Topanga was at her wits end with Riley. She was now refusing to leave her room and/or talk rationally with her or Cory. Topanga nearly screamed her voice raw at Riley, ordering her daughter to leave from under the bed.

Between Riley acting "Riley" and Cory not giving a crap, Topanga was developing a headache. It was now 10 am, Auggie was at school and she was going to be late for a client meeting at this point…And Cory was making a cup of coffee…with cinnamon?

"What are you doing?" Topanga asked confused as she walked closer to the kitchenette, Cory hated cinnamon, but right now he was sprinkling quite a lot into a large mug of coffee. "You hate cinnamon." she reminded him.

Cory began swirling milk and sugar into the mug, a smug grin plastered on his face, "I know. It doesn't smell that great with coffee."

Topanga furrowed her brow, "So…why are you making a cup of it while our 15 years old daughter hides under her bed like a scared puppy?" she asked as she began to grow impatient with her husband's nonchalant attitude.

"Because I know one way to please people is to give them what they want." Cory answered simply as he walked past her with mug in hand.

"And who would want cinnamon coffee?" Topanga asked, Cory smiled back at her and opened their door to reveal Amira, bundled up in dark red coat and black beanie, her hand raised as if she was ready to knock.

"Thanks for coming Amira." Cory greeted her, passing her the cup of coffee. "Sorry for interrupting your meeting." He added nervously.

Topanga looked between the two, a slew of questions forming in her mind. Amira looked a bit flustered as she took of her coat, "Not a problem. Is she still under her bed?"

"Yeah." Cory answered tiredly, "She's pretty adamant about staying under there until, and I quote, "the whole world gets along perfectly."" Cory rubbed his face, showing for the first time in a long time, Topanga realized, concerned and upset. She had thought he was either simply ignoring or enjoying the tension between her and Riley, he hadn't said a word to either of them since their fight three days ago. This was the first time Cory looked troubled.

"Figured out what happened yet?" Amira asked, gulping down her coffee. Topanga noticed the dark circles under the therapist's eyes, she looked jittery already.

Cory sensed this as well, "Not yet. You feel up to talk to her?"

"Yeah." She passed the mug back to him, already three fourth finished with it. "I'll call you guys if I need your assistance." She pointed to hallway, "Which room?"

Cory and Topanga stared in awe at the almost done mug of still steaming coffee, "Last room on the right." Cory stuttered out as he watched Amira go to Riley's room. He looked between the mug and Topanga, shrugging at her stunned and confused face. "She-uh, was in the middle of going to some presentation."

"Why did you call her?" Topanga asked tersely.

"Because she's our daughter's therapist and does this for a living." Cory explained reasonably.

"But I was handling it." Topanga explained, annoyance masking the anger that was starting to run through her body. She sort of didn't like Amira, if she had to be honest with herself.

"Honey, you know I love you but I have to honest. You weren't handling it, neither of us were that why I had to call Amira." Cory shrugged, "Look I know you don't think Riley's been improving since starting therapy, but I think she has. She's not the same Riley but she's not the old one either."

Topanga shook her head at that, "What does that even mean?"

Cory huffed his laughter out, he loved his wife but he at times missed her old ways. He sometimes blamed himself for their switch of personalities. At one point he was the serious one between the two while Topanga was the spiritual and care free one, he was becoming a good mixture of their former selves and something resembling an adult. But he was always worried that Topanga had lost that little bit of herself. At times she would show that part of herself with others and let it shine but she would always force that part of herself back into its coffin.

"It means that you're pushing Riley into becoming something she isn't."

"No, I'm not!" Topanga stated indignantly.

"Yes, you are Topanga. You're pushing her into becoming this person she either doesn't want to be or can't be, you may not notice that but she has."

"Cory, all I want her to do is be more responsible and put more thought into her future. I'm trying to lead her to place where she can become an adult. That's what a parent does."

Cory sighed, he grabbed his wife by her shoulder and held her tight before cupping her face in his hands, "She doesn't need a parent, she needs her mom. Not some who can guide her or lead her into the future. She just needs a mom, she needs you to listen to her, that's all." Cory explained quietly. He dropped his hands to his side and walked away, leaving Topanga alone and quietly analyzing his words.

Xoxoxoxoxoxo

"Go away!" Riley yelled from under her bed, believing the person to be her mom again.

"Well I would but then I gotta go to that meeting and I really rather not." Said the familiar voice in a sarcastic manner.

"Ms. Habib?" Riley pushed her bed skirt up and looked up to see Amira sitting down in front of her. "What are you doing here?"

Amira made a soft "hmm" noise, "That's not the question, the question should be why are you hiding underneath your bed?"

Riley sniffed, she had cried herself to the point of no tears all night and was now thinking of ways to live under her bed. "I don't want to leave."

Amira frowned, "Are you being evicted from your room?"

"No."

"Then what's the reason?"

Riley sighed, "You're going to be mad at me."

Amira pursed her lips, "That's an interesting opening salvo." Amira mumbled more to herself than to Riley as she began to lay on the floor next to Riley, pushing the bed skirt further in order to see the girl's face better. "Why would I be mad at you, Riley?"

"Because I took this from your office." Riley answered steadily as she passed the Prussian blue book back to Amira.

The older woman's face warped into many emotions, from anger to cautious to concern. "You read this?" Amira asked.

Riley nodded.

"The whole book?"

Riley nodded again.

Amira let out a low whistle, "That's-uh, that's some heavy reading."

"Are you mad at me?" Riley asked, desperation and fear lining her voice.

Amira rubbed her face and paused before flipping through her old book. She could see dried out water marks on some pages. "Well, yeah. I'm mad that you took something from me without my permission and at the same time, I'm worried. Riley, this book is about trafficking and you read the whole book. Are you okay?"Amira paused again, "Nope, I take back that question since you're hiding under your bed." She shook her head, "What happened?"

Riley sniffed again, she wiped away a tear as she tried to regain her breath, "I saw some of your books about trafficking and I got interested so I looked up some stuff online but it was a lot and I didn't know where to start so I thought I could just borrow one of your books and I saw this one and read the whole thing and after I read the book I decided to read more and I found some documentaries and memoirs and I went through those as well and then I got really angry and then really sad and now I'm both really angry and really sad and I hate people now so I'm not leaving from under my bed till everyone is nice to each other!" Riley explained in one long go of breath.

Amira nodded and waited a moment for Riley to catch her breath. "Feel better?" she asked. Riley gulped and began to cry again, fresh tears falling down her face as she let the bed skirt fall down. "NO!"

"I figured that." Amira stated softly, "First time I read the book I stayed holed up in my dorm for three days, my friends had to actually drag me into the bathroom."

"How do people treat others like that? Like they don't matter?! Why doesn't anybody do anything to stop people from hurting others?! From hurting kids?!" Riley cried from under her bed.

Amira pressed her lips together before thinking of an answer, "There's no easy way to explain that Riley, and there's no good explanation either. I wish there was cause that would really give many survivors out there a bit of closure, but no one knows. All we can do is hope and do things that effect world in a positive way."

"What's the point though!? What's the point in being good if people still get hurt? There are thousands of girls my age in New York alone being treated like they are nothing, like they don't have a name and a heart and they don't see anything good, it's all evil! Where are the good people to help them?!" Riley screamed. "I don't understand how people can do that. Hurt others like that! Even family members, they do that to their own kids…I-I never thought people could be that cruel!" Riley wailed.

"Riley," Amira's voice was calm and relaxed as she pushed up the bed skirt to reveal a crying and blotchy Riley. Her eyes were teary and red, and her front brow sweaty. "I can't explain humans, despite that I made a career of studying them, I just can't. But I can tell you that there are a lot of good people out there, each one doing something to combat this. And each one, in their own way, makes living here a little bit easier."

"Then why does bad stuff still happen?" Riley asked defensively.

Amira shrugged, "It just does, I wish it didn't, believe me." She took Riley's hands in hers', "But it does and it sucks, you just have to find a way to heal when it happens, otherwise the whole world is going to pull you under and drown you. And it ain't going to be pretty."

Riley let out a weird combination of a cough and laugh, "I hate myself." She stated in tone that sounded bitter and sour at once.

"Why?"

"Because, I have this life. I have this life and I'm miserable. I'm a spoiled brat. I wake up every day in a house with my parents and go to school and I don't have to worry about someone hurting me, about someone making me do something that I don't want to do, about making enough money to support myself or my family. I just go to school and I complain about that too! I go to school and have a dad who helps me!" she explained tearfully, "I do this and then complain about stupid stuff when girls my age have actual issues."

She felt Amira squeeze her hands, "Riley, just because you live in a nice house and go to school doesn't mean your feelings and tribulations don't count for anything. You're allowed to complain, you're allowed to feel depressed and angry about your life, that's natural and healthy. Everyone has things they need to vent about." Amira chided gently, "And yeah, you don't have to worry about a lot of things, but you still have your concerns. You can't compare your life to anyone else's."

Riley breathed slowly in and out, "You're just saying that, truth is I'm just a brat."

"No." Amira gently picked up Riley's chin in her hand, "Truth is you're a very young and compassionate girl who has a lot of empathy." She brushed back a stray of hair glued to Riley's cheek. "Riley, you are a very good person who has just realized there are a lot of more evil things in the world that aren't reported on the ten o'clock news. What did you learn?"

Riley frowned at that, "What do you mean?"

"Well, you read the book and more so. What did you learn about people?"

"That they're mean."

"Well in every story there is a batman and a joker. That rings true to real life as well, so what did you learn?" Amira asked again.

It took a beat for Riley to understand her question, "That there are a lot of programs out there that are willing to help survivors."

"Cool, like which?"

Riley paused again, "Well, there is an all-girls program in New York and two others in DC. There is a really big LGBT group in California as well that helps survivors."

Amira smiled, "Yep, there's a whole lot of batmen and supermen, and wonder women…basically the entire justice league, avengers, and x-men."

Riley bit back a smile, "Do you do anything to help? I mean…I know you help people but.."
"Yes." Amira answered timidly, "Truth is the agency actually helps minors who have survived trafficking and abuse, we work with them in the morning and afternoons and then take in private clients in the evening."

Riley's eyes became as wide as saucers. "You do that?"

Amira nodded while exhaling, "Six days a week, for the past six years. It's an emotional and it take a toll on you like you won't believe."

"How do you do it?" Riley asked, slowly moving out from under her bed.

"What do you mean?"
"How do you hear those stories day after day and still believe the world is good. I've seen you smile and laugh and I feel like I can't laugh ever again after seeing and reading what I read." Riley sounded like she was near tears again, she wiped her face with a bed sheet.

Amira pondered about how to answer that question. She slowly got up and pulled her legs close to her chest. "I have friends and family who love me and don't allow me to talk about my job. I play music and pretend I'm singing at Madison Square, and I watch cartoons." Amira counted off, "I basically practice self-care like my life depends on it because it does, more so my sanity." She huffed.

Riley shook her head in disbelief, "And this is what you want to do? For your entire life?"

Amira smiled, "Yes, but not my entire life. I do have an end goal in all this. But yes," she nodded her side to side, "I love what I do, I love helping people and I love working with kids and teenagers who just need a safe space to state what they need to state."

Riley nodded, she began to quickly wipe away tears, "I want to help people. I want to leave the world with a smile and know that I helped people." Riley stated with confidence, "I don't want bad people to win." She was now fully out from under the bed. "What can I do?" she asked excitedly.

"What?"

"What can I do to help?" Riley asked again, "I want to help! I want to be able to say that I made a mark on the world. I feel like all I've been doing is crying and I don't want to keep doing that Ms. Habib. I want to make a difference, I just don't know how." She stated honestly, "How do I make a difference?"

Amira bit her lip for a moment, looking quite thoughtful about how she was going to respond. "Well, you did step one rather well."

"Getting out from under the bed?" Riley asked shyly.

"Getting out from under the bed." Amira confirmed, nodding her approval.

"The next step is focusing on your mental health. You need to help yourself before you help anyone else." She explained, sounding stern. She got up to her feet and then helped Riley get to hers'. "I know you want to help but I need you to focus on you right now before you start looking for volunteer projects."

Riley was disappointed but couldn't voice it, she knew why Amira was warning her about not jumping into anything so soon. Her depression was something she was still trying to control. "Okay, I mean I could look at a few organizations once I get to school."

"You're not going to school." Amira told her.

"What?"

"You are not going to school." Amira repeated, she guided the younger girl out the door and into the bathroom, "You're getting a pass for school, you need a mental health day." She turned Riley around so that the young girl was facing her, "I'm even giving you a pass on therapy today, I need you to relax for the day and just be fifteen year old you, okay?"

"Why?"

"Because, you read and watched a lot of heavy stuff that I don't think you were ready for but I can see you're interested in joining the fight, so consider this your day of rest." Amira explained before closing the door, before she could close it fully Riley asked her another question.

"Can I at least read about interventions for traumatized clients?" she asked hopefully, only to be met by a dead eyed Amira.

"Wash your face." Amira responded as a form of good bye before closing the door fully.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

"That's it?" Topanga asked she watched Amira put back on her coat, Cory looked perplexed at Amira's story of what had happened.

"That's it." Amira confirmed.

"And you're cancelling her therapy session for today?" Topanga asked for clarification.

"Yes."

"Why?" Topanga was confused, "She clearly needs that appointment!"

Amira took a glance at Cory, who was hanging back behind his wife. "She doesn't, she needs to take in what happened."

"Nothing happened to her!" Topanga was trying her best to be patient, "She read some books and saw some movies that she shouldn't have seen, but it didn't happen to her. What does she need to "Take in"?"

"Ms. Matthews, Riley saw and read some really traumatizing materials that I doubt any emotionally stable person could get through, the fact that she got through them and just ended up refusing to leave from under her bed is something that I'm still surprised about." Amira tried to reason, "She needs a breather and if she goes back to school without one, then I would be concerned about what could trigger her. She was already overwhelmed when I got here, imagine if you send her to school like that."

Topanga pinched the bridge of her nose in disbelief, "Are you kidding me? She saw the real world and couldn't take it. That's it. She's not the only one that has to wake up to reality, it's not a pretty world filled with butterflies and purple cats. She had a dose of reality thrown at her and she has to face it!"

"True," Amira agreed smoothly, "And she took it much like anyone would, in their own way."

"You're coddling her." Topanga snapped. "I'm trying to raise an adult here."

"She's not an adult Ms. Matthews, she's fifteen. Let her be fifteen, there are a whole of parents who would love it if there fifteen years old daughters would just be fifteen for a moment instead of adults due to circumstances out of their control. Consider yourself lucky." She pointed at Cory, "No school today."

"Got it." Cory nodded, waving bye to Amira as she left their place.

"She can't be Riley's therapist anymore." Topanga seethed as soon as their door shut, pointing a finger at her husband.

"She's good for Riley."

"How can you say that?" Topanga asked, besides herself. "She isn't helping Riley at all. She's still stagnant."

Cory was about to say something he would immediately regret, he closed his mouth and slowly breathed in through his nose.

"Cory?"

"Riley's not stagnant." Cory's voice was clipped, he pressed his hands together, hoping the action would create some type of tolerance to build towards his wife's disregard to their daughter's mental health status. "She's not an adult and she's not you, Topanga. Riley is our daughter and right now she needs her mom and dad."

"She needs to wake up!"

"You need to wake up!" Cory snapped, "You need to know that you can't live vicariously through Riley, you can't make her out to be the better Topanga because she can't be you, no matter your efforts or hers. And don't think she hasn't tried, because she has tried so hard but you never cared because she was never like you."

Topanga stood rock still, it had been a long time since Cory had yelled at her. "Take that back." She ordered.

"No." Cory said simply, "Not taking it back."

"Dad?" Riley appeared at the edge of the hallway, looking at them questioningly. "Is everything okay?" She asked worriedly.

"Yeah," Cory lied, he had his arm open wide to pull Riley into a hug. He glanced a still stunned Topanga, wondering if she would even care to ask Riley if she was okay.

"How you feeling?" Cory asked his daughter.

"Better." She replied, squeezing him with all her energy. "Sorry that I made you late."

Cory rubbed his daughter's back soothingly, "No worries, you're more important. Are you hungry?"

"Yes." Riley pulled away, rubbing her eyes.

"Great, why don't we go out for breakfast?" Cory looked at her, "Want to get some waffles?"

Riley looked elated at the suggestion, she bounced on her tippy toes, "And pancakes?" she asked with a puppy dog look.

"If we're doing both, we might as well spring for French toast!" Cory responded back giggly. "Let's go!" he grabbed both their jackets, leaving Topanga alone.

Yet again.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Cory and Riley walked silently for a few blocks, they would occasionally look at each other and smile before walking in absolute quiet again.

"Did I ever tell you what I was like before you were born?" Cory asked, not really sure where he was taking this.

"Yes." Riley smiled grabbing a hold of her father's arm, "Many times. You were just like me."

Cory nodded, "Yeah, just like you." He voice waivered off for a moment, again unsure about how to open and start the discussion he was hoping he would never have with his daughter.

He cleared his throat, "Riley, I was a lot like you, did you know that I was a wreck before you were born?"

"What do you mean?" Riley asked, she stopped walking.

"Well, I mean, I-I" Cory stopped for a moment.

"Dad?" Riley pulled his arm, "You can tell me."

"Yeah I know." Cory carded his hair back, "Just trying to figure out how to tell you." He sighed, "I wasn't a good person before you were born Riley. I wasn't a good husband, friend, or brother. I just was so lost and empty that I didn't even have the energy to get out of bed most days."

"Really?" Riley felt something in her stomach began to churn at the image of her dad, the man she loved most in world, laying in his bed depressed and gone to the world. "And mom was okay with that?"

"Your mom didn't know." Cory admitted with something that sounded a lot like shame lining his voice. He sniffed, "I was a mess and did a lot of things to make myself feel better that I would you never ever do."

"Like what?" Riley asked cautiously. She couldn't see her dad hurting himself in any form. He was her dad, her rock and her cheerleader, he was susceptible to being harmful to himself.

"Like drink...a lot and cut…and there was moment, a really close moment where I didn't want to be here." Cory admitted, "I just wanted to give up everything."

Riley nodded, not paying attention to the tears that were again falling. Neither of them realized that they were crying in the middle of the city.

"What made you stop?" Riley asked with a shaky breath.

"You." Cory answered simply. "Riley," he pulled her closer, wiping away stray tears with his thumb. "You were my life saver, I didn't have a reason to get up from bed till you came into my life. I don't ever think I'll forget my excitement when is saw you for the first time, it was just this pure unconditional love that I never felt and I swore to myself right there and then that I would never hurt you, never let anything hurt you." He sniffed again, almost cracking when he realized that Riley was wiping away his tears.

"If I could, I would cut off my right arm to protect you, I would just take on everything you were feeling right now, but I know that I can't and it kills me to know you have all this grief in you that you are hiding behind a fake smile." Cory coughed as Riley began to hiccup, she was crying hard as he finally admitted to knowing what she had been trying to hide from everyone for a long time. "Riley, I know that I can't protect you from everything, even yourself, but I don't want you to think that you have to be a soldier through and through. You can break down, you can destroy everything around you, you can scream into the sky for all I care, but I never want you to hide your pain like that with a fake smile."

Riley pulled him into a hug, breaking down all over again. "Give me your worst and best and I'll take it all." Cory promised, "You don't have to carry it all, okay?" he squeezed her tight, not caring a bit as onlookers walked past them with worried glances. "I don't know exactly what you're going through Riley but I know some parts and just know that I will love you throughout it all."

Riley nodded and wrapped her arms around her father's neck. Instinctively, Cory lifted her off the ground and kissed her temple.

"I love you dad."

"I love you too, honey." He pressed another kiss to her temple and slowly let her down. They pulled away at arm's length from each other, each taking in the other's appearance.

"Pancakes?" Cory asked after a minute.

"Pancakes." Riley confirmed.

They started to walk again and the conversation began to start up again, about Riley and how she was feeling about her friends, about herself, about her mom…she felt something in her gut un-clench as her dad took in everything she was saying and squeezed her hand in reassurance.

She was always so close to her dad, she was afraid that when fell more into her depression her dad's relationship with her would change, that he would see her differently.

He didn't see her differently, he saw her clearer and it didn't change her relationship with her dad in the way she thought, it marked a new chapter.

(An honest one.)

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Amira was not ready for the drama that was engulfing her day at the moment. Torri had warned her that a parent was now in her office, between that and Jallani down her throat about missing the meeting and having Farkle's parents calling in about her, she was having a crappy day.

She walked into her office to find Topanga laying down on her floor. "Ms. Matthews?"

Topanga didn't move an inch, she kept looking at the ceiling. "I'm a horrible mother." She confessed morosely.

Amira could only look back at a smiling Torri, who threw her a can of ginger ale before giving her a two finger salute. The therapist huffed out her disdain for the impromptu meeting and closed the door. "And?"

"I'm a horrible mother." Topanga repeated.

"Still don't know what that has to do with you laying on my office floor." Amira mused, she sat down at her desk chair.

Topanga sat up half way, "Aren't you suppose to help me? Tell me that I'm not a bad mother?"

Amira opened her computer and began to riffle through her paperwork, "No, because that's not my job."

"You're a therapist, you're supposed to be supportive." Topanga clarified, struggling a bit to get up. "Is this what you do with Riley?"

"No, because Riley is my client, and you're her mother, not my client."

"So I have to pay you to be considerate?" Topanga asked sarcastically. "You have horrible clinical skills, do you know that?"

Amira laughed, "I don't, but that's your opinion. I'm just trying to figure out why you really came down here." Amira explained as she opened her can of giner-ale.

"For help." Topanga stressed, "You know what? Forget it, coming here was clearly a mistake." Topanga decided getting up from the ground fully.

"At least be honest with yourself if you're going to leave dramatically." Amira pipped before Topanga could get to the door.

"What does that mean?" Topanga asked with dagger in her eyes.

"It means you didn't come here for "help", you came down here because you're curious." Amira smirked, she had played these games before with parents and hated it. Topanga needed a push for sure but needed to do it on her own.

"About what?" Topanga sniffed, her arms crossed defensively as she slowly strode closer to Amira's desk.

Amira smirked, "Really, we're playing this game? Ms. Matthews, I don't have time to do this with you right now, you and I both know why you're down here so either say so or leave." Amira got up and led Topanga to the door.

They were merely two feet away when Topanga yelled out "Why don't I get along with my daughter?!"

Amira rolled her eyes, "Thank you Allah, I thought I would never hear you say it." Amira sighed as she walked back over to her desk.

"Well?" Topanga asked impatiently as she watched the other woman sit back down.

"Well what?"

Topanga felt ready to scream, "Why don't I get Riley?" She asked, she was two seconds away from shaking the therapist. "Why does it seem that everyone gets Riley, except for me?" she began to pace nervously.

"Do you want to get Riley?" Amira countered.

"Of course I do!"

"Do you like her?"

Topanga dead eyed the woman, "Of course I love her, she's my daughter!"

Amira shook her head, "I didn't ask that, I asked if you like Riley. Do you like her as the person she is?"

Topanga bit her tongue for a moment, "Well,…yeah. I mean there are some things that I wish she would stop doing."she shrugged as she continued to pace the room.

"Like what?" Amira asked, sounding interested in a genuine way.

Topanga sighed halfheartedly, she knew exactly what she wanted to change about her daughter."Well I wish she would stop this obsession she has with purple cats, it just sounds juvenile. And her constant skipping, she looks like a five year old. And her consistent day dreaming and her wanting everything to be frilly and happy, it's just so annoying. She can just be grating and she…" Topanga allowed her own words to repeat in her head for a moment. "Oh my God." She softly gasped as she sunk down onto the floor, her hands on her head. She realized she was going on a diatribe about her own daughter.

Amira looked at her watch, "Well that took longer than I thought it would."

"I don't like my daughter."

"Bingo." Amira said softly pointing at her.

Topanga could feel the tears sting her eyes, "I don't like my daughter." She repeated hollowly.

"I got that." Amira replied.

"I just listed every quality about my daughter that I hated that makes her her." Topanga admitted in a whisper. "What kind of mother does that?" she asked in shock awe.

Amira shrugged, "Many moms." She finally sounded sincere and caring, "You're one of the few to come to terms about it though." She glanced at her computer woefully, "Did you want to have Riley?"

"What?" Topanga asked, not really paying attention to what Amira was saying.

"You heard me." Amira sighed.

"I-…Not really." Topanga bit the inside of her check as revulsion set in, she remembered not being excited at all about Riley. She didn't feel like it was a good time to be pregnant since she was in the start of law program at Columbia, she was concerned about having to drop out in order to care for Riley, but Cory had stepped in and stepped up as a dad. He was the point man throughout the pregnancy and throughout Riley's first few years in the world. From 3 am feedings, diaper changes, doctor appointments, first school lunches, homework, and the ups and downs of the joy of taking care of a toddler to being the parent of a pre-teen, Cory was there for Riley.

If Topanga had to be honest, she wasn't excited at all about Riley when she was pregnant. She was completely different with Auggie, she was excited because she was ready and wanted a baby then. But with Riley…

She just never was there.

"I guess that why I always feel like she and Cory are more alike, he was always there for her. I just gave up before even trying, I guess." Topanga tearfully admitted after explaining her pregnancy and first few years of motherhood to Amira.

"Seems like you're still not ready for her." Said Amira after a while, "Do you feel like she's more like Cory than like you?"

"Are you kidding me? She's all Cory!" Topanga laughed, "From her wit to her hopefulness, it's all him." Topanga smiled, "Don't get me wrong, I love Cory with all my heart, but it's different. I'm used to him but with Riley…" she shrugged, "I don't know."

Amira smirked, "Hmm, I don't know about that. There are some stories I've heard about the younger you from Cory and Riley, seems like Riley picked up a few things from you without you realizing it."

"Yeah right." Topanga snorted.

"I am right." Amira rebuked gently, "From what I gathered from Cory, he was more sensible one between the two of you back in the day."

"Yeah," Topanga confirmed without arguing, "We were young, we've both grown up since then. I'm not the same person anymore, that's for sure."

Amira picked up something from Topanga's tone and body language that made her feel like there was something more there. "What was the old you like?"

Topanga pulled a face, "Ugh, I was basically this flower power child, both my parents were hippies. I was so serene and calm, I was all about not caring what others thought of me. I guess to them I was weird because I so balmy and hopeful, I never wanted to see how bad the world was. I just hoped I could make it better and wholesome again."

"How so?"

Topanga couldn't help but smile at the memories of the younger her. "Well, you know. Plant zen gardens, have books everywhere. Be one with the planet and nature." Topanga let out her hair from its hold, letting it fall out of place, "I was just this cheery girl who wanted to be free and go where the wind takes her with her friends."

Amira smiled, "That sounds very familiar." She quipped.

"Yeah?" Topanga asked, sounding genuinely intrigued.

"Yes." Amira nodded, laying back in her chair. "Ms. Matthews, I don't think you have a problem relating to Riley, I think you have a problem relating yourself."

Topanga frowned, "What does that mean?"

"It means that Riley and you are a lot more alike than you are willing to admit. We're all trying to grow up and become adults, don't get me wrong, it's something we all need to do. But we can let down our guards to be vulnerable again, especially with our kids." Amira explained.

"How would that help Riley though? Letting her know that I was a spaz doesn't exactly show me to be a good role model." Topanga asked annoyed with Amira's advice.

"And that's where you're wrong, you don't need to be the role model, the superhero, or the strong one. You just need to show her you're her mom, that's it. Riley needs to know that person behind the mask, faults and all."

Topanga allowed a few tears to fall, she felt something soft press into her hands and found Amira had stuffed a tissue into her hands. She never noticed the other woman walk closer to her. "I need to like the old me, don't I?"

"That would a great start." Amira agreed.

Before Topanga could say thank you the door open loudly revealing a very short woman in a beige and black power suit, she looked to be over sixty years old with a red scarf covering her hair. Topanga looked back to see a stunned Amira.

"Um, hey Jallani." Amira greeted, sounding very unsure and nervous at the sight of the woman.

"Ms. Habib," the woman's voice was snippy. "Care to explain to me why I have a very angry set of parents yelling at me for having CPS being sent to their home?"

Topanga looked wide eyed at a now pale Amira. "Um, oh crap."

Topanga slowly excused herself from what appeared to be a very personal and private meeting. If she had stayed longer she would have heard Jallani ask Amira where Farkle was.

"He should be at school." Amira answered confused.

"He's not and he hasn't been at home since last night."

"We have a missing kid?" Amira asked, fear running through her.

Jallani nodded gravely, "We have a missing kid." She looked at the clock mounted on the wall. "Seventeen hours and counting."