After a while, my mom let us go. My dad still wasn't home, and she said as long as we didn't get in trouble, we could go. She already knew that Faith still saw her mom, and I felt like the only one that didn't. But I knew I couldn't get mad, because I was keeping secrets too.

We drove for an hour, and ended up being 45 minutes late to meet Faith's mother. Faith's mom sat in an old, dented white Cadillac, smiling. She got out of the car as soon as she saw us, and I got a full picture of her.

Faith was a spitting image of her, with the same blonde, blonde hair and sea blue eyes. She was just about the same height as her daughter, it was strange. They both had one dimple in the same place, on the same side of her face. They were basically clones of each other, and she was so young the two of them could have been sisters. She was probably in her 30s, but dressed as if she were 19, maybe younger. It was strange, but there was something different about her, weird, that I couldn't place at first glance. I couldn't figure it out until we started talking.

Faith got out of the car slowly, and grabbed my hand. She squeezed it nervously, and I let her. I didn't know what else to do.

"Mom," she said when we got up to the lady. She dropped my hand and let the lady hug her. She more gave her an awkward squeeze, though, like when you see someone at a family reunion that knows you but you don't know them.

"My baby. How are you?" She asked, warmth in her voice. There was something off about her voice. It was Faith's, but not. It wasn't sing-songy, or sweet or cheerful. Looking at both of them, I figured out what it was. There was a twinkle in Faith's eye, and it was missing in her mother's. The life had been sucked out of her a long time ago, and I couldn't figure out why, but I didn't like it.

"I'm good, Mom. This is my best friend, Hope." She introduced me kindly, and I offered my hand.

"Hope, you look familiar. Do I know your parents? I'm Sandy by the way," she said. I was taken aback, and I didn't know how to respond.

"Yeah. Or at least you did. You know Uncle Ponyboy and Aunt Lydia, right?" Faith answered for me. Sandy nodded.

"Yes... You didn't tell me she's your cousin. Although I never would have guessed Ponyboy Curtis to be your father, Hope," she said. It occurred to me that she could have been my aunt, if things had turned out differently, and I blushed for a few different reasons. I had realized as an afterthought that Faith still as no idea that Ponyboy wasn't actually my father, and I wasn't exactly planning on telling her today.

"Ponyboy Curtis?" She muttered before I said anything else. "I really would have thought Winston, looking at those eyes. But he's gone, isn't he?" My cheeks heated up as she finished her thought, and I really didn't know what to say.

"Dallas Winston?" Faith exclaimed. "I never even thought you knew him." Her mom shrugged.

"Honey, back then everyone did. He was in tour father's gang, always flirting with me, even when he was with Sylvia. Even full knowing what a crush Lydia had on her. Gosh, that must've hurt her. I've never even thought about it until now," she droned on. I looked at Faith, who shrugged. I got the feeling that this happened a lot. The way her mom just babbled along, mumbling things to herself that she probably shouldn't be saying out loud.

"Anyways, why don't we go inside, girls," she suggested, smiling.

"Good idea. Hey, why did you want us to come earlier?" Faith asked as she held the door for us. We were seated at a table in a nice restaurant before she got her answer.

"Why? Faith, honey, I have big news and I just couldn't wait any longer!" She sounded excited. You could wait the extra 45 minutes it took us to get here, but not the extra 15 that you asked us to be here by?

"Okay.... What's the news?" She asked. She only seemed half interested.

"Are you ready?" Her mother asked, smiling wide. Faith looked curiously at me, and I could tell she thought something was wrong. Or just weirdI shrugged, and waited for Sandy to go on.

"Honey, it's wonderful, I promise," she said.

"Okay... What is it?" Faith asked. She sounded annoyed, and I'd never seen her this agitated before. She didn't like her mother, and if I couldn't tell before, I definitely could now.

Before we received an answer, the waiter came over to take our order. We watch got something, and then looked to Sandy again.

"I'm getting married," She said. Nothing else. She was smiling, but she didn't seem all that excited.

"Mom, that's great. Who's the... lucky guy?" Faith asked. There was a hint of sarcasm in her voice that I don't think her mother picked up. Her mom shrugged.

"Just a guy. I've known him since before you were born, and we just recently reconnected. But that's not all," she said. She was getting more excited by the second. It was weird to see, and I knew something big had to be happening.

"Faith, I want to talk to your dad about having you move in with me," she declared. My heart skipped a beat. I felt sick. Had I heard that right? Did she really want to take her away from me? Faith didn't even like this woman, you could just tell. So why was she trying so hard?

"What?" Faith demanded. "What did you just say?" Her mom smiled like she had no idea what was wrong.

"I want you to move in with me again, baby." She looked like the Cheshire Cat, her smile was so big. I grabbed Faith's hand. She looked like she was going to cry, and she obviously didn't know what to say. I wanted her to tell her mother right then and there that that wasn't what she wanted. That she loved her dad and her siblings, and living next door to me, but she didn't.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" Sandy asked. She had completely changed the subject in a matter of seconds. My mouth dropped open. I didn't know what to do.

"N-no. Why?" Faith responded. Sandy tried to take her daughter's free hand, but she drew it back.

"Honey, this is perfect. If that's the case, you can leave your old school free of guilt, right?" She asked. "Oh, babygirl, I'm so excited!" She hugged her daughter, and Faith didn't hug back. She didn't even let go of my hand. When her mom let of of her, she stood up.

"Uh, Mom, I think Hope and I better get going. I-I'm not feeling so well," she said.

"Faith, wait. Maybe you just need to eat. The food will be here soon," Sandy said. Faith shook her head.

"N-no. We really should be going. Bye, Mom," she said, rushing off. Sandy stared at us as we walked out the door.

"You're not going to do it, are you?" I asked as soon as I knew Sandy couldn't hear us. Faith looked over, and for the second time today, I saw her crying. It hurt.

"She can't make me, right Hope? Please tell me she can't." She was sobbing. I didn't answer. Because again, I didn't know how to help her. I just wasn't sure.

A/N: What are we thinking here? I rewrote this scene so many times with the same basic thing happening but different personalities for Sandy... What do we think's going to happen next? -Katy