When Lily had awakened on Sunday, it was to find herself alone in her bed with the remnants of a blissful dream of being held in Finn's arm lingering. She sat up in bed and pushed her mess of hair out of her face as she looked around the empty room. His being next to her, holding her had felt so real, but she remembered him leaving. He had told her he was going to see his girlfriend.

She climbed out of bed and moved into the kitchen for a glass of water. Her phone was on the counter next to her purse and keys, and she automatically reached for it. She should call Henry and see what had happened last night. She was worried about what he had gotten himself into with his new pals.

Finn had said something about her being drugged, but Henry must not have realized that was going on. Otherwise, he would have helped her.

Lily looked at her phone. There was only one missed call from a number she didn't recognize. It had been a number that had been calling her for weeks, but Lily didn't know it, so she figured it was a telemarketer, but this time, whoever it was, had left a message. Lily turned it on to speaker phone and pressed play as she reached for a plastic cup, but the cup fell through her hand, bouncing on the floor at the sound of her mother's voice.

"Hello Lily, it's your mom. I've been trying to call you for weeks, but you don't ever pick up your phone. Have you gotten too good for your mother now?" she asked in a sicky-sweet voice. "Guess what I'm in Savannah. I thought we could spend some time together while I'm here. Anyway, call me back."

Lily stared at the phone as if it was a snake that was going to bite her.

There was no reason her mother should be in Savannah. The only reason would be her. Lily reached for the phone with a shaking hand, and her finger hovered to dial Uncle Lee's number. He wasn't due in town for another week, but she didn't know what to do. Taking a deep breath, she sat down her phone and picked up the cup she had dropped. She was going to get a drink then get a shower. After that, she would call Henry and see how he was doing and what had really happened last night.

One step at a time. She was an adult now; she didn't need to run to Uncle Lee; she could handle her mother herself.

Lily took her time doing all of her morning chores. Henry didn't answer his phone, but she wasn't overly concerned, he liked to sleep late in the mornings.

Deciding that she needed to get out and about instead of sitting at home worrying, Lily finished getting dressed and grabbed her phone, wallet, and keys then headed out the door. There was a great coffee shop a few blocks away, and it was calling her name. She might even splurge and get a cinnamon roll.

It was a beautiful morning, and she managed to snag a table outside the shop. It was a great way to people watch. She was into her second cup of coffee when she heard her name and turned to see her mother standing next to her, blocking her view.

"Mom," Lily said, surprised. The fact that she had tracked her down meant that she at least knew where she lived.

"Mind if I join you?" she asked, sitting across from Lily without waiting for an answer. "I tried calling you, but you never called me back," she accused.

"I only got your message an hour ago," Lily said softly.

"That gave you an hour to call me." she insisted as the waitress approached. Eve Mercer turned on the charm with the waitress as she placed her order, and Lily took her time assessing the changes in her mother. She was still a beautiful woman, but she was a little less put together than she used to be, and Lily guessed it was because the money had run out. "Put it on my daughter's tab," Eve insisted, confirming Lily's thoughts.

"How have you been Mom, where have you been?" she asked as she sipped her coffee, and Lily spent the next half-hour listening to her talk about how perfect her life had been since she had left the ranch.

Lily nodded in all of the right places and murmured reassurances that her mother was still the prettiest.

"You see Lily, I need a place to stay, and I thought I could stay with you." Eve looked at her with sad eyes, and Lily was torn. She should help her mother out, she was her mother after all, but she also remembered what it had been like to live with her.

"I'm sorry, I don't have the room, Henry is staying with me right now." Lily was glad for the excuse.

"Henry?" she asked.

"Kate and Lee's son. He's here visiting, and he's staying with me."

"But I'm your mother Lily," Eve said sharply.

"I'm sorry, I promised Henry." Lily shook her head, holding her ground.

Eve's smile faded, and an ugly expression crossed her face. "You always were a thankless child Lily! Your father and I gave you everything, didn't we? Now I need your help, and you can't be bothered. I blame that Kate for putting ideas in your head that you're more important than you really are. It would have been something if you were born beautiful, but you weren't you were always plain, you needed me to make friends. Without your father's money, no one would have ever been your friend." She continued to rant at Lily, and all she could do was accept it. It was as if she was back home.

"May I have the check please," Lily asked the waitress softly in between her mother's rants. She continued to listen until she had paid the bill, then she stood. "Take care, Mom. I have somewhere I have to be," she said and started walking towards Penny's and Sam's house. She knew she couldn't go home because Eve would only follow her, but she could check on Henry.

Lily walked as fast as she could and almost ran up the steps to Penny's and Sam's house. She knew her mother had probably followed her, but she wasn't sure because she refused to look over her shoulder. Lily let herself in through the kitchen door and found Penny and Sam in the kitchen having breakfast.

"Hey, LeeLee!" Sam greeted, pushing out a chair for her to join him. "Penny just started breakfast! Kids LeeLee's here." That was all it took, all four of the Evers children came clamoring into the kitchen, all noise.

Lily welcomed the distraction because it helped take her mind off what had happened with her mother. "Are you alright?" Penny asked when there was a lull in conversation while they all ate.

"Yep, have you seen Henry? I'm a little worried about him." Lily picked at a piece of toast.

Penny pointed to the maid's room that was right off the kitchen. "He came in a little after eleven last night. He also seemed upset about something."

Lily stood and walked towards the door, knocking and then entering, closing the door behind her.

"Henry?" she asked softly. She could see his form under the covers. "Are you alright?" she pulled the covers off him, and he looked at her with wide eyes.

"No, I should have protected you. I should have kept you safe, and I couldn't!" Henry sat up and leaned against the headboard. He reminded her so much of the little boy who had first come to live with her and Kate years ago.

"Tell me what happened, Henry," Lily insisted, joining him on the bed.

Henry told her the entire story, leaving nothing out and Lily couldn't help but shudder at the two near misses she had had in the past weeks. Someone was looking out for her, and she knew who that someone was, Finn.

"If that your friend hadn't of been there..." Henry shook his head.

"Finn is good at being around where he's needed. He served with Lee."

"Is that how he knows him? He was a SEAL?" Henry asked wide-eyed.

"Yes, but now I need your help. I saw my mother today," Lily turned towards Henry. "You have to stay with me. I told her she couldn't because you were." Lily turned to look at him.

"You're not mad at me?" Henry asked.

"No, not really, I think you're a bit of a dumbass for trusting so readily, but I know you would never hurt me and you would have done your best to take care of me. I'm glad Finn was there, so no one had to get hurt." Lily stood up. "So, you'll stay with me?"

"Yes," Henry said, watching her as she stretched. "You like him, don't you, like really like him the way Mom likes Dad?"

"It's called love Henry, and yes, I love Finn Baxter. Not that it's doing me a whole lot of good at the moment."

"He likes you too, you know," Henry sat up and started to put on his shoes.

"He tolerates me at best." Lily shook her head.

"No, he likes you. That's why he spent all of last night in front of your apartment keeping an eye on you, and he said that he would check on you too. I made him promise. He said he stole your key." Henry was focused on his shoes, so he missed Lily's look of surprise and slow smile.

That meant she hadn't dreamed that he had held her last night and that he didn't go to his girlfriend.

"Come on, Henry," Lily said. "Let's go do something fun today."

She suddenly felt very happy, and it was a feeling that she hadn't felt in a very long time.