"Are you sure you want to leave our old house?" Dara asked concerned.

Craig nodded. "I can't do it anymore. I see Daddy everywhere," he answered, with tears welling up in his eyes, "but this place, there are no memories. Here we can have a fresh start."

Wiping the tears from his face, she pressed a kiss to his forehead. "I love you and if you want to do this then we will. I'm sorry that I haven't been there for you- -"

"Mom- -"

"Shhh. I haven't been there like I should have been, but that's changing right now. I'm the adult, the parent in this relationship and I'm going to start acting like it. So no more keeping your feelings to yourself, I want you to come to me, anytime, anywhere. No more spending hours on end over at Wyndermere's trying to ease the hurt and pain your Grandma and Aunt Gia are experiencing. It's just going to take time for all of us. And they are adults, they can take of themselves. You are not your dad. You are a young man and deserve to enjoy every moment of that as you can. It's not your job to take care of me, but mine to take care of you. Got it?"

He gave her a slight nod as he looked down.

Raising his head to look him directly in the eye, she repeated herself. "I'm now the mom and the dad in this family, okay?"

"Okay," he replied reluctantly.

"And so that means no more major decisions, like moving us lock, stock, and barrel," she smiled.

"Okay."

"And whenever you want to talk about Daddy, I'm here."

"Okay."

"I love you, Craiggy bear."

"I love you, Mommy bear."

Mother and son kissed and hug and Dara felt that finally now her life was back on the right path.