"Mrs. Armstrong, I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am that I disrespected you and your husband's home and I want you to know I didn't mean any disrespect to your daughter either."

Laura sips her coffee, "I know that, Eric. Her father has been very protective of her. He had female relatives who were abused and felt powerless to help them growing up. You are the first boy she ever cared about and I don't mean just in highschool. She spent 8 months with you in daycare with you and it broke her little heart when my husband decided I needed to be a stay at home mom and give up my job as a police officer. I still feel horrible about how I just left. I have always wanted to apologize to your mom and let her know how grateful I was for how well she cared for and socialized my baby."

"My mom saw Julia for the first time since she was a toddler. I don't ever recall her looking so happy. I feel so guilty treating her like just some pretty girl through most of highschool, she is the kindest, smartest person I have ever met. I know when you caught us together it probably looked like I was treating her in a very disrespectful way. She wanted to give me a unique experience because I am not able to be intimate in a traditional way."

"Again, Eric, I understand, not the specifics of what I saw. I definitely saw more than I wanted to see. Julia tells me alot about what goes on in her life. I knew she loved you before either of you did. She told me how it broke her heart she couldn't go to prom with you because she was afraid of her dad bullying you. She caught herself and said she had to sneak her boyfriend, then said friend by the lake so she could dance with him under the stars. Also she texted me when she got sick at the creek, she was so terrified you would see she messaged me to ride my son's bike through the forest to bring her new clothes. Before I could leave she told me how you washed her clothes and were unbelievably sweet to her making sure she wasn't the least bit embarrassed. "

Eric looks down at his coffee, "I guess you know I am dying. I tried not to catch feelings for her, Mrs. Armstrong. Each day I fall more in love with her and I know it will make everything that much more painful."

"Eric, I want you to do me a favor. I need this day with Julia more than you'll ever know. She will never leave your side unless you make a good excuse not to go with her."

Julia comes in with her last load, "My ears are burning, have you been talking about me?"

Laura laughs, "No, not at all, Eric was just telling me he plans to become a nudist. I told him he is off to an incredible start." Julia stink eyes her as she shuts the door with an agile back kick.

"Julia, is it ok if I stay home while you and your mother go out?"

"Oh my God, you are sick, should we take you to urgent care or the hospital?"

"No, no, no. I'm fine, it's just I wanna make sure my mom's ok. It might ease the goodbye a bit if she can talk with me a few hours and know I am happy here and everything will be ok."

"Oh my God, yes, I am so sorry if I made you feel like you had to go. I just miss you alot when we are apart."

"I miss you too, but we live together so now we have plenty of opportunities to make up for any lost minutes."

Laura mouths thank you to Eric.