Marissa let AJ lead her into Krystal's diner. She braced herself for the inevitable encounter with her mother; something she had been putting off for some time. Instead it was Opal behind the bar.

"AJ!" Opal exclaimed hurrying from behind the bar to give him a hug and then clasping his shoulders to get a good look at him.

"Well I'm glad to see you all in one piece!" she said with a grin.

Marissa chuckled as AJ resisted the temptation to squirm. Opal's reaction was quite a common. AJ had spent the last week or so hugged and manhandled by concerned friends and family, all desperate to reassure themselves he was alright. He told her very seriously at one point that he was taking it as his punishment, which made her laugh.

Marissa found herself doing it was well, stroking his hair and hugging him at every opportunity just to assure herself he was really back.

"Well to what do we owe this honour?" asked Opal, addressing Marissa with a smile.

"I promised AJ an ice cream and he insisted that the best banana splits come from Krystal's, so here we are."

Marissa tried to keep the tension from her face; she knew that she was going to have to speak to her mother at some point. Opal nodded obviously noticing her apprehension.

"Well your mom is in the kitchen cooking up a batch of her cornbread. Do you want me to let her know you're here?"

"That would be nice." said Marissa carefully.

"I'll be right back."

"There's no need."

They all turned to see Krystal emerging from the kitchen. She gave Marissa a nervous smile.

"I've been worried." she said, her tone serious.

Marissa looked down feeling a little awkward about leaving this for so long.

Opal put her hand on AJ's shoulder.

"Banana split was it? Why don't you come out back with me and we will see what we can do!"

"Awesome!" exclaimed AJ.

Krystal stopped him as he passed, stroking his cheeks.

"I'm so glad you are safe." she said, "Promise me you'll never put us through that again."

"I'm sorry." said AJ with pout. "I'll never do it again I swear!"

"Well, then I think Opal is going to have to find you extra sprinkles for your sundae." said Krystal giving the little boy a hug.

As AJ and Opal left them alone Marissa was increasingly aware of the uncomfortable tension that was building between her and her mother.

"So?" said Krystal, she looked as anxious as Marissa felt.

"So?" replied Marissa, not sure what she wanted to say.

…

They took a seat at one of the tables, neither one knowing how to break the ice. They sat in silence until neither of them could take it anymore.

"Why did you leave?" asked Krystal.

"Why didn't you tell me about Bianca?" asked Marissa.

Both women speaking over the other.

"Marissa I'm sorry about that." said Krystal. "I honestly thought you knew. It's just you were so focused on AJ and I was worried about you and JR… Is that why you left?"

"No." said Marissa, her lips a thin line. "I left because I was disgusted by you."

"Marissa?"

"JR gave me a video to watch. It was a movie of the week about Bianca and Miranda and how you and my sister stole her child!"

Krystal's face went white.

"I have nothing but regret for my actions back then."

"But how? How could you do it? Steal someone's child. Let them believe their baby was dead? How? After everything she had gone through!"

Krystal looked down at her hands.

"I was thinking of Babe. I put Babe first above everything. I believed fiercely that I had to be the best mother to Babe I could possibly be, as if somehow that could make up for giving up her twin sister... giving up you. I'd almost lost my daughter to an infection; she was so weak and fragile. When I realised that the baby's had been switched and that it was my daughter's child that had died… I couldn't let her bear the heartbreak of losing her child as well. I thought it was for the best."

"For the best!" exclaimed Marissa, truly horrified.

Krystal shook her head, she knew she wasn't explaining this very well.

"Babe risked losing everything, her child, her husband, her home, her future. If I knew then what I know now about JR…"

"But how could you do this to Bianca?"

"You have to understand she'd been raped. I saw the trial on the TV when she described what that swine did to her. It devastated her. Yet she was willing to bear that bastards child, living every day with a reminder of what he'd done. That was no life for a mother or a child. I thought it was a mercy."

"But Bianca isn't like that. She loves Miranda."

"And that is what makes her so incredible. Something at the time I didn't understand. She could look past all the pain - all she saw was a beautiful innocent child. I regret my actions, and if I could take it all back I would in a heartbeat; just as I regret losing you. I try to make up for it the best I can. But Bianca just keeps on proving that she is a much better person than me. She forgave Babe, and she forgave me… if I were in her place I don't think I could have done the same."

Marissa nodded.

"She said that life is too short and too precious to hold grudges."

"She really is incredible." agreed Krystal.

"Yes she is!" said Marissa a warm smile lighting her face. The she noticed the twinkle in her mother's eyes.

"Does this mean that the two of you..?"

"I… I…" stuttered Marissa, not sure how to explain the intense connection she felt to Bianca.

Krystal, took her hand. Marissa realised she didn't need to say anything, her mother knew. Her feelings for Bianca were probably written all over her face.

"I think that's wonderful. Bianca is the best thing to have happened to you. When you were together I've never seen you happier."

Marissa's smile widened.

"Is it crazy to feel so drawn to someone I hardly know?"

"The heart knows what it wants." said Krystal.

…

"Mom!"

Marissa turned to see her son emerging from the kitchen with the biggest ice cream sundae she had ever seen.

"You'll never eat all that!" she exclaimed.

"I know." said AJ setting down the dessert. "That's why a brought extra spoons for sharing."

Marissa looked at the mountain of cream and syrup and candy sprinkles.

"And you're sure there's a banana in there."

"It's under the chocolate fudge sauce."

Marissa laughed as she dipped her spoon into the cream; taking a taste.

"Well you had better eat all your vegetables tonight."

"I will." said AJ, before plunging a giant spoonful of ice cream into his mouth.

…

As if on cue Marissa's phone rang.

Marissa answered it quickly.

"Hello Marissa."

"Bianca!" exclaimed Marissa, so surprised to hear her voice.

And so began an awkward conversation between two women with so much to say each other, but not quite finding the words.

"How are you."

"I'm good."

"And how's AJ."

"He's good too."

"Good… um… are you busy this Friday?"

"Not particularly."

"Oh great… I was wondering if you wanted to join me at the gallery opening for the Miranda Centre Fundraiser."

"I'd like that."

"Wonderful... um… It's a formal evening"

"I'm not sure I've got anything to wear."

"You always look stunning in that green gown with the beaded detail."

"I know the one."

"If you can come to Kendall's for seven."

"I'll be there."

"Wonderful."

Marissa paused as a question rose in her mind.

"Um… Bianca is this a date?"

"I thought… if that's alright... I mean yes." babbled Bianca clearing worried she may have overstepped the mark, "Or we can go as just friends if you'd prefer."

"No, I want it to be a date."

Marissa could almost feel Bianca smile though the phone line, she was sure it matched her own.

"Marissa I… I'll see you Friday at seven."

"Seven."

"I look forward to it.

"Me too."

"Seven."

"Seven."

"Okay… um… till then… bye."

"Goodbye."

Marissa suddenly felt as light as a feather.

"I've got a date with Bianca." gasped Marissa, still not quite believing it.

She noticed her mother grinning delighted at her.

"You deserve all the happiness in the world sweetheart." said Krystal. "You both do."

"Woo hoo!" cried AJ as he literally jumped for joy, almost sending the sundae flying.

"Careful." said Marissa steadying the table.

AJ sat back down, grining from ear to ear.

"Come on eat your ice cream, before it melts." said Marissa, secretly delighted at the little boy's excitement; it more than matched her own.

AJ got stuck back into the dessert.

"Mom." He said after his next mouthful of ice cream. "Make sure you wear something pretty okay. For the date."

"I will." said Marissa.

Her son's face was very serious.

"And tell her how pretty she looks too. " He said.

Marissa nodded.

"And hold her hand because she likes that." He said.

"Okay." said Marissa, finding her son's romantic advice rather endearing.

"And if you do have to kiss her." said AJ, is expression still very earnest, "Just make sure it isn't one of the slobbery yucky looking ones."

Marissa chuckled.

"I'll do my best."

She exchanged looks with Krystal, who looked equally amused by AJ's rather abstract advice. Marissa stared at her mother and realised she was already beginning to forgive her. She was just too happy to hold a grudge.

"Care to join us in our 'Death-by-Banana-Split'." she asked. "Cause you know he's going to try and eat this all himself."

Krystal nodded with a smile, and accepted the peace offering of a proffered spoon.

…