"Rachel said she would be over in a little while." JC stated as he walked into the house. He went in the kitchen to talk to Laura and noticed there were groceries on the counter but she was no where in sight. He walked in the living room and saw Mrs. Charles sitting there reading a book.

"Where is Laura?" he asked.

"Upstairs having another one of her dramatic moments." Mrs. Charles responded as she turned the page. JC walked up the steps and rounded the stairwell towards Laura's room.

KNOCK KNOCK

"Laura? Are you in there?" he asked as he went to turn the knob. He opened to door and saw Laura sitting in the middle of her bed with her legs pressed up against her chest. He saw her eyes were red and puffy. He walked over and sat on the edge of the bed and touched her toes. "What's happened?"

"Nothing." she mumbled between her sobs. "I'll be fine in a minute."

"Laura. Tell me what happened." he asked.

She pointed to a large box on the end of the bed. JC pulled back the flaps and noticed that the box was full of padded envelopes addressed to her mother.

"What am I looking at here?" he asked.

"Every last one of the songs that I have written to date. She didn't even bother to open them." she said is dismay as she wiped her tears away and breathed deeply. "Anytime I write a song and its recorded, I send her the tapes so she can hear them."

"She never opened one?"

"Never. There are songs in there from 5 years ago, JC." she cried. He put his hand around her head and pulled her in closer to his chest. He gently rubbed her back and ran his hands through her hair as she sobbed. "She loves you, Laura."

"I've tried to send her money to help her out and she refuses it. She had been eyeing that couch set at the store one time and I went and bought it for her as a surprise. She just gives it away, like it were an old sweater she didn't need anymore. I send her newspaper and magazine articles about me and she throws them away, JC." Laura continued to cry.

All JC could do was sit and try and sooth her pain. "No one is perfect. And we all have problems. Your mom is just having a hard time dealing with hers. She sees your father in you and I guess that is something she hasn't been able to cope with, so she puts up a defense. But she loves you, Laura. That much you need to know is true."

"I know she does...I just wish she would say it." she wiped her eyes. "So I guess now you know why I'm so screwed up.  This is so embarrassing."

JC kissed her forehead. "We're all screwed up." he said as he moved her hair out of her face and kissed her lips. "Why should you be anymore special."

Laura lightly smiled and let her head fall into his chest.  He sent her off to take a shower and freshen up while he went downstairs to make the salad for dinner.

As he was chopping up the lettuce, Mrs. Charles came into the kitchen to get a glass of water and take her pain medication. "So is she done having another of her childish tantrums? I mean, really...They were only a bunch of tapes." she said as she took a sip of her water.

JC placed the knife down on the counter and turned to look towards Laura's mother. "How can you be so cold?"

Connie stopped in mid sip. "Excuse me?"

"How can you wake up every morning knowing that you treat her the way you do? I've been in this house less than 24 hours and I am ready to bolt out of here the first chance I get."

"Then leave! No one is stopping you. And make sure you take her with you."

"I get here and I see that Laura's a mere shell of the woman I see everyday. She is vivacious and full of life. She doesn't let anyone tell her what she can and can't do. She knows what she wants and she goes and gets it. And she sure as hell doesn't let anyone talk to her the way you have!" he yelled as he looked at her in dismay.

JC caught himself and tried to calm down. He leaned back against the counter and continued to speak. "She is an extremely charismatic person. Did you know your daughter can walk into a room and it will light up just because of her smile? Did you know that she is very respected in our industry? And its not because of who her father was.  It is because of who she is..."

"Ha...Like that is something I should be proud of? My daughter...The musician. Writing songs about a bunch of crap! Not trying to change anything in this world we live in. Only looking out for that almighty dollar. Being as irresponsible as it comes. Going out and getting drunk and only God knows what else and ending up married? I just can't fathom how many people she opened her legs for to get where you say she is today. And you call her respected?! I guess you would. You're a musician too. Just greedy and hung up in yourselves and your precious music."

"How would you know anything? You've never even listened to any of her songs! You don't know what she writes about. You don't know how many hearts she has touched with her music, because you've never been interested enough to find out. You don't know how many lives she may have changed because of a simple line in a song that meant just the right thing to that one person at just the right moment. You don't know how many faces light up when they see her enter the room because they finally get to see the face behind the music that they cherish and love." JC shook his head. "I can't believe you can stand here and talk about her like that. And I'm actually more of an asshole for allowing you to talk about my wife the way you just did! She's your daughter...Your own flesh and blood and you don't even know the first thing about her. That's sad, lady."

"I don't need to! She is just like her father. Reckless and irresponsible. She is going to end up just like him if she doesn't straighten up!" she yelled back.

"You think she is going to kill herself like your late husband did? Well I guess you would think that." he mocked. "You are probably the one that dro-"

"That's enough JC!" a voice yelled out from behind him. JC turned around and saw Laura standing in the doorway.

"Yes. That is quite enough!" Mrs. Charles stated as she took another sip of her water.

The room was silent as the three of them stood there looking at one another. Laura had on a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt. Her hair was wet from the shower and dripping onto the towel draped around her neck. "Will you excuse us please." Laura asked as she looked at JC.

"I don't know what came over me." he tried to explain. "I am very sorry, Mrs. Charles." JC wiped his hands on a towel and started to leave the kitchen. "I'll be upstairs if you need me."

The kitchen was silent as Laura and her mother waited. Once she heard the door shut Mrs. Charles began to speak. "Who did he think he was talking to?"

"He was talking to his mother-in-law. The only reason I asked him to leave was because I don't need him to defend me to my own mother."

"You think he was right in talking to me the way he did?"

"I believe he had quite a few valid opinions." she said as she sat down at the table. She folded her hands and looked up at her mother who was leaning on crutches. "Why do you hate me?"

"I don't hate you!" Her mother defended.

"Ever since daddy died, you don't even seem like you want to look at me. As if looking at me were bringing back unwanted memories. You belittle me every chance you get. You've always tried to make me feel as though my hopes and dreams were nothing but childish fantasies. I tried so hard to make you happy. I did everything I could to please you, mommy, and it never seemed to be enough for you." she sobbed.

"Well what do you expect? You are the reason he left us. He couldn't stand the fact that at 9 years old you were a better musician than he could ever be. Showing off every chance you could. Gloating about being able to finish pieces that took your father months to work on. You drove him over the edge. You act and look just like him...Why would I want to look at you, and see him in your eyes?"

"Is that what you still tell yourself at night? That I was the one that drove my father to hang himself in the basement?"

Connie covered her ears so she couldn't hear what her daughter was saying.

"You were so angry that daddy left us the way he did. You got rid of everything that had to do with daddy and music and locked it tight down in that basement where you wouldn't have to deal with it. But I was also a part of daddy! You were always looking for someone to blame. Someone to be responsible for daddy's death. He did it to himself, mom. It wasn't anyone's fault but his own."

"You don't know what you are talking about little girl." she said angrily through clenched teeth.

"Why didn't you just get rid of me when you could? Grandma and Grandpa Charles wanted me to come and live with them. But I guess you needed someone around to feel just as bad as you. And 16 years later you are still doing it. Growing bitter and bitter by the day."

Laura's mother limped over to the sink and turned her back to Laura as she placed her glass down.

Laura watched her and stood up and walked towards her. Her mother never turned to face her. She went to touch her but pulled her hands back and stared at the back of her head as she continued to speak. "And every time you treat me the way you do, I try my best to love you even more...Because I am waiting for just that one moment when I can look into your eyes and see some trace of someone I used to look up to as the greatest person in the world...My mother. But I can't even do that anymore." she said softly as she placed the towel onto the counter.

"Well good. It will save us both the aggravation of having to deal with one another. I think it is time for you and your new husband to get out of my house." she stated as she turned on the water.

Laura pushed in her chair and chuckled lightly to herself. "It's actually my house. My father left it to me in his will. I am just letting you live here. But you are right, mom. I do need to go. Sixteen years is a long time to go without hearing 'I love you' from the person that gave birth to me. I've tried so hard to make you proud of me. And it seems I will never have a moment when you can look at me and be happy that I am your daughter." Laura proceeded up the stairs and grabbed her things. JC was sitting in his room when she poked her head inside the door. "Are you ready to go?"

"Go where?"

"I'm ready to leave. We can find a hotel near the airport until we get a flight out of here." she said.

"Okay." he nodded as he collected his things. "What happened with your mother?"

"I don't want to talk about it right now, ok?"

"Okay." he agreed.

As they came downstairs they both went into the kitchen to say goodbye. "I again apologize for my outburst earlier, Mrs. Charles. I was out of line." JC noticed that her eyes were wet and wondered if she had been crying. "It was very nice meeting you." he said as he stretched out his hand.

Mrs. Charles shook his hand quickly and nodded her head before saying goodbye to him and turning back around towards the sink as she continued to wash dishes. Laura made her way to the kitchen and gave him the keys to the rental car and told him she would be out in a second. She looked towards her mother and then up at the ceiling trying not to cry again. "I'll talk to you soon, then..." she said as she turned to leave.

She stopped and closed her eyes before opening her mouth slowly and saying, "I love you, mom."

Laura walked out the door. Her mother stood in the kitchen still looking out the back window. A single tear fell down into the sink as she heard the car drive off.