River drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes. This had been the moment she'd dreaded more than anything. 

She'd abandoned her best friend. It had been their plan to leave Westacre together. They'd promised each other, when they were twelve years old, that they would go to the big city; didn't matter which one; go to college together. Get an apartment. See things. Do things. Experience life. Anything to not be stuck here. But she'd broken that promise. All because of a fight with her mom. 

She had been so mad, she'd packed her things and left on impulse, not even thinking twice until she'd hit the state line. After sitting at a rest stop in the pouring rain for half an hour, debating on going back for Amanda, she'd decided to keep going. She knew Amanda wouldn't just up and leave at the drop of a dime. And she wasn't going to give her mom the satisfaction of crawling back home. So she let her stupid pride carry her the rest of the way to New York City. Thinking back now, if she had done it right, if she had kept her promise, how different would life have been?

"Amanda," she breathed, tears welling up, threatening to spill over, "I'm so, sorry."

"I know you're sorry. I got all your letters. We're past that," Amanda said, leaning forward. "Now I want some answers. I think I deserve that much." She stared at her, waiting expectantly.

"New York City," she answered.

"The whole time?" Amanda queried.

"Yes."

"Did you go to school?"

She hesitated. "I started but I didn't finish."

"How did you meet Jillian's dad? Did you meet him right away?"

Frank's face flashed in her mind. He'd been wearing his ratty green jacket that day, stark contrast to the suit he wore underneath. The juxtaposition between his personal and professional life, or so she thought, had been intriguing to her. "It was about a year and a half after I moved there. My apartment was broken into and my roommate was assaulted. He was the detective assigned to the case."

Amanda raised an eyebrow. "He was a cop?"

"Ya." A dirty cop, she added in her mind.

"So you were with him for--"

"Ten years," she finished the thought for her, shifting in her chair. "He lied to me for ten years," she offered. We lied to each other for ten years. That was more accurate. Hoping that Amanda wouldn't push for more details, she continued, "I was so blinded by what I wanted to see, that I lost myself. And by the time I realized what had happened, it was too late. I had done exactly what my Mom had wanted me to do." She flexed her fingers self-consciously. "And here we are."

Amanda placed a hand over hers and smiled. "At least she looks like you," she said, gesturing with her head towards Jilly playing.

She let out a humorless laugh. "For the most part. She has his eyes."

"Do you think she misses him?"

A lump caught in her throat. She silently cursed Frank for what she would eventually have to tell Jilly. Daddy had to go away for a while was only going to work for so long. All she could manage was a nod, and Amanda squeezed her hand.

"Have you talked to your parents yet?" Amanda asked.

River shook her head. "I wrote to let them know we were coming. Gave them a phone number. I guess I can't blame them for not making the first move." She pressed two fingers against her temple, feeling a headache coming on. She'd chosen to exclude them from her day to day all those years ago. She wrote quarterly and sent pictures. Called using a calling card on birthdays and holidays. But that was about it. She hadn't actually seen her parents for a dozen years. It was easy when they were half a country away. Now, she was going to have to bite the bullet. "I'll call them tomorrow," she said to Amanda.

Amanda patted her hand. "Good girl."

"You two want to jump the fence and have barbecue for dinner? Mom whipped up a batch of her famous sauce." Jackson stood at the edge of the yard, holding a stick out then throwing it for the dogs.

"Sounds great!" Amanda piped up before River could say anything and hopped up out of her seat.

"Oh, no, thanks but we've really got to get going." She stood, smoothing her shirt down, following Amanda across the yard.

Amanda stopped at the fence. "You sure Riv? Anita's sauce and Jackson's barbecue skills make for some damn good eatin'."

"Another time maybe. Thanks for the offer though," she looked at Jackson and he nodded.

"Suit yourself," Amanda said and the fence let out a clang as she scaled it with ease. Pausing at the top to grab Jackson's helping hand, she hopped right down on the other side and was immediately attack-hugged by Jamie, who then drug her off.

River stood stupidly in the yard. "Jilly!" she called and her daughter looked up from the sandbox she'd been playing in. "Come on sweets! Time to go!"

"You don't like barbecue or you just don't want to fraternize with an old enemy? Which is it?" he asked smiling, rubbing a hand on the back of his neck.

"Neither," she said, playing with her watchband as Jilly made her way slowly through the yard.

"Afraid to jump the fence then?" he joked, grinning.

She laughed. "I'm a mean fence jumper. But my car is on this side of the fence so... no need to do that today."

"Mama, you can jump the fence like we can?" Jilly asked in astonishment, like the idea that her mother could do such a thing would be an amazing feat.

River felt a little let down. "Of course I can," she defended.

Jilly climbed up, but her foot slipped off the chain link. Instinctively, River reached out to grab her but Jackson had already plucked her from the fence and was hoisting her over the top.

"Look at that supergirl, you really can fly," he said, strong hands placing her into River's arms. Maverick and Goose leapt up with excitement as their playmate was set back down onto the ground.

"Thanks," River said. She smiled at Stella who was standing next to her dad, looking a little sad.

Jackson looked down at the girl and picked her up at the waist, hanging her upside down making her shriek with laughter. "Jillian, you come by anytime to play with Stella. Maybe next time your mama will prove to us she can hop this fence." He winked at River and turned, and she watched him as he carried his daughter back across the yard.