Hello everyone, thank you to anyone who reviewed, followed, or favorited. I know I repeat myself every time but I really do appreciate it. Here is chapter 20, I apologize in advance for any grammatical errors. The format is similar to the previous chapter. I hope you enjoy.

Saturday, April 2nd 1983 (three weeks after)

Maura

Since the fifteen days that passed when Constance vowed she'd be a better mother, she had done just that. She drove Maura to her practices, they made dinners and ate together, and she even cleared a whole day out of her busy teaching schedule to attend career day at Maura's school. Maura was very happy to have her mother around more, but still wished Gia didn't have to go away for it to happen. "Why can't I have both," she would often think to herself.

Maura had the morning free before her dance recital and she and Constance spent most of it relaxing on the couch and reading.

"Mom... I'm really nervous about my solo tonight."

"I'm sure you'll do fine, sweetheart."

"...but I can feel my heartbeat faster and blood pressure increase."

"It's the butterflies in your stomach that are making that happen."

"Butterflies can't live in there, the acids in my stomach would liquefy them."

"Nonsense, of course they're in there... and there's only one way to get them out."

Even though she was a fact based person, Maura was enjoying this whimsical side of her mother so she entertained the thought. "Oh yeah, how's that?"

"You must laugh."

"Okay, you know any good jokes?"

"Hmmm... Let's see... Oh I've got one. Why did the chicken cross the road?"

"I've heard that one before... it's not funny."

"Well, I'm not so good at jokes but I do have another idea," she began to tickle Maura's ribs.

Maura erupted in laughter. Soon both were laughing so hard, their eyes watered.

The telephone rang and Constance answered the phone in a giggling voice. "Ha... Ha... Hello."

"Maura, dear, it's for you."

Maura took a few seconds to regain her composure before getting up to take the phone from her mother, and wondered who it could be.

"Hey there Tiny Dancer," a small voice said, which Maura recognized immediately.

"Hannah? Is it really you?"

"Sure is."

"I've missed you so much, how is Florida?"

"I miss the snow."

"It snowed here a couple of weeks ago."

"Darn, I should have scheduled my visit for a couple weeks ago instead."

"Instead of when?"

"Instead of now, silly."

Maura let out a shriek of joy. "You're in town... Oh, you must come to my recital tonight."

"I already have my ticket, remember? I heard you're pretty awesome"

"Not as good as you, Hannah, have you quickly become the best dancer at your studio in Florida?"

"Not quite, Maur, I fell out of a tree while trying to get Henry's frisbee a week after we moved and broke my leg in four places. They gave me pins, and once I get off my crutches, I have to go for physical therapy for six months."

"Oh Hannah, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be, if it wasn't for breaking my leg, I never would have gotten into making comics. My very own strip is now featured in my school's newspaper."

"Wow, that's impressive."

"Thank you. Ugh, I gotta go, Henry glued his fingers together. Tell Gia I said "Hi," although I'm sure I'll see you both tonight. Bye." Hannah hung up the phone.

Although Maura was very happy to hear from Hannah, she remember that Gia was supposed to come tonight too. She didn't expect her former nanny to show, not after the way she reacted when she left. Even though Maura wanted the young woman back in her life, she settle for a chance just to say that she was sorry.

Gia

Since moving back to Rhode Island, Gia had become somewhat of a worker bee. Her apprenticeship had her working twelve hour days, seven days a week. She always came home exhausted, but happy that she was busy and creating art again. She and Valerie had resumed they're friendship as if nothing had ever happened, they were close once again.

"Get up, G, you are going to be late for your train," Valerie said as she entered the room and opened the curtains.

"Must you always do that," Gia whined and pulled the covers up over her head.

"Com'on, let's go."

"Five more minutes."

"Nope."

"But this was my first day to sleep in like forever."

"Hmmm, should have avoided that pothole I warned you about last night, you could have driven there instead, but now you have a flat tire."

Gia raised an arm out of the covers and mocked Valerie's talking with her hand.

"That's it, let's go," she pulled the covers off of Gia.

"Okay... Okay... I'm up... Jeez"

Gia quickly got dressed and packed an overnight bag. She ran out of her room and approached the door to leave. "See ya Sunday, Val."

Valerie stopped her, "forgetting something," she asked as she pointed to a cage on the coffee table.

"Oh jeez, almost forgot the tortoise. She'll like him right?"

"Normal people give flowers, G."

"Well, I'm not normal."

"I know, just stating a fact. Do you have Hope's gift too?"

Gia reached into her pocket and pulled out a small jewelry box. "Got it!"

"Alright, have fun, see you Sunday."

"Bye."

/

Maura

Constance drove to the local theatre house where Maura's recital was being held. She walked in with Maura and took her to the back stage area where the other little girls were getting ready.

She gave her daughter a hug and a kiss. "Good luck sweetheart, I'll be in the front row watching."

Maura smiled at her mother. "Thanks, mom."

She joined the other little girls who were gathered in a circle, when she got to the center she saw Hannah. She reserved the bear hug she wanted to give, due to her friend's current condition, and hugged her carefully.

"I'm so happy you're here."

"It's good to see you too, Maura."

Maura looked at her friends leg. "Does it hurt?"

"Not really."

"May I look at it?"

"Knock yourself out."

"A head injury would prevent me from performing tonight," Maura answered with confusion.

Hannah smiled at the way her friend took everything so literally. "I meant to say... Of course you may."

Maura sat on the floor crossed legged style and looked at her friends leg. A couple of the girls in Maura's performance group laughed at the six year old's seemingly odd behavior. Hannah gave them a look of disdain, while Maura was unaware that anything had transpired.

"Is it painful?"

"It was when it happened, and sometimes when I sit too long, but I'm fine right now?

"Oh good, may I sign your cast?"

"Of course," Hannah handed Maura a marker, "I saved a spot for you," she pointed to her knee.

Maura wrote neatly "I hope your leg heals properly and you respond well to physical therapy, love Maura."

Hannah looked down at the message. "Gia was supposed to sign underneath you, but since you wrote me a book, I'm going to have to find another empty space." Hannah started looking around her cast until Maura stopped her.

"It's okay, she's not here."

"What?"

"She's not my nanny anymore, she went away."

"What happened?"

"I don't really want to talk about it."

"Okay, Maur, do you want me to help you with your hair?"

"Thank you, that would be nice."

Soon it was time for the show to start and Maura's performance was in the first half, right before intermission. Maura watched as the other groups went before hers, she was still nervous, but tried her best to keep calm. She took a deep breath and entered the stage when her group was called.

Gia

Gia walked into the theatre house just in time for Maura's performance. Upon entering, she was given a program by a bored looking teenage boy. Gia glanced at it briefly and noticed that the intermission would be after Maura's performance, which would give her the chance to at least apologize to the little girl. She surveyed the room and did not see and empty chair to sit, so she just stood in the back and watched while holding the tortoise.

She watched as Maura and the eight other girls in her group danced across the stage. As the other girls were frozen in a pose, Maura's solo portion of the performance began. Gia walked up the left aisle of the theatre to get a better look. As she got closer she spotted Constance and stopped dead in her tracks. She didn't expect to see the woman there. "I thought she had a conference this weekend," she whispered to herself and then was promptly shushed by person from the audience. She made a hand gesture to indicate that she was sorry, then returned her focus to Constance. Gia started to replay what the woman said about contacting Maura again and waves of fear and anxiety flooded her thoughts. Gia was too busy having a panic attack to realize that Maura noticed her.

Maura

As her performance began, Maura's nerves were put at easy when she saw her mother's comforting smile from the first row. When her solo began, she was in her element, extremely focused and determined. Then she saw her, Gia. Maura paused for almost ten whole seconds out of shock.

Gia

Gia didn't realize that Maura had noticed her until she heard some mild commotion from the audience. Upon making eye contact with the little girl, Gia mistook Maura's shock as a negative response because it caused her to stop dancing. She quickly exited through the set of doors closest to her, that led her back stage. She then found the place where Maura was keeping her things, wrote a quick note on the program in her hand and left the tortoise next to it. Maura's performance had ended as Gia completed these actions. Wanting to avoid being seen, Gia promptly left, using the stage exit.,It was at this time, that Hannah, who had been watching from back stage, saw Gia. She tried calling after her but was drowned out by the applause of the audience. She attempted to follow Gia, but was limited due to being on crutches.

Maura

After bowing with her fellow dance mates, Maura quickly ran back stage to find Hannah sitting down with her leg elevated.

"Are you okay, Hannah? Did you fall?"

"No, I'm okay, you were great out there by the way."

"Are you kidding, I froze, I guess I got nervous and started seeing things."

"What did you see?"

"I'd rather not say, I'm worried that I might be going insane."

"I bet not, just tell me what you saw."

Maura took a deep breath. "Gia, I thought I saw Gia."

"She was here," Hannah gestured toward the cage, "I tried going after her, Maura, but I wasn't able too... I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Hannah," Maura put her hand on her friend's shoulder, "I appreciate that you tried."

Maura walked over to the cage and looked inside. "Well, what do we have here? Hello, tiny tortoise." She picked up the note next to the cage and read it.

Dear Peanut,

You were wonderful. I'm sorry about everything and I hope that you will forgive me one day.

Gia

P.S. When I saw this little guy, I thought about you and that time in the pet store. It made me smile. I hope you like him.

As Maura lifted the tortoise out of the cage she wished that Gia was there so she could thank her and give her a hug. Her thoughts were interrupted by her instructor coming up to her to congratulate her on her performance.

Maura spent the rest of the night watching the rest of the recital performances back stage with Hannah. After it was finished Constance took the girls out for milkshakes. Hannah covered for Gia, saying that she gave Maura the tortoise as was Maura's request.

Gia

As Gia exited the doors of the theatre house, she saw Hope pull up in her car.

"You're right on time," Gia said as she got in her friend's car.

"How'd it go?"

"She was beautiful, I know it's only been three weeks but she looks different, more grown up."

"Did you say anything to her?"

"I wanted to, but then I saw her mother and chickened out."

Hope looked at her friend and gave a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry, Gianna."

"It's okay, she looked happy, well until she saw me that is... But if she's happy otherwise, then I'm happy. Enough of that though, someone is turning twenty-five at midnight."

"I feel so old."

Gia playfully rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah, you're practically, ancient. So who's coming?"

"Well... I didn't invite him, and everyone I'm friendly with at work is working, so I guess it's just you and me," Hope sighed.

"I'm sorry, Hope, but don't worry, I'll try to make this night as fun as I can."

"I'm not upset about that Gianna, but I'm sure you will anyway. I've got some big news I need to share with you and I just hope you will be more supportive than my parents were when I told them."

Gia gave Hope a look that conveyed "what is it?"

Hope understood her friends cue and responded, "I'll tell you over dinner."

"Uh-uh... No way, you don't just drop bomb like that and expect me to wait."

"Oh, Gianna I'm just nervous."

"Com'on, Hope, it's me."

"I've decided to work with Médecins Sans Frontières," Hope blurted out without looking at Gia

"What? Where? For how long," the questions seemed to escape from Gia's mouth as quickly as they popped into her head.

"I've decided to work with Médecins Sans Frontières, it's an organiza-" Hope began to repeat slower than before until she was cut off by Gia.

"No... I know what it is, I watch the news... Where and for how long?"

"Sudan and I don't know."

"Wait, it's a French organization, how'd you even-" this time Gia was cut off by Hope.

"I talked to one of my old professors, when she found out I was fluent in French, she recommend, that I join, so I did."

"So... When do you lea-" again Gia was cut off by Hope.

"Wednesday."

"Wednesday? As in this Wednesday?"

Hope nodded.

Gia could tell that her strong reaction was upsetting Hope and decided to be more supportive like Hope was with her when she left Boston. "Are you scared?"

Hope's eyes watered a little bit. "Yeah."

"May I ask why you are doing it then?"

"Because I want to make up for my mistakes by trying to make the word a better place."

"You're a better and braver person than me, Hope. I support your decision fully on one condition."

"What's that?"

"Be safe."

"I'll try my best," Hope smiled at Gia.

The two girls celebrated over dinner before going back to Hope's place to watch movies and just hangout. Hope loved the humming bird necklace that Gia made her. Both made most of the time they spent together as this would be the last they'd see of each other for long time.

Reviews are welcome. Be well and have a splendid day.