"Mom, I can't concentrate on driving, if you're being a backseat driver," Craig informed his mother.

"I know. I know, but just yesterday you were driving your little electric jeep and now you're driving a real car," Dara replied with tears in her eyes.

Pulling over, he put the car in park and looked over at his mother. "The baby," he said, wiping the tears from her face.

She nodded. "And maybe it would help if I knew where we were going."

"Nope, it's a surprise," he grinned, taking a bandana down from the visor.

"You're blindfolding me?"

"To keep it a surprise," he nodded.

Her son was a good kid, never causing more worries than the average kid so if he needed to blindfold her that was okay. "Okay."

He treated her to the biggest smile that she'd seen in months. After the bandana was secure and she assured him she couldn’t see a thing, she felt the car move forward.

"Who taught you to drive, Mom?"

"A friend," she smiled.

A few months after their first meeting, Dara was awakened in the middle of the night by knocks on her bedroom window. Drowsy, she got out of bed and opened her window, shocked to find Sonny standing outside her house.

"Sonny, what are you doing here?" she asked as she made room for him to come inside.

"Go get dressed," he commanded and she obeyed him, happy to get away from the object of her affection while she had rollers in her hair, childish looking pajamas on, and night breath.

As she dressed as quickly as possible, she wondered how he knew her parents weren't home. Had she mentioned in one of her letters or their secret phone conversations that her telephone operator mother and her Department of Water and Power employed father had both been switched to the graveyard shift? She couldn't remember, but who cared. He was here and that was all that mattered as long as none of the neighbors saw them.

Giving herself another inspection, she congratulated herself for her look that appeared as though she hadn't put tons of effort into it. She walked back into the room to find Sonny sitting on her bed, staring out the window. "I'm ready," she announced.

He turned to her and smiled, sending her heart fluttering. "Let's go."

He ushered her out the window, then took her hand in his, making her think her heart was going to jump out of her body, as they walked the two blocks to his Ford Tempo.

He opened the car door, helped her inside, closed her door and quickly unlocked the driver's door, got in, started the car, and pulled away. As they drove through Dara's neighborhood, they sat, not speaking, as the Classics station played Motown love songs in the background. She quietly sang along with the songs as she stared up at the moon.

Finally they pulled into an empty parking lot of an abandoned mall. Sonny turned the car off and turned to face her. Placing his slightly cold hands on her cheeks, he pulled her towards him and kissed her. This was only their third kiss and it was just as exciting as the first, except this time she was less nervous. As she was enjoying the kiss, suddenly she felt a bite on her lower lip and she opened her mouth in shock. What was going on, she thought, until she felt his tongue slip into her mouth. Her first tongue kiss. Now she was scared, she didn't know what to do, but as quickly as it began it ended. Sonny kissed her lips gently then moved his mouth away from hers. She instantly felt that loss.

"Hi," he greeted her with his forehead touching hers.

"Hi, yourself," she panted, trying to catch her breath from the kiss.

"I bet you're wondering why we're here, huh?"

She shook her head slightly, not wanting to disconnect from his hands or his forehead. "I was kinda busy."

He laughed, showing off his to-die-for dimples. "Do you know how to drive?"

"No. With my dad's new schedule, he hasn't had time to teach me."

"Well, then tonight is your lucky night." With a quick kiss, he jumped out of the car and she followed his lead, switching seats with him.

And that was the first of many driving lessons and of make out sessions, and between both, she discovered Sonny, for good and bad, could have the patience of a saint when he wanted.

Hearing her door open brought Dara's walk down memory lane to an end.

Craig took her hand and ushered her down what felt like a brick path. She was very intrigued. Where was he taking her? What was the big mystery? She heard a door opening as Craig carefully guided her up three stairs and inside.

"You're ready?" he asked, as he brought her to a stop.

Dara heard the excitement in his voice and for the first time in a long while, her son sounded like a regular teenager, not one with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Hoping she had the same amount of enthusiasm in her voice, she replied affirmatively.

Slowly the blindfold was removed and Dara's eyes adjusted to the brightness of the room. She found herself in a living room. Seeing the bright smile on Craig's face, she kept quiet and looked around the room as she wondered whose house this was. Suddenly her stomach dropped; the off-white color of the walls was vaguely familiar, then she saw pictures of herself and Craig, Craig and Marcus, and pictures of various other family and friends. "Where are we, Craig Zachary Jensen Taggert?"

"Our new home," he replied proudly.

"Our new, what?!"

"Our new home."

"Craig, what- -"

"You heard him right; it's your new home," Sonny interrupted, walking around the corner.

Dara walked over to the sofa before she collapsed from shock. Had she stepped into the twilight zone?

"Reynaldo is putting up the basketball hoop, go give him a hand."

Craig nodded and followed Sonny's orders instantly.

"What is going on here, Sonny? Why is my son listening to you? Why are we in your safe house? Why are some of my things in this house? What- -"

Sonny grinned which only served to infuriate her more. "This former safe house is your new home that's why your things are here. Craig thought you might need, want some new furniture so we bought some. And he listens to me because you and Tags raised him to respect his elders."

Shaking her head, Dara stood up. "No, we have a home. A very nice one on Spokane Street. And how does my son even know you? You know what, don't answer that," she fumed, "I'll just get my son and we'll leave." As Dara walked by Sonny, he grabbed her arm and stopped her.

"He hears you at night. He knows you have nightmares. And that on the nights you don't, he knows you stay up all night staving them off. He stays awake silently in his room, wondering if he should rush in and help you or not. So he's been skipping various classes in order to get some sleep. He quit the track team so he could spend some time with Gia and Mrs. Campbell."

Dara's mouth dropped open and her eyes widened with shock. This couldn't be true. She and Craig had a great relationship; he told her everything. He heard her at night? He had dropped off the track team for the sake of Gia and Mama Florence? He had told her it was interfering with his studies. What was happening to their relationship?

Unexpectedly, Dara found herself sitting back on the sofa, this time with Sonny sitting on the edge of the table directly in front of her. Sonny watched her reel from all of the new information. He hated to do this to her, but Craig was so excited about the house, he couldn’t let her ruin that for the poor kid. "When Mike left, I thought it was my job to protect my mom. I knew without anyone telling me that I was the man of the house."

Craig thought he had to protect her. "But Sonny- -"

"I know, you didn't tell him that, but it's something I don't know instinctual in men. We want to protect the women we love and those younger than us."

She nodded. "But why are we here?"

"Memories are a funny thing. My mom used to get so much comfort living in the same place, but to me, it was a constant reminder of what used to be. Of a time when I had a father and had a mother who smiled more than she cried."

Living in the house was hurting Craig? Damn, where had she been? Too caught up in trying to avenge his father's death- - oh my gosh, his father, Sonny. She stared into Sonny's eyes and she instantly knew that he knew who Craig was to him.

He shook his head. "We'll deal with that later, but for now, go get your son."

She patted his hand, got up, and raced out the backdoor to her son. They had so much to talk about, she prayed she knew where to start.