most people are not really adults just because they turned 18. But you handled your problem all on your own like an adult."

Taryn was speechless. "Sorry, Mom. I shouldn't have been drinking like that. That's why Clay was driving me home. Then the car stalled, and I moved it off the railroad tracks, but I swear I was not going to drive it any further."

"That was a responsible thing to do, too," Patti said. "I'd rather you called me to come and get you, though. But you were right not to drive. I'll never give you any trouble about being drunk or having to come get you, so long as you don't drive."

Taryn smiled. "You too, Mom. I'll come to the London Underground or any other bar you hang out at to pick you up rather than have you driving drunk."

Patti smiled as she wiped a tear away. "Can you get along all right with your father's – girlfriend?" she asked. "It looks like we're stuck with her."

"I don't talk to her except the minimum," Taryn said. "She tries to be all friendly and stuff. But I don't care. Dad yelled at me a little at first. Now, I'm not even sure he's going to be seeing her forever. We may not be stuck with her. I don't think they get along that well, to tell you the truth. The whatever is wearing off."

"Really," Patti said. "I hope he doesn't put you through a bunch of them, though. I'd rather he stuck with just one than that he kept you having to get used to a new one."

"Makes no difference to me," Taryn said. "Maybe stability is better for Tony and Dasha. But stability would mean Dad just stayed."

Patti sighed.

"Sorry, Mom," Taryn said.

"It's OK, Taryn," Patti said. "Don't feel like there is anything you can't tell me. I'm stronger than I seem, sometimes."

"You're very strong," Taryn said. "It's not that."

"Promise you will let me help if you get in trouble again."

"I'm not going to get in trouble again," Taryn said. "But I'll tell you what's happening. Like Toby being such a baby about how I was dating Clay. We weren't engaged, for heaven's sake. Why are men so impossible? They all have different rules, but they expect you to know what theirs are."

Patti laughed. "That's true," she said. "It would only be fair if they would hand us a copy of their rules at the beginning."

Taryn laughed. "You have that date for the wedding," she said. "What are his rules?"

"I don't know, I'm just a warm body to have a date to the wedding," Patti said. "I'm sure the rules for that are minimal."

"You never know. You'll get to talk at the wedding. Maybe he'll turn out to be a nice guy."

"Maybe. But I don't think I'm up for dating just yet. Dancing, maybe. Being someone's stand in when they need a date for an event. But real dating, no."

"Oh, Mom. You have to plunge in. I know Dad wrecked your faith and all that- "

"Taryn, honey, it's your faith I'm worried about."

"Mine? Why, I won't trust men because Dad walked out on you?"

"Maybe. It could affect you that way."

"I never even thought of it. I'd have blamed Jeremy – or my experience with Jeremy – if I didn't trust them."

"Jeremy's a teenager," Patti said. "Your father's example is much worse."

"Yes, when you've been married so long and it can still happen – makes you wonder if anybody should bother."

"That's what I mean. You can't lose your belief that it's going to work out for you and some wonderful young man some day."

"Well, neither can you, Mom."

"Let's not worry about me," Patti said. "I had my day in the sun. I have children to raise."

"But you need a life, too, Mom. I hope this guy's nice. That young guy who brought you home on the motorcycle was nice, too. Very cute."

"Too young for me."

"If Dad can do it, you can."

"I don't think I'd do a thing like that," Patti said. "I'm not supposed to try to get you to think ill of your father. So I can't say what I think of this May-December relationship of his."

"I know you don't like it, Mom. I don't either, really."

"I just don't do those sorts of things."

"Maybe it is wrong in Dad's case, but it might not be in yours. Keep an open mind."

"OK," Patti laughed. Her 18 year old daughter was giving her advice. "I'll keep an open mind."