Rube Goldberg was an American inventor, engineer, and cartoonist who died at age 87 in 1970. You've probably seen the legacy of his handiwork in countless movies, cartoons, games, and kid's science fairs.

He's the guy who created those chain reaction style mechanisms designed to complete a single task – often taking something that could have been completed much easier and with less effort but getting it done in a far more complicated (yet educational and entertaining) way. For example, a bowling ball rolling down a ramp that knocks over a bottle of water on a table that spills down onto a waiting potted plant on the floor.

Some would ask what's the point? Instead of investing all that time, energy and resources to design, build and execute the gadget, why not just fill a watering jug at the sink and water the plant yourself? Well, though it would be the easier (and probably faster) option, consider all the lessons that would be missed on physics and architecture, budgeting and time management, cause and effect... plus, it's just way more rewarding watching that dramatic, spectacular machine in action.

I could say the same about that domino effect of emotional chaos and turmoil that rained down over my son's sophomore year in high school, but I know Finn learned some valuable lessons about friendship, love, trust, and relationships – although honestly, we all could've lived without some (most) of that drama and still gotten the rewarding payoff in the end... But I guess that's why we say live and learn. Because maybe life's just one big Rube Goldberg Machine.

. . . . .

Shall we recap? Here's what you missed so far:

Finn joined the Glee club and started having feelings for Rachel while he was still dating Quinn. Finn kissed Rachel then I invited her to lunch, where a huge battle was waged on my front lawn involving Finn and Noah, Rachel and Quinn, and a can of spilled paint. Quinn's parents kicked her out of their house so she moved into mine. Quinn joined glee, Finn and Rachel went on a bowling (not-a-)date (and kissed again– SHH! they don't know I know), then Noah joined Glee. The Sadie Hawkins dance happened – Quinn took Finn, and Rachel took Noah, and everyone yelled at Rachel except Noah. Rachel needed a distraction to cope with her intense feelings for Finn, so she and Noah started dating until Rachel found out Noah was really sleeping with Quinn all along, cheating on both her and Finn. Rachel told Finn about the secret affair so Finn kicked out Quinn, got drunk and quit Glee, then moped around for three days until Burt took him under his wing and gave him a part-time job at his tire shop.

And that's what you really missed.

. . . . .

Now that you're up to speed on the events and truths as were known at the time (and if your head isn't spinning enough yet), let's discuss what ACTUALLY happened.

That domino effect of chaos I mentioned? It turned out to be akin to the most convoluted Rube Goldberg Machine of teenage emotions EVER.

By the following week, Finn had gone back to school (and promised NOT to kill Noah Puckerman) but had still refused to rejoin the Glee club. I could tell his mood was still a bit unstable but at least at home he was trying. Maybe it helped that he started spending time with Burt at the tire shop.

He still spent less time drumming and more time holed up in his room than I'd have preferred, but rather than being plugged into the idiot box playing video games in his free time, I noticed he was often plugged into his headphones... and then I'd catch him singing. Singing in his room, singing in the shower, the rare times he bothered with his drums he was singing there, too.

I was sure he was missing Glee club (and by extension, Rachel Berry), but he explained that if he was to keep his promise to not pulverize Noah and also to not be expelled for pulverizing Noah, he couldn't be in that choir room with him... or both of them... or all of them.

Before the end of that week, I'd gotten a phone call from Mr Schuester asking me how things were going with Finn. He expressed his regret that Finn had chosen to give up something he was so good at and enjoyed so much and wondered if I thought he might reconsider coming back. As much as the man sounded genuinely concerned for my son's well-being, I couldn't help but think he may have been a little more worried for the club as a whole; after all, didn't they still need 12 members?

I also couldn't help but wonder why Finn wasn't talking about (or to?) Rachel anymore. Did leaving Glee behind mean leaving her behind too? Was he angry at her for dating Noah? Or maybe she was giving him space? Maybe she was angry that he'd left the club? Or maybe his pride was still just too bruised and damaged to think about her at all right now – which would make perfect sense to me if that were the case.

I got to the point where I felt like there were parts of this story maybe Finn didn't tell me, and maybe somewhere among those missing pieces lay the solution to this puzzle.

Whatever it was that held him back, I was certain he missed being in Glee club a lot and wanted nothing more than to return to the choir room, but something was keeping him stuck. I assumed it was simply that Hudson stubborn gene (something ALL the Hudson men seemed to have inherited).

Yes, he was passing time at Burt's shop and keeping himself busy, but he'd lost his JOY. As his mother, I couldn't continue holding back much longer while he deprived himself of something I knew meant so much to him without saying anything about it.

Just when I'd resolved to ask him his thoughts on Glee (and Rachel) the next time he was home, there was a knock at our front door. Turned out I wouldn't need to wonder so much after all, since the answers seemed to be coming to me.

I guess I shouldn't have been too surprised to find that tiny brunette standing there on my front porch wrapped in a colorful coat and a little white knit beret carrying a Tupperware box, her smile as bright and cheerful as I'd ever seen it.

"Hi Mrs Hudson! I'm sorry for this unplanned intrusion. It's just.. I uh, I've been trying to reach Finn for a week, but he hasn't responded to my calls or texts and I'm pretty worried about him. If he's here, would it be okay if I saw him? I-if he'd prefer not to have company right now, I'd unders–"

"Rachel, sweetie I told you before, it's Carole; and don't be silly, you're perfectly welcome here any time. Come on in sweetheart. I'm afraid Finn isn't home at the moment, but he should be back within the next hour. You're more than welcome to stay and wait. Why don't you keep me company? I was just putting dinner together. We can have a little girl time."

"Sure, I'd really like that, Carole. Thank you."

She took off her jacket and hung it on the coat stand near the door then followed me to the kitchen. Once she saw that I had salad ingredients splayed all over the counter, she offered to help put dinner together. Honestly, could this girl be any more adorable (and could my lunkheaded son be any more obtuse)? Quinn barely even said a thank you for meals I prepared let alone ever once deigning to help make them!

As I handed Rachel an apron and she turned to wash her hands at the sink, she asked softly, "So, um, h-how is Finn doing really, you know, since everything that happened?"

"Well, he's doing his best, I suppose. His mood seems to be improving little by little."

"Th-that's good, I'm relieved to hear it. I've tried to talk to him at school, but he won't say much more than hello to me, or that he's fine but can't talk then disappears quickly. I can see the look in his eyes though, and I know he's really not that fine. I think he's been putting on a brave face."

"I didn't know you've been trying to talk to him or that he's been avoiding you. So he really hasn't said anything to you since that day he learned the truth?"

"Not really, no. Which is why I came. I realize he's upset with the club – two of them in particular – but I'm just... well I'm worried that he's angry with me too for having dated Noah." Her eyes started to swell with unshed tears as she started reflecting on the missing details of what happened the past few weeks – things that I knew nothing about. "I never meant to hurt him, you know? Finn, that is. I told you I couldn't help my feelings for him and they honestly haven't changed, but he was still with Quinn, and it was very hard for me to see them together. Especially in Glee."

"Yes, I can understand that, sweetheart. And I don't blame you for moving on to find someone else to occupy your time. I already told you I think it was the right thing for you to do – even if Finn wasn't very happy about it. But that's not your fault."

She nodded, whether in agreement or still trying to convince herself, I couldn't be sure. "Your advice was quite invaluable to me, I must admit. I just didn't expect it to lead me to date Noah though. It wasn't something I planned to do or ever saw coming, you know? He just suddenly started talking to me one day out of the blue. I think I know WHY that was now, hindsight being twenty-twenty and all... but at the time, it was like you'd suggested – a welcomed distraction that just happened to land in front of me."

"Oh, so Noah approached you first? I wondered how the two of you, um... got closer."

"Trust me, no one was more surprised than I! Noah hasn't always been the kindest soul toward me, but he pushed the fact that we were both Jewish and that his mother would approve of me and we were both single, so why shouldn't we at least be friends? At first I thought absolutely NO WAY because I honestly didn't trust his motives. Also because, well, because of Finn...

"But then I thought, you know what? If he truly wanted to atone, to try being actual friends and could prove his sincerity to me, then why shouldn't I at least give him the chance? Everyone deserves a chance, right? So I told him he could start by being my date at the Sadie Hawkins dance – which I positively expected him to have a very colorful objection to. Imagine my utter surprise when he agreed to go!"

I knew precisely how surprised she was because I was too. "Oh, I'm sure! For as long as I've known him, he's never been one for fancy dances – or any sort of romantic gestures for that matter. Noah's a very..."

"He's a known manwhore at school."

I had to laugh out loud at her candidness. "Okay yes, that. I didn't want to use that term, but I have no doubt it's accurate." Much to my dismay – and to his mother's I'm sure. Poor Norah...

Rachel smiled knowingly then continued. "Yes it is, although, I must admit that in the past month or so I've seen a change in him and I slowly pieced together what it was. In Glee, I'd sometimes catch him looking at Quinn the same way I looked at Finn, so then it suddenly made sense, you know? His whole outburst here when I came to lunch, probably even the fact that he showed up at all that day, defending her...

"So that was the first real conversation he and I had after he agreed to be my date at the dance. I asked him about his feelings for Quinn, and while he didn't directly admit to them, he didn't exactly deny them either – which truthfully, his lack of an answer was the answer. But Noah is surprisingly more clever than most people give him credit, and he called me out on how I feel about Finn, too."

"I'll agree with that. He seems to just know things sometimes... he's good at reading people. I'd call it street smarts."

"Yes, I suppose that's the proper term for it. Well, anyway... initially, we agreed to go to the dance as just friends, as each other's distractions, with this sort of understanding that we both wanted someone we couldn't have, but we could be there for each other."

"That sounds like it was a good plan... Even though Finn said he didn't like that you were there with him and mentioned that he said some harsh things to you to that effect."

She peeked up with such sad eyes just then and I felt my heart clench just looking at her face. I'm honestly not sure where all this girl's feelings come from or how she manages to express so many of them in such a short span of time, but the more time I spend with her, the more I see why my poor Finny has felt so overwhelmed!

He'd said she was a LOT, and that's the truth. She was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster and draining ME just with those expressive eyes of hers, and I hardly ever see her; I can't imagine dealing with her constantly changing moods and feelings every day. I'm not sure I understand Finn's ability to cope with it either – although, he did say she was different around him, calmer. Maybe that's the true balance in their relationship: she motivates him and he calms her. I can certainly live with that!

"He told you that?"

"He did," I admitted with a nod and handed her a colander to rinse the lettuce in. "He didn't tell me specifics, just that he regretted whatever he'd said to you and was afraid he'd ruined his friendship with you because of it."

"Oh, that's silly. He could never ruin our friendship. . . He mostly just questioned why I would ever ask Noah to the dance in the first place. He reminded me of Noah's sordid past with other girls as well as his less than stellar track record with how he's treated me."

Oh yes, THAT topic. I'd wanted to discuss this with Rachel but hadn't had an opportunity until now. "Sweetheart, I know about the slushies at school. Please don't tell me NOAH threw one at you before?"

She hung her head, seeming a bit ashamed to admit it. "More than one, actually."

"Oh no, honey! That boy! I could string him up for behaving that way! I was so upset at Finn when told me about the bullying and these slushy facials, as he called it. I complained to the principal but he seemed pretty useless on the topic. Rachel, homey I'm so sorry you've ever been subjected to that kind of treatment, especially by someone I practically helped raise!"

"Thank you, Carole. And I applaud your efforts toward the cause, at least... but you're right about Principal Figgins. He's never taken much of a stand against anything the jocks and popular kids do to the rest of us. There was a time when my dads and I would try to fight the school – we even petitioned the school board, but nobody ever seemed to care or listen."

"Well maybe we need to band together and someday they'll hear us. I'm proud of you for standing up for yourself though. And honestly, I'm more proud of you for even giving Noah a chance at redemption after behaving so badly."

She shrugged as if it were no big deal. "I've known Noah and his family most of my life because we go to the same synagogue, but we've never been friends. When we were much younger, we did at least used to be cordial to one another at temple. Once he joined the football team though, he stopped being so cordial. So yes, he's participated in that deplorable behavior quite often in the past. I was actually one of his favorite targets at the start of the school year.

"Once he joined Glee though, he was treated to his own first slushy facial by the goons on the hockey team, which I think gave him a new perspective. He has since apologized to me for his past transgressions and promised to make it up to me. He's even shielded me against them ever since, and so far I haven't needed to use my emergency slushy clean-up kit."

"Good, well that's good to hear. I mean, I'm not condoning any form of bullying – nevermind how infuriating it is to know that you even need to keep an emergency slushy kit on hand – but if getting one tossed at him helped Noah see the light, well, at least maybe something good came from it."

"I'd like to think so. I'm no stranger to being thought of as an outcast. In truth, Finn's been the first person outside of my family to accept me just the way I am; I know my personality can be challenging, but it doesn't seem to scare Finn away for some reason. He's become my very best friend, actually. . . my only friend, if I'm being honest." I'm really not sure how I didn't just burst into tears when she said that. I did my best to blink back the stinging in my eyes. I can absolutely see this girl ending up on Broadway; she's got me hanging on her every word, captivated even as she rambles on (another thing Finn said, how she talks A LOT? Quite true and also kind of an understatement).

"Little by little a few of my fellow Glee clubbers have started warming up to me – or at least tolerating me, but I don't know if I'd really call any of them a friend yet. Except for Noah, maybe, even despite everything that's happened. When he turned things around with me, we talked quite a bit and he did work hard to win my forgiveness, to earn my friendship. He even spent an evening with me and my dads for dinner at my house. That's a HUGE step for him, as I'm sure you're aware."

"Yes indeed, I'd say it was! So, given everything that happened, are you two still friends? Finn said it was you who told him about Noah and Quinn, but I've wondered how you learned that information. Did Noah tell you?"

"Not directly no, not at first. In fact I learned he'd been cheating on ME as well. As I said, we planned to just be friends and go to the dance together. But once we were AT the dance, he and Quinn I think had words. I don't think he wanted me to know so I didn't ask him about it, but I saw them appear to be arguing out in the hallway. While they were having their moment, that's when Finn found me and pulled me to a quieter corner in the gym and was questioning why I was there with Noah, then that's when Quinn and Noah came back inside and Quinn was um, less than friendly with me. She yelled at Finn for talking to me and then told me to stop trying to steal her man. Noah stood there just staring at the pair of them for a while, said a few choice words to Finn which I'd prefer not to repeat, but then pulled me away from the two of them."

"So Finn and Noah were already having words at the dance that night too? I wasn't aware of that either."

"Yes. Nothing too extreme, just... You know how crass Noah can be, I'm sure."

"Right."

"So we didn't stay very long after the whole incident. We stopped for ice cream afterward and when Noah took me home, he kissed me goodnight. Like, a real kiss at the end of a real date. It wasn't my first kiss, but it was my first real date, or something close to one. He asked why we shouldn't at least try the real dating thing. After the night I'd just had, being yelled at by both Finn and Quinn, and Noah being so chivalrous, being there as a shoulder to lean on, I just couldn't come up with a very good reason.

"Since we both knew we were each other's consolation prize, it kind of made sense in a very Shakespearean dramatic way which I appreciated. That didn't mean I would allow myself to be disrespected in the manner that Noah is notorious for though. So I gave him the chance, only on the condition that there would be no lying and no cheating.

"The first few days, he was quite wonderful. He held my hand in school and sat with me in Glee, walked me to my classes. He even kissed me in the hallway a couple of times. But then he missed a date night we had planned. Instead of us going out, he said he'd stop by the next night and we'd have a movie night in. Well, when he came for the movie, he'd left his phone on the coffee table while he went to use the bathroom and I couldn't help but notice a new text message that came from Quinn.

"I know I shouldn't have invaded his privacy, but I couldn't help myself. Too many years being a target to completely trust him so easily, I suppose... I read his text messages. I didn't have time to read more than the first few – there were SO MANY, all from Quinn! Most of them mentioned secret meetings including from the prior night. She'd wanted to see him and that's why he'd canceled our date!"

"Oh my goodness! That's horrible, you must have felt so hurt."

"It surely did not feel good, being second choice to Quinn Fabray yet again. But I certainly wasn't going to be used like that. So I confronted him about the texts. He was angry that I snooped, but I knew it was just his defense mechanism since he'd been caught. Then he apologized and finally confessed the truth about everything that's really been going on between them.

"He told me he's in love with her. He said they've been having um, 'relations' ever since he and Quinn were at a party together on a night when Finn wasn't there. As it happens, the party was the same night Finn was with me and the Glee club rehearsing for our first pep rally together, before Noah and Quinn joined the club."

"The one at Mike Chang's house? That long ago? You mean she'd been lying to Finn all this time? Oh no..."

"Yes, but it's even worse than that. The reason Noah came to me wanting us to be friends in the first place was more than just being envious of Quinn choosing Finn... He was angry because she kept leading him on. He wanted them to come clean and tell Finn the truth, wanted her to break up with Finn and be with him, but she kept refusing. She didn't want to stop seeing Noah either though, and would tell him she cared for him, but she needed Finn for his popularity to win prom queen next year. The final straw for Noah was when he learned Quinn moved in here with you two. Carole, she lied to Finn about the reason why her parents kicked her out... Did Finn tell you this part?"

"No, he certainly didn't. What do you mean it was a lie, what was the real reason?" I KNEW IT! I knew that cockamamy story about an arranged marriage was ridiculous!

"The reason Quinn got kicked out was because her father caught her and Noah together in her bedroom, you know, in the act."

"You're JOKING. Oh my god! Oh honey, no I mean, I know you're not joking, it's just... "

"It's just contemptible and deplorable that she would lie to Finn and take advantage of the two of you that way? Yes, I wholeheartedly agree! So you see, Noah was feeling very used and angry himself, with the knowledge that she kept choosing Finn but also kept stringing him along. They'd been carrying on for weeks up until she got kicked out of her house. He'd offered for her to stay with him, but she called him a Lima Loser and refused, said it would look bad for her. He said he was tired of being her second choice to Finn and was also tired of lying to his best friend. He admitted that's why he wanted us to try dating for real, to try to forget about her."

"Oh Rachel..."

She had tears streaming down her cheeks by now. "So you see what a real mess this whole thing turned out to be? I knew I shouldn't have dated Noah! Being his friend might have been enough. Then again, if I hadn't I might not have learned the truth about everything. Still, I never cared about him that way, but the attention he offered me was nice, especially when I had to watch Quinn kissing Finn or hanging all over him. It hurt too much.

"And I knew Quinn had a mean streak, especially against me, but I had no idea how positively cruel she could be to Finn, someone she claims to care about so much. It kills me to know that he was willing to forgive or overlook her cruelty so often and he trusted her so much, but all he got in return was hurt. He deserves so much better than that. I would never do that to him. All I ever wanted was to be with Finn from the very beginning and I never meant to hurt him, so now you see why I'm so worried he hates me..."

I was so livid with that little blonde witch! Thank god at least she was no longer in my home or had her talons sunk into my son! I felt like tracking Quinn Fabray down and giving her AND her parents a piece of my mind, but right at that moment, all I could do was try to soothe the small crying girl in my kitchen.

I wrapped her in a tight hug and let her cry it out. "Rachel dear, I'm quite sure Finn doesn't hate you. And boys can be so terrible sometimes, but girls can be just so much worse! Oh honey, I'm so sorry you got tangled up in this mess."

She finally calmed down and I handed her some tissues. "It's okay. I appreciate your concern. But I realize I walked into the snare trap myself. I should've trusted my gut instincts. I just couldn't imagine Noah would toy with me that way, especially after going to such lengths to earn my trust. The thing is, I really can't even be mad at him. I knew from the beginning he cared for Quinn, though I wasn't prepared to learn that he actually loves her so much. I wish he would've been more forthright from the beginning. But I can understand why he wasn't; he really didn't mean to fall for his best friend's girl, just like I didn't mean to fall for Quinn Fabray's boyfriend. But we can't help who our hearts choose, I suppose."

I was awed by this little girl's depth of insight. Finn said she was incredibly smart and once again, he wasn't exaggerating. "So I assume you broke up with Noah at that point, and that's when you told Finn everything?"

"Yes. I knew Quinn was staying here at your home, so there was likely no way for me to talk to Finn privately outside of school. I didn't really want to tell him in Spanish class but it was my only option to speak to him when I knew Quinn wouldn't be around. By the time we got to Glee, Finn walked right up to her and asked if it was all true. She rather immediately realized how upset he was and must have surmised that he knew the truth. She looked at Noah and nodded yes. That's when Finn clobbered Noah."

"Well, I suppose I don't blame my son for his reaction. So how did everyone in the club already know about Noah and Quinn?"

"Oh... Apparently because of their secret bowling alley meetings."

"Wait what? Quinn hates the bowling alley! Finn always complained that she never wanted to go with him."

"Well you see, Matt Rutherford's brother Marcus works at the bowling alley and helped sneak Noah and Quinn into the party room there when it wasn't in use. Perhaps Quinn thought it would be a safe cover there since she dislikes it so much? Anyway, Marcus allowed Noah and Quinn to use the room several times according to Matt, including the same night Finn and I went– oh, um, do you know that Finn took me bowling?"

I cleared my throat, not wanting to embarrass Rachel with just how much I knew about her bowling date with my son. "Yes, Finn said you two won a night out as a prize for singing in Glee."

She beamed a prideful smile for just a moment. "We did, yes! Finn sounded amazing on that song too, I'm so proud of him!. . . So yes, we used our 'prize' and went bowling together, but um, as it turns out, Quinn and Puck were also there hiding in the party room and I guess they saw us together. I have since learned that Quinn was very angry about it, believing that Finn was cheating on her – which of course, now knowing how things turned out, couldn't have been more hypocritical coming from her..."

"That's a fact! Is that why she was yelling at you at the dance, too? Because she saw you bowling together?"

"I would assume that was part of it – although she couldn't say that she saw us there without giving away their secret. But she knew we won the prize to go there. She was unhappy about Finn and I singing that duet together in the first place, even though that's all it was – singing. We didn't even choose the song, Mr Schuester did."

She seemed nervous and a little doubtful about how much to reveal about their bowling outing, so I finally decided to just lay the cards on the table. "You know Rachel honey, I don't want to embarrass you, but I am aware you and Finn have kissed before, in case you're concerned about me finding out."

"Oh. F-Finn told you? I-I... I'm sorry. You must think I'm a very unscrupulous person. A horrid homewrecker."

I couldn't help chuckling at her. "Oh rubbish! I think you're a lovely young girl with good intentions and a very big heart, and unfortunately for you, the target of all those big emotions has been my rather mixed-up confused son." She giggled shyly but her eyes didn't shine, too clouded with pain and longing.

I wrapped an arm around her shoulders in a half hug. "Oh, Rachel dear. I remember how frustrating it was to be in this sort of situation. Of course, I was never in one quite SO convoluted, but I know how this makes you feel. Young love is some of the hardest. It's too new and you're still learning how to navigate things. It makes you afraid to make mistakes, and that fear sometimes just leads to everyone getting hurt, often unintentionally. In Finn's case, I think he's just been conflicted over the idea of hurting Quinn." And over worrying what his idiotic FRIENDS would think, but I decided I shouldn't tell her that.

"See? See how wonderful and caring he is? That's just another reason why I love him so much!" As soon as the words blurted out from her lips, this look came over her face as if she just stepped on a mousetrap then she clamped a hand over her mouth. Clearly, she hadn't meant to confess her love for Finn out loud, least of all in front of his mother I'm sure. "I mean, wh-what I meant was, I - I care about him so very much and–"

"Rachel honey, it's okay. It's plain to me how you feel about Finn. But don't worry, I won't tell him."

She opened her mouth to say something but another voice came from the hallway behind us and interrupted her.

"You don't have to."

Okay, so... you know those BIG, romantic, perfectly timed rom-com movie moments that make everyone jump and cheer in their seats? Like when Noah and Allie stood on that dock in the rain and he said 'It wasn't over, it STILL isn't over!' The ones most people think are complete fabrications and never happen in real life? Yeah. I was pretty sure I was standing smack in the middle of one of those, watching it play out in my kitchen.

Rachel was so startled she hopped two or three steps away from me as their eyes locked on each other.

"Finn! H-how... how long have y-you been standing there?" Rachel squeaked at him in her quiet nervous small voice. She turned so red I was a little worried I might have to employ my CPR skills that night.

"Long enough to tell you that you've never been my second choice."

In three long strides, my son walked right up to that little girl, and just like in the movies, scooped her up off the floor into his arms and kissed the stutter right outta her! Oooo, my boy is so smooth and romantic! (Mental high five to ME for raising such an AWESOME son!)

After these many LONG weeks of pent-up frustrations, doubts, sleepless nights, and apparently, sexual tension (I guess Kurt called that one spot-on), those electric sparks I saw while watching them singing just came together and exploded like the birth of a new star right in front me, like I wasn't even in the room with them.

I watched Rachel melt into his embrace and go boneless in his arms, and that kiss just kept going on and on like the Energizer freakin' bunny. My heart did a somersault witnessing the boldest, most romantic thing I'd ever seen my son do, and I honestly couldn't stop a few tears from slipping out.

But then I had to pinch myself and remember this wasn't The Notebook and that wasn't Allie and Noah reenacting the lake scene (or oh my god the one immediately following it!) and cleared my throat to try and remind them I was still there. It took me a couple of tries before their mouths unfused and he allowed her feet to touch the floor again, but he never let go of her.

I smiled knowingly as I asked, "So Rachel, you're staying for dinner tonight, right?"

"Yeah, she's staying, Mom." He never tore his eyes from hers as he spoke. Rachel's beaming toothpaste smile came out like the sun and I could feel the warm glow from the two of them wrapped in each other's arms from across the room.

Well alright then... Three for dinner it was.