It has been a month since Ray and Debra have been seeing each other. Debra was at Ray's preparing dinner for them and the kids. Marie walks in suprised to see her there.
"Oh, hello Debra." She says forcing a smile.
"Hi, Marie. How are you?" Debra says as she opens the oven and pulls out some dinner rolls.
"I'm fine Dear. What are you doing?" She asks.
"Just getting dinner ready. Ray should be home soon. I left work early today to be with the kids." She explains.
"Oh, well I was going to make Steak Pizziola, Raymond's favorite." Marie says disappointed.
Debra looks at her sympathetically, "Oh, I am sorry Marie. Ray didn't tell me."
"That's alright. Frank will eat it," Marie says, "So did Raymond give you a key to the house?"
"Well,yes and he as a key to mine." Debra answers continuing to prepare dinner.
"Ah, that's nice." Marie says as Ray walks in the door.
"Hey, sweetness." He says giving Debra a kiss.
"Hey yourself. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes." She says.
"Ummm smells great!" He says hanging up his coat.
"Hello Raymond." Marie says.
"Hi, Ma." he says kissing her on the cheek.
"I was going to make Steak Pizziola but Debra already started dinner for you. I wish you had told me."
"I forgot. You can make it tomorrow night" He says then turns to Debra, "Are the kids upstairs?"
"Yeah, hopefully going their homework. The boys need to clean their room. Can you check on them?" she asks.
"Sure." He says.
"Raymond, I need to talk to you. Alone." Marie interrupts.
Ray and Debra exchange a look, "Oh, okay. I'll go check. Could you just watch the sauce?"
"Yeah, no problem." Ray says then addresses Marie, "Alright, Ma. What is it?"
"Well, it's just I had planned to make a special dinner and you forget and now she is over here cooking."
Ray sighs, "Look I am sorry I forgot but so what if she is over here cooking. Why does that bother you?"
"I guess you just don't need me anymore. I had no idea you two had become so serious so fast." Marie laments.
"Ma, it's not that we don't need you it's just that I really care about Debra. I think I may be in love with her. I didn't think I would ever love anyone after Sarah died. We have a lot in common and she loves the kids and I love Lily. It feels like a family again. Can't you understand that? We were lonely and hurting and now we make each other happy. At least I hope I make her happy." Ray explains.
"Do you want to marry her?" Marie asks.
"I don't know Ma. We haven't even talked about that. We just enjoy being together and I guess that's enough right now. We're taking it slow." Ray says.
Debra comes back into the kitchen, "Ray, can you come back upstairs with me?"
"Uh, sure. What's wrong?" He asks.
"It's the boys, can you just talk to them?"
"Okay, sure," he says then turns to Marie,"Ma, do you understand what I said?"
"Yes, Dear. You go on upstairs. I need to go feed your father." She says and walks out the door.
Ray turns back to Debra and notices she has been crying, "Hey, what's wrong?
"I told the boys to clean their room and they told me they didn't have to listen to me because I wasn't their mother."
"Oh, Honey, it's okay" He says embracing her, "I'll go talk to them."
"Thank you." She says resting her head on his chest.
Ray releases his embrace and heads upstairs to the twins room where they are playing with their toys.
"Boys,you need to clean your room, now." Ray says emphatically.
"No we want to play" Michael says.
Ray takes the toys away from them, "No, you need to clean your room and you should not have talked to Debra that way."
"She isn't our mommy. Why do we have to do what she says?" Jeffrey asks.
"Because she is in charge if I am not here and I told you myself this morning to clean your room when you got home."
"Are you going to marry her?" Michael blurts out.
"What? Why do you ask that?" Rays says suprised.
"She's always here and she is telling us what to do like Mommy did. We see you kiss her all the time." Jeffrey answers.
"Guys, I don't know if I will marry her. I care about her a lot and maybe I love her but we haven't been seeing each other that long." He pauses to gauge their reactions, "Look, I will always love your mom. But she's gone and I think she would all of us to be happy and Debra is really nice and funny. I think Mom would like her being with us."
Michael and Jeffrey look at each other then at Ray, "I guess mommy would like that." Michael agrees.
"Yeah, so you guys start cleaning and we'll call you for dinner." Ray says heading for the door.
"Daddy," Jeffrey says.
"Yeah,"
"We want you to be happy too."
Ray smiles holding back tears. Sarah would be proud of her boys.