Chapter 1

It was raining. A car swerved off the road and crashed head-on into the rocky mountainside.
Christene remembered bright lights, being cold, and a lot of voices.
She briefly remembered people murmuring about parents and something about being dead….but what?
She couldn’t move. She was quite aware of the IV needles in her arms, the neck brace, the steady beeping of a heart monitor, being fed oxygen through an oxygen mask.
What’s going on? Everything was a blur. Then, there was darkness as she tumbled into the sea of unconsciousness.

"Christene…..Christene wake up…." The voice seemed far away. "How long has she been unconscious?"
"She was bought in about twenty-seven hours and thirty-two minutes ago."
"Thank you."
Christene opened her eyes and she looked around her.
There were two IV needles into both arms, she was in some hospital gown, what happened to her clothes, she had no clue.
Christene listened to the steady beeping of the monitor monitoring her heart, and wanted to rip the tube that was attached to her nose and was feeding her oxygen.
A man with a beard and nice eyes was looking down on her.
A nurse with a clipboard saw Christene’s eyes open. "Christene, this is Dr. Jacobson, and he’ll be reviewing your case."
"My case?" Christene murmured.
"Christene, do you know what happened?" Dr. Jacobson asked.
"No."
The smile on the doctor’s face faded. "Christene, you were in a car accident."
"I’m not stupid, I know that." Christene was irritated with the doctor. What’s his point anyways?
"I never said you were stupid…Christene, your parents have both died in the car accident."
Christene was in shock. Her parents, dead? "My….parents….are….dead?" She echoed hollowly.
"Yes, I’m sorry."
For Christene, time seemed to stop. The doctor was talking, but she didn’t care what he was saying.
Her parents were gone and that was the end of it. No more questions. Case closed. Period.
"Christene? Did you hear a word I said?" Dr. Jacobson asked.
"No, and I DON’T CARE, OK?" Christene yelled as her eyes misted over with tears.
"Oh dear." The nurse murmured as she rushed out of the room to fetch a doctor.
"Christene, Christene, honey, I want you to calm down." Dr. Jacobson said.
Who does this man think he is? How can he think he can call me honey and get away with it? "Don’t call me honey." Christene fumed. "I’ll calm down if I wanna, and I am certainly not in the best of moods so don’t push your luck."

"I don’t wanna be put in fostering, Cindy." Christene said to her nurse.
"Well, I can’t say or do much, but, you know, it’s the best for you." Cindy looked at Christene sympathetically.
"What if the parents are some deranged lunatics sent out from a mental institution?" Christene asked.
"Well, then, I doubt they’d be allowed to take you in, now, hmmm?" Cindy laughed.
Christene smiled. "That’s not funny."
"Yeah it is."
"No it’s not!"
A knock on the door interrupted them, and social workers Melissa Grey and Dan McGregor walked in through the door.
"Oh hi." Christene’s face fell when she saw who it was.
"Oh, don’t look so sad. We have good news this time." Melissa said enthusiastically.
"Good my thumb." Christene gave her eyes a good roll.
"I wouldn’t say that if I were you." Dan said mysteriously.
"So, you found some foster parents for me, that just don’t happen to be drug addicts that weren’t released from an asylum for the insane, and happen to live next door to some celebrity, and happen to have a perfect family and live in a huge house somewhere in Los Angeles, California, right? Or am I mistaken?" Christene knew she was wrong, but her voice dripped with sarcasm.
"Actually Christene-they’re very nice. You have to give them a chance." Melissa said.
"Chance? Yeah right. No one could possibly…" Christene was cut off by Dan.
"Christene, they already have another daughter, Reagan, and remember how you like that Mmmbop band or whatever?" Dan asked.
"Yeah…." Christene was puzzled. What did Hanson have to do with this?
"You’re a smart girl, you figure it out. West 78^th Street…Tulsa, Oklahoma…" Dan clucked his tongue, and waited for Christene to finish the sentence.
"Is by any chance the family the Coffmans’ and the parents are Janet and Harry?" Christene winced.
"Why, yes," Melissa said. "how did you know?"
"OOOOOHHH no." Christene groaned. NOT REAGAN! I KNOW REAGAN! I’M BEST FRIENDS WITH REAGAN! I CAN’T BE HER SISTER NOW! NO! But then again…I CAN’T BE HER SISTER! I’M SUPPOSED TO BE A LITTLE BRAT TO THEM! How am I gonna act like a brat to people that I really, really like? This is impossible! I can’t have foster parents that I already like!
"What’s wrong?" Dan asked.
"What’s wrong? My parents are dead, I don’t have a home anymore, and he asks what’s wrong! What is your problem?" Christene’s eyes flashed.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, down girl. Didn’t mean to make it sound the way it did. It’s just that the way you said ‘oh no’ was so pitiful I had to ask." Dan chuckled to himself, then stopped when he noticed the deadly look Christene was giving him.
"Christene, temper, temper." Cindy warned.
Christene let out her breath. "Fine, I’ll cooperate. And it’s only because I’m already best friends with Reagan and that’s the only problem why I can’t be the brat that I planned to be."

"And, here we are." They pulled up to a nice house.
Christene stepped out of the door, and saw Reagan running towards her, screaming her name. "CHRISSSSTENNNNNEEEE!"
"I don’t know her." Christene said to the lady that was driving the car. "Hey Reagan."
Reagan stopped in front of Christene before hugging her. "Come on, let me show you around."
Janet and Harry glanced at their daughter pulling a tired Christene after her into their house, and headed towards the social worker.
"Give her time. She’ll come through." The woman said.
"Oh, don’t worry, she’ll fit in nicely. She’s been racking up our phone bills for quite some while now." Janet laughed.
"Oh, ok." The lady nodded, quite dazed.
"Thank you." Harry said, shaking her hand.

"And this is your room." Reagan opened a door and led Christene into a warm, happy sun-lit room, very different from her own back home in New Jersey.
The atmosphere was more warm and inviting.
"You all went through all this trouble just for me?" Christene raised her eyebrows slightly.
"No, we didn’t we did it for….Our benefit. Of course we did it for you." Reagan said. "Look, your boxes are over there, you can unpack if you want. I’ll just um, help you."
"Reagan…" Christene was cut off by Reagan.
"Ok, ok, fine, I’ll leave." Reagan turned and left the room.
Christene stood staring at the door. A few seconds later, it re-opened and Reagan poked her head in. "Just scream if you need anything."
Christene shook her head and laughed.
"Hey, she laughed…Good sign." Reagan said aloud to herself.
Christene laughed again. "Shut up Reagan."
"You better introduce to me to all your friends." Christene said.
"Ok…Taylor’s having a party for his birthday in about three weeks...one week after his real birthday, and he’s inviting basically all his friends. And we made an exception of you. So you’re basically the star of the show. Which is good, of course. And I’m friends with basically all his friends. Except, we have different friends of course. Well, he’s not inviting…" Reagan stopped talking. "Ok, I’m babbling."
"Yes you are." Christene gave Reagan a look.
"Shut up."
"Don’t tell me to shut up, you shut up!"
"I won’t shut up, why don’t you shut up?"
"Honey, I’m not about to shut up. Don't waste your breath"
The two burst out laughing.

Chapter 2

"Reagan said something about meeting Christene earlier." Taylor said, lying on his bed, staring at the top bunk, on which Isaac was lying on.
"She did, and we will." Isaac said.
"Oh cool we getta meet Christene?" Zac piped up.
"No we don’t get to meet Christene, but she’s gonna be living next to us. For the next who-knows-how-long-many-months-or-years-even." Taylor supplied the answer for his brother.
"Um…Ok." Zac shrugged.
Isaac raised his eyes heavenwards. "Thank you, God, for such a bright, younger brother."

Taylor pulled on a pair of baggy black pants and pulled a brush through his hair.
"IKE GET OUT OF THE BATHROOM!" Zac was pounding on the bathroom door.
"Zac, I need the bathroom!" Jessica whined.
"Oh, quit your yapping." Zac said sternly to Jessica.
"Eeew, who asked you?" Jessica made a face.
"Both of you, shut up...please." Taylor said.
Zac turned towards Taylor and was about to say something when Isaac came out of the bathroom, then, he darted into the bathroom, yelling, "I’M THE KING OF THE WORLD!!"
"Jessie, don’t start, go to the downstairs bathroom and get it over with." Taylor raised his hands up in defense, and headed back towards his room.
"Tay can I borrow your brush?" Isaac asked.
"On the dresser." Taylor said, and put on some CKbe.
"Thanks." Isaac snatched Taylor’s brush.
"No problem."

"How do I look?" Reagan asked.
"Great. As usual." Christene gave Reagan a smile.
"Oh, come on, you look better than me. Everyone looks better than me." Reagan said.
"Oh, so that’s why you and that Jared you always talk about have a strange, strange friendship, Taylor asked you out three times, and you have more boyfriends than friends?" Christene asked.
"Well, you’ve had more boyfriends than you have friends."
"So? Your point is?"
"My point is, you’re just as-well, of course, you’re prettier than me."
"Am not!" Christene flushed.
"Shut up, yes you are." Reagan stepped back and admired Christene’s slender, petite, delicate exotic beauty. "You’re the one that looks like some Chinese supermodel, not me. "
"A Chinese model with green eyes? I don’t think so! Besides I’m not Chinese...I’m...Well, that doesn’t matter. I’m Human. You just look like Jenny McArthy. I understand perfectly." Christene stuck her tongue out.
"I DO NOT! Ever heard of contact lenses? I know your eye color is real, but...you know."
"Hey, at least you have real parents." Christene swallowed down the lump that was in her throat.
"Chris, do me a favor, and don’t get me depressed tonight."
"Girls, you ready yet?" Janet appeared at the door.
"Um...almost." Reagan said.
"Ok. We’re waiting for you."
Reagan looked at the assortment of perfumes and fragrances on Christene’s dresser. "Damn girl, you have a lot of stuff."
"No, really?" Christene rolled her eyes. "Borrow whatever you like. I have at least two of everything."
Reagan looked around and took a bottle of something French. "Thanks."

"Diana, Walker, um, this is Christene. Christene, well, you’re not stupid." Reagan said quickly.
"Hi. Nice to meet you." Christene smiled and shook their hands.
"We’ve heard so much about you!" Diana exclaimed.
"Yeah, we sure have." Walker grinned.
"Really?"
"Oh, my, I didn’t see you back there! Janet, honey, come right in." Diana exclaimed.
"Oh, it’s ok Diana. No problem at all." Janet smiled and walked into the kitchen.
"I can kinda just um, figure out who everyone is." Christene said.
"Oh, Reagan, dear, bring Christene upstairs to meet everyone else. The boys have a few friends in their room already, and you can find the younger ones in the play room." Diana called from the kitchen.
"Come on." Reagan motioned for Christene to follow her.
Christene meekly followed Reagan down a hall to a room at the end of the hall way that had music and laughter coming out of it.
Reagan opened the door, yelling, "Hey everyone. I’m here."
"Hey Reagan!" Zac called from the floor.
Taylor didn’t even look towards the door as he called hello to Reagan.
Isaac got up and walked towards the door, and he noticed Christene. "Hello new comer, and welcome to our humble abode."
Christene giggled. "Hey, I’m Christene."
"I knew that." Isaac said.
"Sure you did Ike." Reagan rolled her eyes.
Taylor immediately jumped off the bed, took a look at Christene, and turned off the music, and the noise level in the room dropped dramatically, as everyone turned to look at Christene.
"Guys, I’m a person, I’m not an alien, you can talk." Christene said, and broke the silence.
Zac got up, a very serious look on his face. "I’m an alien."
"Hi Alien, I’m from the moon. My name’s Christene. What galaxy do you so happen to come from? I come from the Milky Way." Christene flashed Zac a smile.
"I come from cartwheel galaxies far away." Zac said, mesmerized by Christene’s teeth.
"Zac, stop staring at Christene." Reagan said.
"No, it’s not Christene, it’s her teeth. You know you have the most....perfect teeth? Do they use you in commercials for toothpaste?" Zac asked.
"Zac, you’re embarrassing Christene." A pretty girl with brown hair spoke up.
"I am? Christene am I embarrassing you?" Zac put on an innocent face.
"No, Zac, you could never embarrass me." Christene was being sarcastic.
"Hey Christene, I’m Matt, and I’m wondering if you’re free Thursday night." A boy with blond hair and green eyes spoke up.
For some strange reason, Taylor had the sudden urge of yelling at Matt. What kind of stupid question is that?
"Matt, hun, I’m not the kind of girl that goes for guys just for looks. It depends on how the guy really is." Christene smiled.
"Oh. That sucks." Matt made a face.
"Shut up Matt. Hi. I’m Stephanie." The pretty girl that spoke up before said.
"Taylor, say something." Reagan ordered.
"Something."
"Wow, you talk, for a second there I thought you weren’t gonna talk at all." Christene laughed.
"He’s a bit shy." Reagan whispered, loud enough for Taylor to hear.
Taylor blushed.
"Aww, look at him blush!" Reagan cooed.
Taylor gave her the evil eye.

"So you’re into parties." Andy asked, flirting with Christene.
"Well, yeah, who wouldn’t be?" Christene asked, disposing of her pizza. "Oh, and Reagan, you better not head to that bathroom or I will strangle you with my own bare hands."
"What?" Reagan looked at Christene with a you better shut up or I will kill you look on her face.
"You know."
"So, it looks like you’re the main highlight of the evening." Taylor smiled.
"Yeah, I feel truly loved." Christene gave Taylor a warm smile that made him tingle.
You are. "Zac says that a lot."
"So I noticed."
Andy backed away from Christene and Taylor respectfully. It wasn’t often that his cousin was making moves on a girl. Then again, on any girl to top that one.
Christene sat down on Taylor’s bed, and scooted over to make room for Taylor, who sat down Indian-style on his bed.
"Tell me about yourself, Tay." Christene said to Taylor.
"Ok, well, what do you want to know?" Taylor asked.
"Well, I know the basics," Christene gave her eyes a slight roll. "how good are you at piano, exactly?"
"I dunno. I’ve played a long time." Taylor shrugged.
"I noticed." Christene smiled.
"Can you play piano?"
"Sure can."
"I’d like to hear some of that later, if you don’t mind." Taylor said.
"No, don’t mind at all."

Reagan looked up from her slice of pizza at Taylor and Christene for the millionth time. "They’re really getting it on."
"Yeah, Tay’s just making his moves on a girl like it’s every day he does that." Isaac said sarcastically, caught Taylor’s eye and gave him a thumbs-up sign.
Taylor looked like he was going to die.

Christene followed Taylor’s look to see Isaac and Reagan looking at them, both with knowing smiles plastered on their faces that said that they knew something that she didn’t know.
"Your mom looks nice." Christene said, changing the topic.
"Oh, she is, but she can be a pain at times. What about your....Oh no." Taylor groaned. "That was so insensitive of me, I’m sorry."
Christene smiled a smile that Taylor knew so well. The it’s ok don’t worry smile. She reached over and patted his hand twice. Taylor flushed at her touch.
Christene climbed off the bed, and brushed off her pants. "Ok, now, how ‘bout that tour of Tulsa that everyone’s been so happy about to explain to me?"

"Mom, we’re gonna take Christene exploring Tulsa ok?" Zac asked.
"Zac, ask Janet, not me."
"Ok, Janet, can Christene come with me and Reagan and everyone else on that tour we planned?"
"xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxd get some ice cream at Friendly’s." Janet smiled.
A little girl with blonde hair and big brown eyes came bouncing out of the room towards the left of the kitchen. She walked over to Diana and tugged on her shirt. "Mommy, who’s that girl?" She pointed at Christene.
"Avery, honey, don’t point. That’s Christene." Diana explained.
"Oh. Hi Christene. I’m Avery!" Avery explained, pointing at herself.
"Why, hello Avery. You know you’re a very pretty little girl?" Christene smiled as Avery beamed proudly.
"See Zac? Christene thinks I’m a very pretty girl! So ha! Take that, my older, ‘more mature’ brother!" Avery stuck her tongue out at Zac.
"She’s impossible."
Zac’s comment made everyone laugh.
"Avery, go get Jessica and everyone else, we’re going out for ice cream." Diana said, picking up Zoë.

Chapter 3

"You know what I just realized? Taylor has been very close with Christene." Diana said quietly to Walker.
"Yes, I noticed." Walker sensed the realization that his son may take a liking to Christene. "Christene looks nice enough. She’s very good with the younger kids."
"She’s great with the kids. Avie adores her. You can tell. Just look at her!" Diana nodded towards Avery who was holding onto Christene’s hand, trying to walk in step with her, and chattering away a mile an hour.

"Can I tell you a secret Chrissy?" Avery asked, lowering her voice.
Christene had given her and anyone else under the age of twelve permission to call her ‘Chrissy’.
"Sure."
"I think Taylor likes you." Avery whispered, glancing at her brother, who at the same moment glanced at her, and smiled, completely unaware of what Avery had just solemnly informed Christene.
"Oh, you do?" Christene whispered back, teasingly.
"Yep." Avery smiled.
"What are you two whispering about?" Taylor asked.
"Girl stuff." Christene supplied the answer.
Reagan was too busy trying to get her hands on Jared to notice anything that was going on around her.
"You know, we’re going to record that performance on Oprah the day before my birthday, and I was just wondering if you’d want to come along and see what life on the road is with Hanson." Taylor asked shyly.
"Ok. Sure. Cool." Christene said, completely unaware that Isaac was giving Taylor a secret thumbs up sign.
"Ok, so, now alls I gotta do is ask my dear mommy and daddy...if it’s ok with them." Taylor laughed.
"Hey did you realize that if you eat a certain type of ice cream, it’ll give you really bad brain freeze and you’d become an insane person or something like that would foam at the mouth and have blood coming out of his eyes and ears and his guts would disintegrate and everything and...." Zac was cut off by Isaac.
"Zac, you’re talking about Ebola. And it’s a disease, and you can’t get it by eating perfectly fine ice cream."
"I knew that."
"Sure you did, Zac," Christene rolled her eyes. "Don’t make me sick."
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWW!" Avery made a face.
"Don’t listen to him, Avie." Jessica said, taking the hand of her sister.
"Um...whatever you say Jessie." Avery gave her small shoulders a little shrug and let go of her sister’s hand.
Christene noticed that Diana, who was talking to Janet was having trouble with Zoë, and was shifting the baby uncomfortably from one arm to the other.
Christene headed towards Diana and offered to take Zoë. Diana smiled a grateful smile and handed Christene Zoë.
The baby’s eyes widened as she was handed to Christene, and she almost started to cry. Christene gently shifted Zoë until she found a more comfortable position to hold her, and she walked close to Diana and Janet.
"She’s real cute." Christene smiled and gave Zoë a tiny kiss on her cheek.
Diana and Janet both smiled, upon seeing the baby’s little mouth perk up into a smile.
"Why, thank you." Diana smiled.
"I have no idea how you do it. Seven kids. Unbelievable, yet so true." Janet gave Diana a knowing, weary smile.
"Oh, I get around..." Diana paused for a moment. "That...didn’t....sound....too...good...did it?"
"I would say no." Christene laughed, and Diana flushed.
Zoë started gurgling happily, and grabbed Christene’s hair and tugged. Christene winced.
"ZOË!" Diana exclaimed.
The baby let go of Christene’s hair, startled, and started to cry. "Aww....Shhhh....shhh.....it’s ok......there now....don’t cry." Christene patted Zoë and the little girl buried her face into Christene’s shoulder and snuffled.
Diana smiled at the way Christene calmed the baby. "You want me to take Zoë now?"
"No, I’m fine, I can take her." Christene said.
"No, actually, I think I’ll take her, I think you should go and get to know everyone better, I mean, after all, it is your first day here!" Diana said.
"Well....Ok." Christene reluctantly handed Diana the baby, then headed walked quickly back to the group of older kids and walked in step with Zac and started a conversation with him.

Diana noticed that Taylor was watching Christene from the corner of his eye, and the look on his face was somewhat caring...Diana brushed all her thoughts aside.
"She is like a perfect little mother, except, she’s not really a mother yet." Diana exclaimed.
"I know!" Janet said. "Why can’t Reagan be more like her?"
"Reagan's good enough. She’s sweet." Diana came to Reagan’s defense.
"I know that, but, look at her flirt with Jared. She’s completely blocking out the rest of the world. Christene, she’s just making sure everyone, from Zoë to Walker gets her equal share of undivided attention. She and Taylor would be just perfect together." Janet sighed.
"That’s what I’m afraid of," Diana winced. "I was hoping you didn’t notice that little thing going on between them and what I was noticing was just...my eyes."
"Diana, don’t come between two people-preferably TAYLOR and someone else when it has something to do with romance. He’s so responsible. I’m sure he can take care of himself." Janet said immediately.
"Yeah, I guess you’re right." Diana said, following Janet into the ice cream shop.
Taylor slid into the seat across from Christene. "Hey, you and Reagan can come to see us on Oprah."
"Great!" Christene smiled, and jerked her thumb at Reagan, making a face as Reagan continued to talk to Jared non-stop.
Taylor politely covered a smile with his hand.
"Hey, you gonna flirt all night or you gonna talk to us?" Zac asked, messing up Reagan’s hair.
Reagan shot Zac a look that could kill. "Zac..."
Zac smiled innocently. "What?"

**A While Later @ the Coffman Household**

"This has been one memorable first-time-in-town night that I will not forget," Christene smiled. "Thanks guys."
"Anytime." Isaac grinned.
"Ditto." That was Taylor.
"ZAC LET ME IN ALREADY!" Avery pounded on the door.
"No way Avery."
"Zac, just let her in!" Christene went over to Zac, yanked him away from the door and let in Avery.
"Thanks!" Avery grinned. "Whoa Christene, this is your room? Wow, it’s so nice!"
"Thanks, it’s courtesy of Janet and Harry, with Reagan’s brains of interior decorating." Christene drawled with a mock southern accent.
"What about me?" Reagan asked, grabbing a pillow off Christene’s bed and hitting her on the head with it.
"O-Ooh!" Christene grabbed another pillow and hit Reagan with it.
"Cat fight!" Jared called from across the room, laughing.
"Which cat do you think will win? The fat tabby or the pretty white one?" Isaac teased.
"Clarke Isaac Hanson, you will die a slow and painful death and I will see to that one!" Reagan growled, then laughed.
"Reagan has a nasty temper." Zac made a face.
Avery quietly edged out of the room and closed the room door quietly.
"ZAAAAAAAC!" Reagan threw a pillow at Zac, then flounced on the bed.
"Hey, what’s this?" Zac uncovered a photo album, and flipped through it. "Cool."
"Zac..." The tone in Christene’s usually calm voice was different, although Zac didn’t notice much. Taylor noticed though. It was the tone that meant Christene was trying to control her temper.
Taylor went over, and took the photo album out of Zac’s hands, closed it, and gave it to Christene, with a look of apology in his eyes.
He hoped she would explain that to him later.
Christene’s cheerful mood from earlier had dissolved, and she was now acting depressed and edgy.
Reagan noticed. "Hey um, guys, do you mind if y’all go downstairs so I can talk to Chris? Tay stay outside the door and wait."
"Um....ok." Taylor agreed.
Reagan shut the door after him.
"Were those pics of your parents?" Reagan turned to Christene.
"Yeah. Dammit, I hoped no one would find that album." Christene said.
"You mind if I took a look?"
"NO WAY ARE YOU LOOKING AT IT!" All of Christene’s self-control and discipline dissolved in one explosion. "I’m getting outta here. I don’t know what I’m even doing here."
Christene grabbed her bag and photo album and ran out the door, only to be grabbed by Taylor. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, where do you think you’re going?"
"CHRISTENE!" Reagan flew out of the door and skid to a stop in front of Christene and Taylor.
Taylor gave Reagan a look that meant for her to go downstairs. I’ll speak to her.
Fine. Was what the look that Reagan gave Taylor said.

"Let me go!" Christene struggled to get out of Taylor’s hold on her, but his hands never let go of her until she was safely in her room.
"Who do you think you are, and what do you think you’re doing?"
"I know who I am, but what I’m doing, I don’t know. All I know is that you’re running out of that room like Reagan transformed into the Devil or something like that, and crying your eyes out. I wanna know what’s wrong." Taylor said, surprised by his sudden confidence.
"Why do you care? Why would you care about me?" Christene asked, wiping her eyes with the back of her hands.
"Because you’re someone that deserves to be cared about," Taylor looked straight at Christene. "I know you had to go through so much pain and loss in the past few months. You really did not deserve that. You deserve so much better, and all that had to be taken away in a blink of an eye. Everyone cares about you.....especially.....especially me." Taylor blushed at what he said.
Christene’s eyes softened. "You really mean that?"
"Why wouldn’t I not mean it?" Taylor asked. "I..I really want to get to know you better, Christene. Running away from your problems is not going to solve anything, you have to turn and face them. I know from experience. But this isn’t a problem. I know you feel it is, but it’s not. It’s a solution. We all really care about you."
"I...I don’t know what to say." Christene murmured.
"You have to give us all a chance. Are you willing to do that?" Taylor asked.
"Yeah. I...I guess." Christene smiled weakly.
"Good." Taylor said. He reached over and gave Christene a hug. "Now would you mind if I took a look at those pictures?"

"And this was when we were in California." Christene smiled as she thought back.
"I see beauty really does run in the family." Taylor’s eyes met with Christene’s, and he quickly looked away.
"That’s really sweet of you to say." Christene blushed.
"Thanks."
"No problem."
"Hey, is Titanic still in theaters?" Taylor asked.
"Oh yeah." Christene laughed.
"Maybe we should see it together sometime, that is, if you’re not busy." Taylor offered.
"Me, busy?" Christene shook her head. "Oh, I think I’d love to see Titanic with you. But, I’m paying."
"No you’re not."
"Oh yes I am."
"No you’re not!"
"Do you wanna see it or not?"
"How’s this-I’ll pay for the tickets and refreshments, and you can just see it?" Taylor asked.
"Hell no!" Christene exclaimed. "It’s not right."
Taylor shook his head and laughed. "You’re merely impossible, you know that?"
"Yeah." Christene laughed.
"Christene, we’re gonna see Titanic together, and because you’re new, it’s kind of like a welcome present from me, ok?" Taylor asked.
"Well, I can’t really compete with that..."
"Ok, good that you understand."
Taylor glanced at Christene’s eyes, then looked again. "You have the most interesting eyes, you know that? What ethnic group are you from?"
Christene had the most spectacular of green eyes fringed with the blackest of black eyelashes.
"Actually, to tell you the truth, I don’t know what ethnic group I’m from."
They both laughed.