They sat in silence. Neither of them knew what to say. They had always been able to talk to each other but now for some reason they couldn't. She hated the fact that this whole Kathleen situation was causing problems between them. She wanted things to be like they were before. Before she came into their lives and ruined everything.

She lifted her head off his shoulder.

"Dad? Are you okay?"

He looked at her and she saw the sadness in his eyes.

"No, I'm not." he sighed. "I just lost the best thing in my life since your Mom."

"What do you mean Dad?"

"You may as well hear this Sam. Kathleen and I broke up today."

Sam couldn't believe it. Kathleen?! Kathleen was the best thing in his life since her Mom died?! What about Angela?!

"I'm sorry Dad." she said her tone of voice a sharp, bitter contrast to her words.

"No, you're not Sam. I know how you feel about her."

"Okay, so I'm not upset that the two of you broke up. But I can't believe you said that she is the best thing in your life since Mom." She got off the couch and folded her arms.

"Sam..."

"I mean I know I'm being childish and selfish but why her?! Why not Angela? And if Kathleen is the best thing in your life" she choked on the last few words. "Then why did you break up with her?"

"I'm not talking about Kathleen Sam. I'm talking about Angela." he said quietly.

Father and daughter locked gazes as Sam finally understood what he meant.

"Dad are you saying......"

"That I love her? Yes, I am. I love her and I lost her."

Sam sat down beside him once again. "What happened?" she asked gently.

"I told Angela that I wasn't going to be seeing Kathleen anymore. I told her that I never should have started seeing her in the 1st place." he paused and looked down sadly. "Then I told her that I was sorry and that I loved her." He looked back up and into his daughter's sympathetic eyes. "She was so angry Sam. So angry and so hurt."

Sam paused for a moment before she said her next words. "Well Dad, I don't want to hurt you anymore than you already are but can you really blame her?"

"No, I can't. I don't. Cause I know I would feel the same way if things were the other way around."

"So, what happened next?"

"She was crying Sam. And it..it was like a knife in my heart. If someone had stabbed me it would have hurt less. I went over to her and I pulled her to me. I could feel her body shaking." he paused to rub his eyes. "Then I led her to the couch and sat down with her. I held her in my arms and it was the most wonderful feeling in the world. I mean I knew that she was upset but...." he trailed off.

"But what?"

"It felt right. She felt right. No woman since your Mom has ever felt right. I mean yeah I have dated my share of women since your Mom died. But, none of them ever felt right. None of them made me feel like I was on top of the world one moment and so insecure the next."

"You insecure?" Sam teased him.

"Yeah, well that's what love does. That's how both your Mom and Angela make me feel."

"You still feel that way about Mom?"

"Of course I do. She will always have a special place in my heart. She was my first love and she gave me you." he smiled at her. They each got lost in their memories of Marie until Tony broke the silence.

"I think that one of the reasons I was reluctant and afraid to tell Angela that I loved her was because of your Mom."

"Really? Why?"

"I guess I felt that I was betraying her."

"But, Dad you said yourself that since Mom died you dated your share of women.."

"Yeah, I did. But I never gave them my heart."

"Until Angela."

"Yeah, until Angela." he said quietly.

"So what happens next?"

"I don't know. She asked me to let her go. She said she needed time."

"Well, I know that will be hard for you Dad. But, I think you need to respect her wishes. I mean you know Angela. If you push her you may never get her back."

"But, how am I supposed to do that Sam? How am I supposed to let the woman I love go?"

"She did it for you Dad."

"What are you talking about?"

"Kathleen. She let you go so you could be with her. Do you have any idea how hard that was for her?"

"I guess I never gave it any thought." he said clearly ashamed.

"No, you didn't Dad. And I think that proves how much she does love you. Another woman would have given you an ultimatum. It's either me or her. But, Angela didn't. Even though it obviously killed her she let you go so you could date another woman."

"And I broke her heart in the process." he said sadly. "I broke that beautiful, kind woman's heart."

"Yeah, you did Dad." her smile contrasting her harsh words. "But, don't lose hope."

"You seem pretty sure that things will work out."

"Well, after everything the two of you have been through it would be pretty awful if you couldn't work things out."

"Yeah, it would. I just hope...."

"What?"

"I just hope that I haven't hurt her so badly that we can't work things out."

"Don't lose faith Dad. The 2 of you belong together."

"Yeah, we do. I just hate myself for not realizing it sooner."

"Well hey you are a man. Men are a little slow." she teased him.

"Thanks honey." he said sarcastically giving her a kiss on her cheek. "I'm going to go to my room. Thanks for the talk."

"Anytime Dad."

She watched him climb the stairs and flopped back against the couch.

He stopped at her door and heard the faint sounds of her crying. He wanted to go in and comfort her but he didn't want to break his promise. So he did the next best thing. He traced a heart with his finger and "wrote" the words I love you inside. He placed 2 fingers against his lips and gently pressed them inside the heart.

"I love you" he whispered quietly and turned to go into his room.

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