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Alana pulled her car into the familiar driveway at 4:00 that afternoon. The drive took her about two and a half hours to get to Jacksonville from Orlando. She grabbed her suitcase and duffel bag and hauled it up to the front door of her parents' house.

Unlocking the door with a spare key that she had since she was thirteen; she walked into the familiar surroundings of her childhood home. The pictures on the wall near the brown, wooden staircase brought back instant memories of her past. The pictures hung in a row. She smiled as she passed all three of her siblings' professional graduation pictures. Stopping at her own picture; her hair was around her shoulders, long and pin straight. The expression on her face was a happy one; the same smile that she smiled last night with Nick in front of the world. I’m happy with him. I deserve to be happy. Then why do I keep running away?

Alana wondered if she would share more of those smiles with him. She wanted everything to work out, but was she willing to change everything for him?
~**********~

Henry and Julie Patterson both rushed home from their jobs to see their daughter, in whom that haven't seen in months. Henry worked as a graphic designer for a large company in the city of Jacksonville and his wife worked as a paralegal for a small firm outside of the city.

Alana was bombarded with hugs and kisses from both of her parents. She knew that she should come and visit more often.

"Oh honey," Julie cried, as she pulled away from her daughter “Look at you! You've gotten so beautiful!"

Alana smiled at her mom. Growing up with three brothers and being the youngest out of the four, she and her mother had a great relationship.

"This is such a surprise," Henry said as he took of his sport coat and set it on top of his briefcase on the couch. "Are you on vacation?"

His little girl smiled. Oh, how he missed her. He missed having her around since she moved to Tampa when she got accepted into college seven years ago. Alana hugged her dad again and felt tears form in her eyes. I really should do this more often, she thought to herself again. You don’t realize how much you miss your family until you come home to visit.

A little while later, Julie had prepared a nice home cooked meal in honor of Alana. She had made roast beef, mashed potatoes and homegrown beans that she had frozen from the summer before. Alana smiled at her parents as they started to eat. She really missed Nick, even though she didn't want to, she really did. Would he really come after her? Is that was she wanted?
~**********~

Nick packed a few clothes and threw them into a black duffle bag. He grabbed his cell phone, a pack of cigarettes and his hotel key and shoved them in his pants pockets. After putting on a black knit beanie on his head, he headed out the door to hotel parking garage. He didn't tell anyone where he was going because he knew they would just try and stop him. She’s more important this time.

A cab was waiting for him as he walked off the elevator on the ground level. Nick decided he would call Frank and let him know where he was when he got to his destination. He told the driver to head toward Route 95, which ran up the east coast of Florida.

No more than two hours later, Nick was woken up as the cab driver stopped at a stop light in the middle of Jacksonville.

"Where to Mister?" The cabby asked, his accent slurred.

"5513 Commerce Street," he answered without giving it a second thought.

He looked out the window and just noticed that it was starting to rain. The weather seemed to dampen his mood even more. He didn't know how Alana was going to react when he showed up on her parents' doorstep. Would she be happy to see him?

The cab stopped in front of a yellow, adobe-style, two story house. Her car was in the driveway, which meant she was here. Nick paid the cab driver and got out. The rain hit him hard as he walked up the sidewalk to the front door. He felt every inch of his body getting soaked, but he didn't care.
~**********~

The doorbell rang. Alana glanced at the clock; it was after 7 p.m. that evening. Henry retired to the study to work on some projects that he had brought home, while Julie was in the laundry room. She got up from the kitchen table and proceeded to the living room to answer the door.

She opened it and saw Nick. He was soaked from head to toe from the pouring rain. His clothes were plastered to his body, emphasizing it. He had a duffle bag in one hand and his hat in the other.

"Who's at the door?" Her mother asked as she carried a basket of clean clothes out into the living room.
Alana just looked at Nick. She didn't know what to say to him because she didn't think he would come after her. I can’t believe he’s here! What about his album? Does this mean that I’m just as important? Julie looked and saw Nick.

"Nickolas!!" she said excitedly.” Well, let him in Alana, it's pouring."

Alana let him and he set his bag on the rug that was in front of the door.

"Let me go get you some towels Nickolas," Julie said.

She still didn't know what to say to him. Nick had been here a few times, so he knew how to get here. Julie came back out with two clean white towels and a laundry basket.

"Alana, take Nick upstairs to get out of those wet clothes," her mother said giving her the laundry basket.

She sighed and took the basket from her and started up the stairs.

Nick took of his shoes as Julie took his wet jacket and hung it on the coat rack. He followed Alana up the stairs with his bag over his shoulder. After stopping at the bathroom door; she shoved the basket on the floor.

"You're not supposed to be here," she said angrily.
~**********~