"Babygirl, thank God you're home." Collins called out as he ran out of the building taking her in his arms.
"Collins, I missed you so much." she cried holding him close.
"I missed you so much too Babygirl. Why didn't you come to me? You know I would do anything for you." he asked looking over at her before kissing her head.
"I'm sorry Collins. I was so stupid." she cried as Roger took Rose out of her booster seat in the back seat and carrying her to the others.
"Oh my God, look at that beautiful little girl. You did good Brenda." he smiled looking over at Rose.
"Collins, I want you to meet mine and Roger's daughter Rosie. Rosie sweetie, this is mommy and daddy's really good friend Collins. He took care of me and daddy before you were born." she smiled wiping her eyes.
"We took care of each other Babygirl." he smiled leaning down to kiss Brenda's head before going to the little girl. "Hi Rosie. It is so nice to meet you." he smiled looking over at her.
"My mommy told me about you. She said you were her big brother." she smiled looking over at him.
"I tried to be little lady." he smiled as she held on to Roger tight.
"Come on my sweet girl, let's meet everyone else." he smiled looking over at her bringing her to everyone. "Mark, Maureen, Joanne, this is my wife Brenda and our daughter Rose." he smiled looking over at Brenda.
"It's so nice to finally meet you Brenda. I've heard so much about you." Mark smiled looking down at her.
"Roger told me what you did for him. Thank you so much for taking care of him for me." she smiled leaning up to hug him tight.
"He's my best friend. I would do anything for him." he smiled before looking up at Rose. "Hi Rose. You look just like your daddy." he smiled looking up at her.
"My mommy tells me that all the time." she smiled looking down at him.
"Well it's true sweetie." Maureen smiled looking over at her.
"You are such a pretty little girl." Joanne smiled looking up at her as she held Roger tighter.
"It's OK sweet girl. They won't bite." Roger laughed looking over at her.
"Why don't we unpack the truck so we can celebrate this family finally being complete?" Collins smiled putting his arm around Brenda.
"I think that's a very good idea Collins." she smiled as he kissed her head again before they went to the truck to unpack it.
"I can't believe you cut your hair. I miss your long beautiful blond locks." Collins smiled looking down at Brenda.
"I lived in Florida. You have no idea how hot it gets down there during the summer." she laughed looking up at him.
"It's great to have you home Babygirl. You have no idea how much we missed you." he smiled looking down at her.
"I have a feeling I do." she smiled looking over at Roger who was playing with Rose as they stood by Mark, Maureen and Joanne.
"Why didn't you tell me? You know I would have helped you." he asked looking down at her.
"I know, but it was complicated. I'll tell you later." she said looking up at him as Roger approached them.
"Hey Baby, is everything OK?" Roger asked wrapping his arms around her.
"I have never been better." she smiled leaning up to kiss him before they started carrying things upstairs. "5 years. I've been gone 5 years and you guys couldn't do anything with this place?" she asked looking around.
"What? I wanted it to look just like it did when you left." Roger whined looking down at her as Maureen carried Rose up the stairs.
"No, you're just lazy." she laughed putting the box she was carrying down.
"Come on princess, let me show you to your room." Collins smiled as Maureen put Rose down.
"Mommy, can I?" she asked looking up at Brenda.
"Of course sweetie. This is your home now." she smiled looking down at her as Rose took Collins hand and led her into what was supposed to be their son's room before he died.
"Mommy, you have to see this. It's so cool." she yelled as Brenda looked up.
"What did he do?" she asked looking up at Roger before going into the bedroom.
"How am I supposed to know? I've been in Florida with you." he laughed before following her.
"Collins, this is too much." she smiled looking around the bedroom.
"Mommy look, I have a princess bed." she smiled climbing onto her canopy bed.
"Nothing is too much for our princess." he smiled looking down at her as Roger put his arm around her.
"Now this is what this room is supposed to look like." he smiled kissing Brenda's head.
"Yeah, it is." she smiled looking up at him as she wrapped her arms around his waist and held him tight.
"So tell us how you and Roger met. Do not leave out a single detail." Maureen smiled as they sat in the Life Cafe.
"Well, Roger's family owned a vacation house in the village where me and my family lived and I was playing catch with my younger brother when I heard this guitar playing. I looked up and saw this really cute guy sitting on the porch down the block playing, so I went down there and we started talking. I invited him to the beach the next day and the rest is history." she smiled looking over at Roger who was holding Rose dancing around the cafe to the juke box.
"You guys got married on your 18th birthday?" Joanne asked looking over at her.
"Yep. Roger was going to Berklee in Boston and he drove down in the middle of the night to surprise me. He snuck into my bedroom and woke me up. He proposed to me and asked me to marry him that night. I loved him, so I said yes. I packed some stuff and left and never looked back. We got married in New Jersey by a justice of the peace and he brought me home to the loft. He rented it before he came to get me." she smiled looking up at them.
"And then they rescued me from being homeless when my boyfriend broke up with me and gave me a family." Collins smiled as Roger put Rose down and the little girl ran to the table.
"Mommy, daddy said he's gonna write me a song." she smiled looking up at her.
"Really? You should consider yourself very lucky sweetie. Daddy writes great songs." she smiled looking up at Roger who leaned down to kiss Brenda's head.
"Come on my girl, let's go pick out songs to play for mommy, OK?" he smiled looking down at Rose.
"OK daddy. Mommy, what songs do you want to hear?" she asked looking up at Brenda.
"Daddy knows what songs I like." she smiled looking up at Roger who leaned down to kiss her lips.
"Yeah I do." he whispered smiling at her.
"Come on daddy. We have to play songs." she yelled looking up at him.
"I'm coming my sweet girl." he laughed following his little girl to the juke box.
"I have never seen Roger like this." Mark smiled looking over at him.
"Yeah well, he's never been a father before." Collins smiled looking over at him as he and Rose played songs and Brenda stared at them.
"I love seeing them together. I've waited 4 and a half years to see that." she smiled as Collins put his arm around her.
"You always knew he would make a great father." he smiled leaning over to kiss her head.
"Yeah I did. I don't know why I wasted so much time running from him." she said looking up at him.
"It doesn't matter Babygirl. All that matters is now is that you and Rosie are home." he smiled looking down at her.
"Thanks Collins. I love you." she smiled looking up at him.
"I love you too Babygirl." he smiled as she turned to watch Roger and Rose by the juke box.