A/N: WARNING - these next couple chapters are going to be emotional, but I think you will enjoy!

Later in the week, Tori wasn't feeling very well so she excused herself and went home early. Mia had another hour until she was home from school.

Now in the quiet, empty apartment; Tori had nobody else to keep her company but her thoughts. Her anxious, conflicted thoughts.

Ivy's words held high like a massive chandelier in her brain. Too big to ignore.

Tori was straight with her feelings for the first time, ironically, about not being so straight.

(What was it Jade said that time? "Straight as a circle.")

After her recent session, thoughts of Jade were met with a warm reception.

Tori felt like she was in a little log cabin and her feelings toward Jade were powering the raging fire that kept her toasty the whole night. But there was a wolf at the door. It threatened her, pounding and pounding. It will bust its way in eventually, she thought.

And that wolf was Tori's guilt.

Her fear of moving on was the easiest to repress, losing herself in work or the day-to-day errands. The years ticked by. Now, Tori was confronted with a very real romantic prospect. And it scared her.

All relationships are scary when you break them down. There's risk involved. You put your heart on the line and hope that the other person reciprocates that affection. Everything isn't going to be perfect. It never is. But when the care and attention and joy outweigh the little things (habits, fashion sense, etc.) then it has the making of a fulfilling relationship.

Tori has listened to Dr. Ivy's words about her as well as their own struggles with tragedy.

She thought about the other lives that were lost on that horrible day of random violence. How many families were destroyed by that madman? Tori found some solace that she wasn't alone. So many other people go through similar problems. In fact, at the community center there was a support group for the surviving victims and the relatives of those who were killed weeks following the mass murder.

Tori contemplated briefly about attending but decided not to. She had it in her head that she just needed to keep busy and dedicate herself to Mia, who probably felt more alone than ever.

But what Tori had missed out on by being a latecomer to therapy was so many years when she thought that love was dead for her.

A feeling came over her stomach and she held it like she was going to throw up. Didn't help she hadn't eaten in a while.

(My God! And to think I was doing the same thing to Mia. I normalized not thinking about the sad stuff! Damn it!)

Tori wiped a tear from her face and cleared her throat.

She stared at the grey door that led to the old record shop.

"Sam," she said out loud. "We need to talk."

Tori had avoided this place for the better part of a decade. But she descended that stairway and entered what was ostensibly a memorial.

She didn't feel like crying. Instead, she smiled at the memories.

She looked at the counter and saw the stool where Mia would stand next to her daddy and serve the few customers that walked in.

Tori drew a finger across the counter and looked at the dust that came off in her hand. She turned around and looked at the entire store.

"Sam…" she said softly. "I'm so sorry I put you away. I miss you so much and I'm a better woman because I met you."

Finally, the tears began to pour. Because now she knew why she was ready.

"I'm so lonely without you. I'm unhappy without you, and I'm sorry but I wasn't ready to let you go. I'm sorry I've been unhappy. I'm so so sorry I couldn't make Mia happy… but I'm not you."

Tori collapsed again behind the counter and cried now. Really let it all out.

"I love you; I love you; I love you," she whispered, "I know you want me to be happy. I'm gonna be happy I promise."

She took a deep breath and looked around at everything that described the essence of Sam. This dead store… needed to breathe again. She made herself stand, causing a CD to knock over. She bent down to pick it up and saw it was her CD.

Tori smiled because she knew how much he hated her music… well Hate is a strong word, but he wasn't a fan. There was just one song that he seemed to play all the time. A song that sounded like she was falling in love. She smirked. She had fallen in love, She wrote that song for … She touched her lips again. She turned and powered up the stereo, cranking it as low as she possibly could so she could hear the one song that belonged to both… Sam, and Jade. The sound came alive, and Tori smiled softly as she sat on the stool to listen:

Two in the morning
A bottle of wine and
I'm drunk and I'm falling for you…

She stopped the stereo and glanced at the cover.

"Tori?"

Surprised, she almost dropped the CD but caught it and put it down.

"Miles?" she asked.

"Are you down there?" he asked in return.

"Yeah," Tori replied, remembering that she left the door wide open.

Footsteps drew closer until her brother-in-law appeared with a Styrofoam cup holder sporting two coffees.

"What's up?" Tori asked, feigning like she hadn't been crying earlier.

"Not much," he sighed. "Went to see you at the school and they said you went home sick."

She smiled nervously.

"Oh, yeah. That."

"Hope you don't mind but I gave Mia a ride. She's in her room."

"Oh! Thank you!"

Miles was listed as an emergency contact at the school, along with Tori's parents and Trina. So, they were on an exclusive list of trusted people who could pick up Mia without any fuss.

He offered the warm beverage to Tori. She wasn't thinking of coffee but now that it was in front of her, it smelled amazing.

"Been a long time since we were standing in here, yeah?"

Tori looked around as she started sipping her drink.

"I've come down here not that long ago."

"Oh, really?" he asked.

Tori nodded.

"I wasn't feeling so hot and...other stuff...I came down here to clear my head."

Miles went and sat on the floor, not far from where he comforted her during a panic attack when the store was open in the wake of Sam's passing. Tori sat beside him.

"Okay, what's up?"

Tori stared at the floor as she held her coffee with both hands.

"What's on your mind?" Miles pressed.

"Remember when I mentioned that I was going to therapy?"

He nodded and bumped shoulders with her.

"Proud of you by the way, girl."

"Thanks," she smiled. "It's been enlightening. There's been some...new developments."

"Such as?"

Tori wasn't sure how to begin this conversation.

"As Dr. Ivy would say, I need to deal with the old stuff if the new stuff is going to have a chance."

Miles nodded.

"And that's why you're down here?"

She nodded yes.

"I know..." her hand started to shake so she instinctively put the cup down. "I know that Sam is gone, and he isn't coming back..."

"But...?"

"But...I'm still wrestling with myself about the future."

Miles sipped his and set his own cup down beside him.

"I think all things considered you've been doing pretty well. But what matters is that you're still trying to improve. Get better."

She grabbed his arm and leaned her head against his shoulder.

He really took on the role of big brother since the start and they've only grown closer since Sam's death. Him never having a sister and her never having a brother; Tori and Miles really cherished one another.

"I haven't though," Tori admitted. "Not really. I'd like...no, I'd want to start over...you know..."

"Ah, I see."

"But I shouldn't, right?" She started to tear up. "I mean I have Mia. I have you."

"Okay, let's stop the trolley here. Mia and I aren't going anywhere because we're family. But Mia's growing up. She's going to have her own life..."

He saw how that was distressing Tori and he turned her face to face him.

"With you in it, of course. But it's not the same thing."

"But..."

Miles held up his hand for her to let him talk.

"I've known my brother forever. Believe me, meeting you was the best thing to happen to him and he couldn't begin to repay you for bringing that girl up there into the world. He may not have told me in those exact words, but when you weren't around, you were all he talked about."

Tori smiled with a sniff.

"And he would be happy that after all this time, your love hasn't faded. However, he would want you and Mia to both thrive, even in a world without him in it."

He turned her face back to him, so they were eye to eye.

"Ask yourself, Tori. Would he really want you to spend the rest of your life alone?"

Sam was such a kind and gentle soul. He would be sad that they were apart, but nothing can fix that. Seeing the love he left behind never being happy again would hurt.

"I guess he wouldn't," she whispered.

"Me neither. Come on, Tori! You deserve to be loved. You deserve companionship."

Fresh tears squeezed out of Tori's eyes, but she wasn't so quick to wipe them.

"My therapist said I should let go of my guilt. That moving on isn't dishonoring Sam."

Miles let that hang in the air for a minute.

"Tori, can I share something with you?"

"Okay."

"Now...this is something I haven't told anyone. Not even Sam."

She wiped her face with her arm.

"What is it, Miles?"

"When I was little, maybe about 18 months or two years, I dunno. Dad's got a bad memory. Anyway, one morning mom just left us."

Tori's eyes grew.

"What?"

"Not a word, message, anything. Just up and left. And we know she did because her clothes and jewelry were missing, and two suitcases were as well. Didn't take the car, so she must have gotten a taxi to who-knows-where."

The Latina shook her head and hugged his arm.

"Oh my god."

"It was tough on my dad. He got very sad when he would discuss it. But he was a struggling musician, and he was a single dad. Pops was wise enough to know he couldn't do it on his own. So, one day he met Dana. They eventually married and wouldn't you know it, six months after the fact, I became a big brother."

"So, wait...that means Sam was..."

"Technically, my half-brother," Miles pointed upward. "But I never told him that because I didn't see him that way. Meanwhile, I had forgotten my birth mother a long time ago. Now when I think of those days, I just see my dad, Dana and my baby brother, Sam. That was my family."

Mentioning his name caused the older man to tear up. He cleared his throat before going on.

"I saw him as my brother. Period! So, it was easy to see Dana as the only mother I've ever known."

He honestly couldn't remember a time when he referred to Dana by her name. It wasn't just when Sam was around. As far as he could remember, he always called her "mom."

"And she was a wonderful woman!" Miles stressed. "Dad wasn't the same when she passed. So much so that he died less than a year later. Guess his fire finally went out."

Tori hugged Miles tightly and he hugged her back.

"The point is, Tori...if dad hadn't moved on...if he hadn't let his heart heal and find love again...I never would've had a mother growing up. And most of all, I never would have met Sam. And neither would you."

It was like a fifty-pound sandbag landed on her head.

Miles dried his eyes with his hands and picked up his coffee which was cool enough that he drank a heartier gulp. He offered Tori a napkin that came from the coffee shop.

Tori appreciated the irony how coffee was her introduction to Sam and fate leading her to what would be her home for years to come.

She looked up and the darkness and level of dust covering everything really sank in. She then picked up her coffee and sipped, taking in the sight.

"Tori, is there someone you already have in mind?"

She coughed, almost losing her beverage.

"I mean we never had this conversation before, so I was curious if something is different now."

Tori blushed, looking away.

"There is!" he smiled. "Who's the lucky guy?"

"Jade," she replied.

"You mean, like, short for Jayden?"

The Latina rubbed her arm and faced her brother-in-law head on.

"No. Just...Jade."

He had a confused look in his face.

"Huh. That sounds like a girl's name."

Her eyes darted to the side and then back to him.

"Oh," Miles said. "Oh! Alright then. Gotta admit Tori, I never would have guessed you swung that way."

Tori could tell from him that he was not being judgmental. He genuinely wasn't expecting that answer.

"If you asked me a while ago, me neither."

He sat back and crossed his arms.

"Nobody I know?"

Tori shook her head.

"She's actually Mia's best friend's mom."

"Best friend's mother," he nodded. "Sounds like a song."

"Be serious!" she playfully punched him.

"Okay, okay, sorry."

Miles grabbed his cup for another sip of coffee.

"What's she like?" he asked.

Tori sighed, smiling to herself. She didn't say a word, but that image spoke volumes to Miles.

(Oh, I've seen that look before. This girl is smitten!)

"She's amazing," the brunette finally said. "She's super smart and talented and has a wicked sense of humor."

He nodded.

"Now you have to show me a picture of her."

Tori shot a guarded look.

"What makes you think I have a picture of her?"

Miles gave a no-nonsense glare.

She rolled her eyes and took out her phone.

"Fine," Tori sighed as she scrolled through her gallery and landed on an image from Thanksgiving.

Jade was sitting across from Tori, holding a wine glass. This was a little before Alice got the call from her dad, so the air wasn't taken out of the room yet. The woman looked gorgeous, making a snarky little smile but her eyes in the direction of the one taking the picture say much more. But most of all to Tori, Jade looked contented here. Now that she analyzed the kiss from every angle, Tori wondered if that look of fulfillment was from her company.

"THAT'S JADE?!" he exclaimed.

"Uh-huh," replied Tori.

"Tori, she's stunning. So...what happened? She made a move; you made a move?"

She brushed back her hair.

"Jade actually kissed me for the first time at the ball drop on New Years."

Miles looked down at the floor and then out the window.

"That's the most romantic thing I ever heard."

"It was...something else," Tori admitted.

"And then what?"

Tori puffed out her left cheek.

"We...didn't talk after that. I was kind of shocked and didn't," he sighed heavily. "I had about the worst reaction. I ran."

"Damn."

"HEY! Are we swearing down here!"

They turned to see that Mia had joined them.

"Hey, Mia!" he smiled.

"Uncle Miles, it's been a bit!" she smiled back.

"What are you doing here, babe?" asked Tori.

The teenager shrugged.

"Nothing," she sighed. "Just got done texting Alice. Asked her to come over."

Tori blinked rapidly.

"Come over! But that means her mom will be..."

"Dropping her off?" Miles offered.

Mia looked like the cat with the canary.

"What the hell!" Tori protested. "I'm not..."

"Oh, no! You're doing this!"

Miles' words were punctuated by him pulling Tori to her feet.

"Mia, why did you invite Alice over?" Tori asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I...might have...eavesdropped on your conversation."

Tori folded her arms.

"Really?"

"Mom, Uncle Miles is right! I miss dad every day. And I know you do, too. But this being alone bullshit isn't right."

She slowly approached her daughter who never stopped being full of surprises. Normally Tori would berate Mia for such language, but she was in a vulnerable state and her girl was spitting facts.

"Let me ask you, what do you think of Jade?"

Mia had softened up over the last couple of years. While still maintaining a level of snark, she was a far cry from the delinquent from her middle school days. She had embraced dancing again and was grateful of the friends she had made. And it was all because of Tori pushing her into trying out for Hollywood Arts.

Now it was her time to return the favor and push her mom into this.

She told Alice that she rejected the idea of love forever but seeing Ryan again gave her that feeling she didn't know she missed. If Jade makes her mom feel that way and she does like her too, then why are they getting in each other's way?

It wasn't like her mom was bringing home a total stranger and expecting him to replace Mia's father. The girl knew nobody could fill that void. Jade didn't give off that vibe. Like Alice, she just seemed like a cool person to be around. Jade wasn't taking anyone's place.

Mia wasn't blind, she could see that her mom was happier when Jade was there. It wasn't the same as she remembered her and her dad together. But it had an energy that was familiar. If she could put a word to it, it would be warmth.

"She's pretty cool," Mia replied. "I like her. And she makes you happy."

A sad look came across her face and Tori scooped her into a big hug.

"When did you get so wise?" she asked.

"Please, don't!" Mia smirked. "I'm a mess. But I know my mom and you deserve this."

Miles couldn't help but embrace his girls. His family lives on through his sister and niece.

"Tori, you'd better get ready," he told her. "If you let that hottie get away, I will never let you live it down!"

"Hey, don't be pushy."

He shook his head and literally got behind his sister-in-law to nudge her to the steps.

"Siblings are pushy," Miles said. "Did you forget the code?"

A/N: Looks to be that therapy is paying dividends for both mother and daughter. I always envisioned this conversation between Tori and Miles before ultimately going after Jade. Even before the creation of Dr. Ivy, this heart-to-heart was meant to be the tipping point. But I'm happy we had those sessions to make Tori begin to open up. We can only change ourselves, but it often takes an outside force to give us that push.

And I wanted to break free of the tradition of making the kid standoffish of her mom putting herself back out there. Again, therapy did wonders for Mia and she's just maturing in general, thanks partially to her terrific friend group. Having a bit of history with Jade helped as well. And Alice, the eternal optimist, would no doubt be on board with the idea. What do you think?

Extra special thanks to S.K. Rowling for giving me the beautiful words Tori had in her "talk" with Sam.