"Daddy, why don't you and Momma go out tonight?"

"Because I have to clean up." Came his immediate reply. His tone assuring him it was the most obvious answer in the world.

"I'll do everything. You deserve a fun night out." Going over to her father, the petite brunette took the rag and bottle of cleaner he held and gave him a stern look.

The tall, older man raised a questioning eyebrow. "You sure?"

"Yeah." she waved a hand dismissively in front of her. "Besides, it's not the first time I'll have closed up on my own."

"No, but..."

"Daddy, just go. Maybe get Momma drunk." She gave him a wink and in return received a warm appreciative smile. Neither of them could remember the last time her mother had loosened up enough to get sloshing drunk.

"All right. A night out actually sounds good." Moving forward a few steps, he leaned forward and planted a kiss on his beloved daughter's forehead. "Thank you, Raleigh Jean." After grabbing his jacket and slipping his arms into it, Keith headed for the front door. Then, as an afterthought, he turned back to look at her once more. "Don't stay too late, huh?"

"I won't. Have fun." She waved to her father before going back into the kitchen to finish the dishes.

When she was done cleaning the dishes and the counter tops, the girl-turned-woman moved back out into the dining area. After turning on the radio disguised as a jukebox, she moved about, thoroughly cleaning the tabletops and putting the chairs up.

So many people had asked her how she could be so comfortable being there alone that late at night. She'd always just smiled and say, "It's my home. How could I be afraid of anything there?" And it still held true today. Even after everything she'd been through nearly a month ago.

After mopping the floor, Raleigh stopped and looked longingly at the piano sitting on the stage where it had been for the past six years now. As she slowly walked around its edge, she dropped her hand down and ran her fingers over its smooth surface. Positioning herself on the bench, she smiled as her hands rested atop the familiar keys she hadn't played in four months.

Before she could comprehend another thought as it sailed through her mind, her fingers began to move, playing out a gentle melody. As her fingers continued to glide along the white keys gracefully, lyrics to an unfinished song began to stream from her lips.

I'm dying to catch my breath
Oh why don't I ever learn?
I've lost all my trust,
though I've surely tried to turn it around

Can you still see the heart of me?
All my agony fades away
when you hold me in your embrace

Don't tear me down for all I need
Make my heart a better place
Give me something I can believe
Don't tear me down
You've opened the door now, don't let it close

I'm here on the edge again
I wish I could let it go
I know that I'm only one step away
from turning it around

I tried many times but nothing was real
Make it fade away, don't break me down
I want to believe that this is for real
Save me from my fear
Don't tear me down

Give me something I can believe
Don't tear it down, what's left of me
Make my heart a better place

When she finally stopped her fingers, Raleigh found herself unable to move. She could only sit there, thinking about the reason she'd been able to sing the words that had been so hard to think of at first. The reason why she couldn't seem to write a happy song if her life depended on it. Could she even remember the last time she'd smiled instead of cried?

Yes, it was because of him. It had been him to last make her smile and it had been he who had last made her break down. She rather liked it when he could make her smile. He could make her laugh as no one else could. He had made her happy. He had been hers.

But now...

Now he was gone and so was her happiness. But she couldn't blame him for that. No, it had been she who had ended their relationship. She had been the one to leave. And she'd be the one regretting for as long as she lived.

Why hadn't she stayed when he asked her to? Why hadn't she said, "I love you too" when he'd said the words?

Why hadn't he come after her?

She could feel all the questions she'd had for herself and him threatening to swallow her, to she decided to try to shake them, thinking of lighter things. Like the fact that Janie had finally managed to get a decent boyfriend.

No, definitely not a good topic to think about.

Sighing, Raleigh made her way behind the counter and began putting mugs away. Shaking her head, Raleigh began muttering to herself while being a little more rough with the glass mugs than she needed to be. Hearing the sound of the bell above the Café's front door begin to ring, Raleigh quickly glanced over her shoulder, not really taking in the late customer.

"We're closed." she should have locked the door after he father had left.

"How about just one for the road?" At the sound of the man's voice hitting her ears, Raleigh nearly dropped the mug she held in her hands. Her heart felt as though it would pound through her chest and suddenly there were a million tiny razor blades lacing her tongue as she tried to swallow. Setting down the mug before she broke it in her suddenly tight grasp, Raleigh slowly turned around, meeting the pools of deep emerald she hadn't seen in nearly four weeks.

Finding her voice that had seemed to escape her, she asked, "What are you doing here, Dan?"

Her lilac eyes never left him as he shrugged and began making his way towards the counter she remained firmly planted behind. "I heard this was the place to get a cup of coffee around. I had to see if it lives up to its reputation."

"I assure you, it will." Raleigh turned around and began starting the coffee maker she had just thoroughly cleaned. She had no idea what to say to him. What did he expect her to say to him? What did she expect him to say to her? Was there anything to say at all? He'd come there of his own accord and if he was expecting her to believe it was for a cup of coffee she'd never even tasted, he was completely insane.

"So, this is the family business, huh?" Raleigh found herself only nodding as her eyes watched him. She would play along with his little game for now. There were so many things she wanted to do, but for now, he'd have it his way.

Raleigh continued to watch as his curious eyes continued to roam over the place she'd thought of as her second home. When they landed on the mantle above the fireplace, Raleigh suddenly wished she could spontaneously combust so she didn't have to face the embarrassing photographs.

Dan stood and walked over to stand in front of said mantle and whistled. "Your family seems to be really proud of you." The snapshots were of random moments of her singing at The Landing. The first taken when she was ten, dressed in an overall jean skirt and bright yellow tank top with wild and crazy braids in her hair. The last from the night Josh had returned to Shelby for the summer.

What Dan noticed most in every single one of the pictures, was not how much she'd changed physically, but how happy she'd seemed to be then. Where had her passion for performing gone? Had it stayed here in Shelby County with her friends and family while she'd ventured out for a future in busy Los Angeles?

"The coffee is done." Raleigh announced, breaking him away from his running mind.

Sitting back at the stool he'd occupied the minute before, Dan took a slow cautious sip or the steaming liquid. He reveled in the taste of it as it rolled over his tongue. Two sugars, just the way he liked it. She knew him well.

"Well, I'd say it's better than people let on."

Raleigh only turned around and shut off the machine before taking the pot and dumping it into the sink. When she returned, she stood in front of him with her arms crossed. She'd played along long enough.

"I know you didn't come all the way to Millington for a stupid cup of coffee." She watched as Dan's eye lashes swept over his cheeks as he looked down with a sigh. When he brought his gaze back up to meet hers, the only thing she saw written in his eyes was sincerity.

"I wanted to see you."

"Why?"

His mouth fell open, gaping unattractively at her as if she'd lost her mind. "Are you seriously asking me that question right now?"

"No, why now? It's been a month, Dan. You have had an entire month to come after me. Why now?" She hated the whine that inevitably came out with her forced words, but it couldn't be helped. She was a girl on the edge.

"I came now because, like a typical asshole, it took me this long to realize that I should have gone after you. A part of me was still believing that you didn't mean what you said. That you were coming back to LA for the second semester. That you were coming back to me. But you never did."

Shaking her head, Raleigh tried to steady her voice. "I told you, Dan. I had to get away. I had to find myself again."

"And have you?"

He watched as she bit her bottom lip and diverted her eyes away from him. She didn't know.

Raleigh grabbed her rag again and made quick work of walking back out onto the floor and to the remaining tables that needed to be wiped down. "You should go home, Dan. There was no reason for you to come all the way here."

"Don't do that." Dan was at her side with remarkable speed. "Don't you dare do that! You've pushed me away and asked me to let you go once already, Don't ask me to do it again." Raleigh threw down her rag and turned on him.

"What do you want from me, Dan?"

"I want you to be honest with me! I want you to tell me that you left me because you don't love me."

Diverting her eyes, Raleigh tried to control herself. She didn't want to cry anymore. She didn't want to feel so confused all the time.

Dan grabbed her hands and coaxed her to look at him again.

"Ray, please...I need to know. If you don't love me I'll go back to LA and you'll never have to see me again."

"It's not that simple."

"Yes it is! But you won't let it be." Dan kicked at the leg of the nearest table in frustration. Why did she always do that? Why was it always easier for her to run and hide than to confront the truth?

After taking a minute to regain some semblance of control over himself, and running even more tracks through his unruly hair, Dan turned back to face Raleigh again.

She took notice for the first time since he'd arrived just how haggard and run down he looked. He looked as though he hadn't slept well in weeks, nor had he shaved in the past few days. Dark circles took stance beneath each eye that had seemed to lose their luster. His normally well put together appearance seemed to have just left him around the same time she had.

Raleigh could hardly stand the crushing guilt she felt upon coming to the realization.

Did she love him?

She knew whatever it was that she'd begun feeling for Dan was much different than what she'd felt for Josh all these years, but was it love? Was it only a mere fling she'd wanted and pursued with him, carrying out her lustful fantasies? No, she couldn't believe that to be true. What she felt for this man was so much stronger than a mere infatuation. Maybe what she had told Josh when she'd first gotten home was the truth after all.

She was completely, madly in love with Daniel Cooper. But unfortunately, it wasn't as simple as that, as so many things aren't.

Pulling her from her conflicting thoughts, Dan took Raleigh's hands back into his larger ones.

"Ray," His voice carried a softness it hadn't held just moments earlier. "Just tell me, what is it that you want?"

Unable to meet his eyes, Raleigh looked to the floor, gently shaking her head. After taking a few moments to try and sort through her severely jumbled mind, she gave him her barely audible response.

"I don't know." turning away from him, Raleigh went back behind the counter, her back staring intently at him. "Go home, Dan. You shouldn't have come here."

Running his hands over his tired face, Dan admitted defeat. "Maybe you're right. Maybe this was just a waste of my time and effort."

Turning back around, Raleigh finally locked her eyes onto him just in time to see him close the café door behind himself as he walked away.

Was that it? Was that the last time she would ever see him? She didn't want it to be, she suddenly realized. Everything that she'd been afraid to tell him washed over her like a tidal wave and she was caught without a life preserver.

It took the slamming of the door for her to wake up and realize she didn't want to lose him.

Regaining full control of her body, Raleigh jumped over the counter and ran out of her family's business. Bursting out into the parking lot, she didn't stop until she saw Dan about to set foot into his car.

"Why?" Hearing Raleigh call out to him, Dan turned around and looked at her with questioning eyes.

"What?"

"I want to know why you love me."

Allowing a small smile to curl his lips upward, Dan slowly began walking towards her. "I love you because you're you. I love how incredibly talented you are and how passionate you are for music. I love how when I look into those amazing purple eyes of yours I can see everything you're thinking. But most of all..." Reaching up, Dan brushed her bangs away from her eyes and allowed his hand to linger at her moist cheek. "I love you for the person you allow yourself to be when you're with me."

Letting out the breath she hadn't known she'd been holding, Raleigh closed her eyes and leaned up, meeting his lips with her own.

The kiss they shared wasn't fast, hot or rushed. But slow, meaningful, and passionate. Raleigh knew it said everything she needed to say, but still, she had to get out the words. So she pulled away and rested her forehead on his shoulder. As she felt his arms come around her, she finally allowed the truth to pour from her lips. She was tired of running from it. From him, just because she was afraid to love someone other than Josh.

"I love you, too."

Hearing those four soft words was like heaven to Dan's ears. He'd been waiting to hear her say it for over a month and he couldn't imagine anything sweeter. As he tightened his arms around her waist, he turned his face into Raleigh's neck, finally allowing his emotions to wash over him.

She was his and he'd never let her go again.

"Miss Coons?" Feeling someone nudge her on the shoulder, Raleigh began to stir from her peaceful sleep. How long had she been out?

Opening her eyes, Raleigh looked up into the young face of the flight attendant.

"I'm sorry to wake you, Ma'am, but we've landed."

"Thank you." Raleigh managed a smile and peered out her window. Indeed they had landed and she never felt happier to be home. Her tour was finally over and she could spend some time with the man who had been the object of her dream. As she departed the plane and walked out into the lobby of LAX, Raleigh looked around the crowd for the one person she couldn't wait to see. He hadn't been able to be with her during her final three weeks touring the US and all she wanted was to go home and lay in bed, relaxing in the arms of the man she loved more than anything in the world.

Suddenly she saw an arm shoot out from behind one very tall man in a business suit and sunglasses, though what he needed them for in an airport at night she had no idea, and slowly he came into view. Biting her lip to keep from smiling too big, Raleigh ran into his waiting arms, planting a sloppy kiss on his lips.

"Welcome home." He muttered, holding his fiancé as though he'd never let go.

"It is now."