"Annie, you're the last person I expected to see" Linda said rushing to her daughter's side, "I've missed you"

Annie put her hand up, "please don't touch me" she told her, it wasn't a social call. "I need answers mom, for a lot of things" she adjusted herself on the couch laying her crutches between her and her mother a make shift barrier, "the main one being how could you lie to me about my father?"

"You're wasting no time I see" Linda replied, "I did it because he was involved with that slut, and I knew he wouldn't want anything to do with you"

Annie started to stand to leave "never mind I knew this was a mistake."

Linda put her hand on her arm, "that was uncalled for, I'm sorry. Please don't leave"

Annie looked at her "tell me the truth mom, you owe me that much"

Linda rubbed her face "Honestly, I don't know why I kept the truth from you and your father, after Anthony killed himself I went off the deep end" she sighed, she gestured around the room "obviously I'm still trying to get back on track, I've hurt you and Adam in a way a mother should never hurt their children"

"You certainly did" Annie said, "I don't know if I can forgive you. The first seventeen years of my life had been a lie, I lost all that time with Adam and my dad and I can never get that back"

"I read about what happened to you, are you really okay?" Linda asked her, "Your brother did a bang up job of keeping you safe. I also noticed you changed your last name to Ruzek"she was unable to hide her displeasure.

Annie stood, "It had nothing to do with Adam, and yes I changed my last name. It should have been Ruzek all along"

"You're leaving?"

"Yes, I should have never come here this was a mistake"

Kim was cleaning up the kids lunch when she heard the front door open, "daddy!" Anthony called out jumping down from the table.

"Oh baby, I don't think it's daddy" Kim told him.

"Nope, it's just me little man" Annie said as she hobbled into the kitchen "it's just me"

"Aunt Annie, come play with me" Anthony asked her pulling her hand, "please!"

"Anth, honey give Aunt Annie a few minutes. Besides, you need to get ready for nap"

Anthony scrunched his face up, "naps suck mommy"

"Not when you're my age, you like them!"Annie told her nephew, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Yea, yea" he replied, "daddy doesn't make me take a nap" he rubbed his eyes and yawned "I not tired mommy"

Kim laughed, "yea right, let's go. I will put your movie on for a little bit, deal?"

"Don't worry Anthony, I'm not leaving. I will be here when you get up" Annie told him as she held Harper in her arms, little girl drifting off to sleep.

Kim returned from Anthony's room, "I can put her down too, she's out cold"

"I'd rather hold her, if that's okay" Annie told her, she knew holding Harper would help her, it helped to calm her nerves "I did something stupid, Kim"

Kim sat opposite her, "what is it?" The look on her sister in law face leaving her uneasy, "should I call Adam?"

She shifted Harper in her lap, "I visited my mother" she watched the shock fill Kim's face, "please don't hate me" she was afraid Kim would be angry.

Kim was at a loss for words, she placed her coffee mug on the table, "I don't hate you, honey. I'm shocked though"

"It was a disaster" she sighed, "she tried blaming Adam for what happened with Zeke, and bad mouthed my dad and Amy" Harper stirring, "I think someone is waking up"

Kim took Harper from her, "I'm sorry, I know how much it must have hurt" she could relate. "My mother and father visited the other day"

"Oh yeah? How'd that go?"

"About as well as you would expect, I'm so confused. My mother was awful to Adam when Anthony was a baby, she basically said she wouldn't accept Anthony has her grandson"

"That's awful"

"I know, but she claims she didn't mean it, that she wants to repair our relationship. I just don't know"

Annie laughed, "seems we both ended up with a screwed up mother, how does Adam feel about it?"

"You know your brother, he didn't say a whole lot just that it's my call" Harper climbing down from her lap, "I don't know what I'm going to do"

He signed the admissions slip, "thanks" he said as he handed the pen over, "again thanks for all your help" he smiled as he shook the older woman's hand.

"My pleasure Mr.Madison"

Derek stuck the schedule in his wallet and headed home.