Savannah's eyes fluttered open when she heard the soft cooing of birds. Lavenders and lights blues were being chased by oranges and reds and she felt that sunrise was near. Stretching carefully, she surveyed her surroundings to find that she was still on the couch. She immediately noticed the darkness that was cast into her living room and realized that it was coming from the large window. The events from the night before slowly crept back int her mind as she sat up on the couch and let her feet fall to the floor.

"Ouch," she heard a man's voice and jumped back. "I didn't mean to scare you." Dwight sat up and stretched. Savannah's eyes were immediately drawn to his bare chest. They rolled over his muscled pecs and over his washboard stomach. His brown skin looked smooth to the touch. When she felt his hand on hers, she blushed.

"I... um... thank you for boarding up my windows." she averted his gaze. She could feel his eyes moving over her face and down her neckline and onward.

He scooted closer to her leg and placed his head on her knee. She tried to contain her emotions as he caressed her leg. "No problem. I didn't mind at all." He stood up and Savannah glanced one more time at his chest before she looked away.

"I had a really nice time with you. Apparently, drama seems to like being around us."

He laughed as he pulled his shirt over his shoulders and buttoned it up. "I don't really mind the drama. I could see if you were causing it. It just seems to be happening to you." He glanced down at his watch. "I think I should go. Isabella will be getting up soon and we usually watch cartoons together. I don't want to miss it." Dwight walked over to Savannah, grabbed her hands and kissed her cheek. "I'll call and check on you later."

She watched him walk out of her house and pull off in his car before she headed upstairs to her bedroom. She stretched across the bed and looked at her clock. A quarter to five. She could sleep for a few more hours and then get up and go get her boys.

The image of Dwight lying shirtless on her floor ran continuously through her mind, his muscles rippling with each statement, the bass in his voice traveling through her body. She shivered at the thought of him touching her. It had definitely been a while since a man touched her in that way. Savannah was amazed that she was even able to conjure up those feelings. It took her a moment to realize that Dwight had boarded up the window in her bedroom as well. The wood was cut evenly and nailed to the frame as if it belonged there.

She thought of how reliable Dwight had been, and how he just fused into her crazy situation so nicely. She took off her jeans and slid underneath her blankets and closed her eyes. Thousands of thoughts circled around in her mind as she tried to settle down into sleep.

*********************************************

"So, according to the officer, Mike plead guilty and he has to pay a fine. I just hope he has it all out of his system." Savasnnah sat in her sister's kitchen. Kim's daycare kids were there and Savannah's boys were playing with them out back. Nicholas sat close to the door and played with some blocks Kim had given him.

"You know he's doing that because he still loves you. No man who doesn't care is going to risk going to jail for something stupid. He probably thought you were out on a date and started tripping. Who knows how long he's been thinking about stuff like that." Kim sat a glass of lemonade on the table near Savannah.

"Mike doesn't care. He's moved on and so have I." She thought of Dwight.

"If you think so. That man still cares." she paused. "But enough about the past. What time did Dwight leave last night.... or this morning?"

"I think it was close to five."

"Oooh, you nasty! If Momma were hear, I would tell on you! What did ya'll do?"

"We didn't do anything. I fell asleep before he finished boarding up the windows. When I woke up, he was lying on the floor with his shirt off." Savannah's eyes glistened. "I gotta tell you, he is one fine specimen."

"He looks like it. Brother takes care of his body. The only thing with them is that their chiseled bodies can make you feel so self-conscious about yours. Are you guys getting serious?"

"Well, I'm not sure. It's only been a few weeks and you know me, I like to make sure. I try to avoid any issues by waiting them out."

"And what has that gotten you? By yourself and your windows busted out. But I've seen the way Dwight looks at you. It's sincere and it's not lust. I think he may truly be digging you girlfriend. And he has a daughter so he knows your struggle. What more do you need to know?" Kim glanced at the children in the yard.

Savannah noticed Kenneth, dressed in rags, towering over them. She looked at her sister with a perplexed expression.

"Don't you think he's just the bee's knees? He stayed home from golfing to help me with the kids. Girl, you know when I met him, he proposed to me that following week. And don't you know I said yes. But I told ya'll I knew him for a year before." Kim held her finger up. "Don't even look at me like that. You know if I would have told you, there would have been drama."

"You doggone right! Marrying him like that! You know how many serial rapists are around? Gosh!" Savannah brought her hand to her forehead and sighed.

"But he wasn't one, was he? I love him girl and if I had said no, who knows where or how unhappy I would have been." She paused. "Dwight seems like a good guy. But if you need to take it slow, do that. Don't rush anything for anybody."

Savannah nodded as she stood up. "Thanks, Kimmy. I needed that. I think me and the boys are going to do something today. Go to the park, or down the Hrbor, something. I do need to take them shopping." She glanced off into space.

"Well, take them shopping and then take them to have some fun." She paused. "And stay away from Mike."

Savannah swatted at her sister before she gathered her boys and put them in the car. She glanced at Jake. His head was leaning against the window, his hands holding on to each other in his lap. His action figures laid undisturbed on the seast next to him. "Jake, baby, what's wrong?"

"I don't know." He mumbled.

"I know things have been a little crazy. You have been such a big boy, helping me with Nicholas and everything." She paused and glanced at him through the rearview mirror. He was sitting up and looking out the window. Nicholas was busy tossing his figures around in the air to be concerned with Jake.

"Is Daddy in jail?" He turned to look at her. She caught his eyes in the rearview mirror.

"Your daddy did something that the police did not like. And they asked him some questions. But heis not in jail, okay? He's fine. You don't have to worry about that, okay?"

"Okay." He seemed to brighten up.

Savannah wished she could do more to comfort her son. Sha had met many children who were severely affected by the things that went on in the environments. She'd tried hard to make the home lives of her boys as happy as she could.

She remembered how hard it was for her and Kim, living with their mom. Not that their mom didn't try her hardest, but having cancer and trying to raise two vivacious little girls really can be overwhelming. She knew Jake was too young to be taking on the responsibility that he was.

She drove a little while longer, thoughts whirring about in her head before she finally pulled up in front of Family Sports Zone. Jake's eyes lit up as he tried with all his might to get out of his seatbelt. Nicholas, not really knowing why his brother was so excited, started his own squealing. Savannah released Jake who took off for the front door and carried an excited Nicholas.

"One adult and two children, please," she handed the cashier the money and took the tickets and the tokens. She handed Jake five tokens and watched him head over to the motorcycles. She walked behind Nicholas as he waddled over to the little baby cars. She put him on the red one and smiled as he asked to ride time after time.

"Look at me, mommy!" She looked up and Jake was climbing the rock wall. He waved frantically at her and she waved back. About thirty minutes later, they were sitting at the table eating pizza.

"You having fun, baby?"

"Yea!" Jake yelled.

"Yea!" Nicholas yelled too. Savannah wiped the pizza sauce from his face and around the edges of his hair. She could not imagine how a child could get food in his eyebrows and behind his ears. Jake talked rapidly through lunch and before she knew it, he was getting up from the table and running over to the bumper cars.

An hour later, Savannah cradled a sleeping Nicholas in her arms and watched Jake run around with a few friends he picked up on the way. She could hear a slight wheeze in Nicholas' breathing. She wiped his forehead and loosened his jacket. Fearing another attack, she scanned the room for Jake and noticed he wasn't in sight. A surge of panic formed in the pit of her stomach and she frantically searched the area for her son

"Jake!" She yelled, trying not to scare Nicholas.

She ignored the panicked looks of the other parents and continued to try to find her son. She checked where the motorcylces were. She searched near the bumper cars and over by the arcade games. She could hardly breathe as she lugged her baby around. Savannah fought back the tears as she wondered if her son was missing.

"Mommy," she turned to see Jake behind her, holding up a sticker. "I got you this."

Savannah pulled him close to her chest and squeezed him. "I was worried about you." She checked his face and his hands while he tried to tell her he was okay.

"I'm ready to go. I had fun!" Savannah sighed and went to retrieve their things.

**********************************************

Savannah sat on the edge of Jake's bed and watched him sleep. He was starting to look more and more like his father. But tonight, he looked like her. She could see traces of her self in him. She ran her fingers across his face. She sighed, wondering if she was in over her head. She loved her boys, there was no dount. But she wondered if she was doing the very best she could for them. Nicholas' attacks were becoming more frequent and even though she made sure that he took his medicine faithfully, and she made sure that Jake was in school and doing his homework, she felt she could do more.

Even as she sat in the PTA meetings, took them out on Saturdays, read to them at night, made each and every doctor's appointment, she knew there were better mothers. She looked at the brochure in her hand. The repurcussions of the decision would last forever. Nicholas would probably be okay, but Jake. Savannah wondered if Jake would truly suffer from it.

She kissed his forehead and eased over to Nicholas' bed. He had her features. Long lashes, big brown eyes that seemed to glow. She remembered when he was a baby how happy she was to have two boys. Even when they announced that he had asthma, she swore that she would do whatever was in his power to keep him healthy. She wasn't sure if she was doing that though. She kissed his soft cheek and let her lips linger there for a few minutes. She picked up the brochure and headed to her bedroom. She stood at the door and glanced back at her boys. It was going to be a long night.