It was late and Shane still sat on her living room sofa, listening to her mother's voice message again.

"Honey, Alex called me a little while ago and told me about your call to her earlier this evening. Shane, I can't

tell you how it soothed my soul to know that you were able to reach out to your sister after all this time. I understand

how hard that must have been for you, but you can't imagine how you encouraged not only her, but me. Let's talk, soon, ok?

I love you, Crackers."

It was late but they had agreed that that should never matter.

"Hello?...Hello?"

"Oliver...?"

"Are you all right? Are you crying, Shane?"

"Yes, but I am not unhappy."

"Please, tell me."

"Mom left me a voice mail. Alex told her I had called. Mom...Mom understood how hard that call was for me."

"Did she make any other comment?"

"She actually said it was 'soothing to her soul.' And she was 'glad that i had reached out.'

"Are you glad that you did?"

"Yes. Maybe...maybe not only Alex is healing, but maybe we can begin to heal as a family, too. I want to thank you, Oliver.

Your support...what you said...how you stood with me...I owe you..."

"You actually owe me nothing. Remember how you did the very same for me, sweetheart? You even held the phone to my ear, as

I recall," Oliver chuckled. "I would never have reached out to my dad except for your quite literally helping me to do so!"

"Okay," she smiled through her tears. "We can call it even." There was a short silence. "I know it's late, but..."

"Meet you on the porch swing...ten minutes?"

"If you call me 'sweetheart' again, you have a deal!"

"I'm on my way...sweetheart!"