Chapter 2

As the sunlight began to make its appearance through the thin curtains in Bosco's room Faith slowly opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. The bedroom was just as the living room was, completely devoid of anything her. She didn't have to look at the tag on the mattress to know it was also new because she had bought the most luxurious one she could find and the one she was laying on at this exact moment felt like a piece of concrete. At the sound of voices in the next room, Faith closed her eyes and relished in the moment. It had been a long time since the only sound she was greeted by in the morning was the sound of her own breaths and the complete silence that waited outside her bedroom door. She didn't know how to react to this kind of situation. How do you get out of a bed you haven't slept in, in three and half years and try to reenter a life where your son has no idea who you are? However, she knew she couldn't just lay there forever and expect the answers to come to her. She just had to get out of the bed and hope for the best.

As she eased the door open she heard clanging of pots and pans in the kitchen followed by a curse word and then David's high pitched laughter. Faith put one foot in front of the other and began to make her way down the hall. She knew the kitchen had to be were it was when she left because that was one thing Bosco couldn't change unless he had moved. Upon entry she saw Bosco hopping on one foot and holding the other foot in his hand while a pot lay on the floor beside him. David sat perched on the counter completely amused by his dad's pain. It was as if he could sense her presence because he took that moment to lift his eyes to her and put his injured foot back on the floor.

"Sorry didn't mean to wake you with the racket," he said.

"I was already awake, is your foot ok?" she asked.

"Daddy is that the same woman from last night, who is she?" Apparently David had decided it was his turn to join in on the conversation. Bosco avoided the question as he lifted his arms out to David and helped him from the counter.

"You told me it wasn't nice to ignore people, Daddy." Bosco shook his head as he realized that sometimes teaching your children to have manners could come back to bite you on the ass.

"She is a friend of mine David," that was the only response he could come up with at the time. He had no idea how to explain it to David. He never really had the mother discussion with him because David was to young to remember his mom so the only memories he had were of just being with him and his grandma.

Faith just stood there as she realized David must have never been told anything about her when she left. She knew Bosco would be outraged at her leaving but she never thought he would let David go with no explanation of what happened to his mother. Bosco was saved from anymore questions as a knock sounded through the apartment.

"Go get your backpack from your room, that's your grandma," Bosco said as he steered the boy in the direction of his room.

"But you never finished fixing breakfast and I'm hungry!" David crossed his arms over his chest and issued his best angry face at his dad. Faith had to smile at David's action because it reminded her of Bosco when he got mad.

"Grandma will take you to McDonalds; it's a lot better than my cooking anyway David."

David seemed pleased at the answer and took off to his room. And Bosco made his way to the door as the knocking became louder and more insistent. She remained in the kitchen listening to the hushed voices of Bosco and Rose as they probably talked about her sudden reappearance last night.

"My grandma is here, do you want to meet her?" Faith gave up eavesdropping as the sound of David's voice made her lose her focus. Faith didn't know it was even possible to be terrified of a 4 year old child but she was definitely afraid. He looked at with his head tilted to the side as if trying to tell her it's just a simple yes or no question.

"David Maurice Boscorelli! Let's go!" Rose shouted from the living room.

"I guess you can meet her next time, see ya later," he said with a wave and waltzed out of the kitchen with a Spiderman backpack slung over his shoulder. Faith sat in the closest chair to her and waited for Bosco to make it back to the kitchen.

"I thought it would be best to send him to his grandma's today to give us some time to talk about things, is that ok?" he said as he sat in the chair across from her. Faith nodded her head but continued to stare at the floor.

"Well do you want to start or do you want me to go first?" he asked.

"You go first. Ask me what ever you want?" Faith replied as she lifted her eyes to meet his across the table.

"Where did you go?"

"The day I left I headed to the bus station and took the first one out of town. I ended up in a little town in Oklahoma outside of Tulsa."

"I never figured you for a cowgirl, Faith," he stated with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"I wasn't a cowgirl Bosco,"she snapped. "I lived in a women's shelter for awhile until I was able to land a job at a bookstore and then I was able to afford a small apartment. After a year of drinking myself into a stupor everyday after work I decided that I needed to get help so I entered rehab."

"Did you ever think about us?" Bosco said with a slight tinge of anger seeping through.

"Everyday Boz. I only had one picture. You know the one we had taken together for David's first Christmas? I looked at it everyday and cried. I wondered how you were and how much David was growing but I couldn't bring myself to come back because I didn't feel ready," she admitted.

"Did you get any counseling to help you deal with Emily's death, Faith?" he asked, afraid that the question would cause a negative reaction.

"I went to counseling everyday after I started rehab and once a week after I entered the outpatient program. However, no amount of counseling will keep me from missing my daughter Bosco."

"I didn't say that it would Faith. I just want to know you have a better way of dealing with your pain so maybe we don't have to go through this again. You weren't the only one damaged Faith. I went to counseling after you left to help me deal with all the anger I had toward you and the pain I felt over Emily dying," he stated as he cast his eyes downward as if ashamed at his admission.

After a minute of silence he caught her gaze again. "They caught the bastard who hit her Faith. He was charged with DUI and vehicular homicide. He is in prison for the next 15 years."

"How?" was the only response she could come up with at the moment.

"The passenger that was in the car with him decided to come forward because she was tired of feeling guilty. Are you hungry?" he asked trying to break the awkward tension that was hanging around them in the tiny kitchen.

"Later. How about you and David? How have you two been doing?"

"It was hell when you first left. If it weren't for my mom, Charlie, and the others from the house I don't think I would have made it."

"You still talk to Charlie?" Her green eyes caught his and he noticed a certain amount of hope in the question.

"Of course Faith. He is still my stepson and David's big brother. He helps out a lot actually. He babysits David some when I need him. David worships him but not as much as he worships me though," he said with a smirk across his face.

There it was the king sized Bosco ego she had sorely missed and she couldn't help but smile. "I see your ego wasn't damaged much," she said with a smile of her own.

"Nothing could ever damage my ego, or so I have been told. Charlie is supposed to come by tomorrow for our weekly dinner together."

"You two still keep the weekly dinner tradition?" It had been a tradition since the day her and Bosco married; Emily and Charlie would come every Thursday for a meal and just to spend some time together.

"Yep. Me and Charlie have gotten pretty close over the last few years. He lived here for a couple of years after you left when he decided he had enough of Fred. He was accepted at NYU last year so he moved into the dorms. He's studying criminal justice, wants to be a lawyer."

"Wow, Charlie the lawyer." She couldn't believe just how much she had missed. When she left Charlie was just a gangly teenager starting high school with no idea of wanted he wanted to do when he grew up.

"If you want you're welcome to crash the party but I honestly don't know what his reaction will be." Bosco reached across the table and laid his hand over hers.

"Tell me about David?" was her next question.

"He's a pistol," he said with a laugh.

"He reminds me of me when I was little. He's always into something and he has traces of my temper when he gets really mad. This year was his first year playing tee-ball and he actually excelled. We might just have the next A-Rod on our hands. I want to show you something."

He jumped up from the table and came back a couple of minutes later with two picture albums. He thrust them in her hands and wordlessly she opened them and began to look through them. Bosco watched the play of emotions cross her face as each picture was revealed. She was still beautiful. Her blond hair hung freely to her shoulders and he fought the urge to reach for her. He hadn't dated or even been with another woman since she had left and it was becoming increasingly aware to him the longer he looked at her.

Oblivious to Bosco's thoughts, Faith perused each picture like a jeweler inspecting a diamond. Through the pictures she was able to watch her son grow from a baby, to wobbly toddler trying to walk; to the little boy he was today. Every step of the way Bosco was right there with him smiling from ear to ear at the little boy and his antics. She remembered the day she told Bosco she was pregnant. He was ecstatic and making plans for a nursery and picking out names. He said it didn't matter whether it was a boy or a girl but she could tell he desperately wanted a son. She thought the main reason was to show himself he had the capability to raise a son without being like his own father. The day David was placed in his arms, the smile instead of the scowl was the new prominent Bosco trait. According to these pictures he had proven to himself that he was better than his father had ever been. The love and pride that Bosco showed in each photo was apparent to anyone who looked.

"These are great Bosco," she said finally, breaking the silence.

"Every mother should be able to have photos of her son," he said shrugging his shoulders as if it were no big deal.

"Thank you. For everything."

"Not a problem Faith. Did you honestly think I would ever stop loving you?"

"Does this mean you are going to give me a chance to redeem myself?"

"How could I say I still love you if I didn't?" Bosco moved from the chair he was sitting in to kneel in front of her.

"I know it will be hard to put things back together Faith but all I ever wanted was the chance to have you back. Now that you are here there is no way in hell I am letting you walk out the door without fighting for you. I want to make this work Faith and I am willing to give 110% if you are."

Without another word Bosco reached up and guided her lips to his own. Her lips were just like he remembered: sweet and wet and purely inviting.