Lane smoothed her blazer over her pants and opened her arms to Erin. She knew it would be awkward, and the unexpected drop in was libel to shock the girl. But, really, it was better than Erin finding out Lane was in town and didn't come to see her.

Lane was much taller than the delicate Erin and could engulf her in the hug. Erin's arms came back around Lane and the embraced like that for a long moment. Long delicate fingers ran over Erin's hair as the younger woman(just barely) spoke.

"Hello, Erin. I thought maybe you could use a friendly visit." And the kind words from Lanes mouth made Erin cry. Lane wasn't sure what to do with the sobbing woman, so she just held on. "Hey, hey... it's okay. Shhh, it'll be allright. I just came for lunch. I wanted to see you."

If there was anything Lane suspected, it was that Erin was a bit mixed up. She knew the woman well, she thought, and it didn't seem like her to cheat on Sebastian and galavant about town. It didn't seem like her to do anything it was reported she was doing. And though Lane may have been a little misinformed, in the end she was right about the mental state of the woman she had come to see.

"We'll have some tea. I brought a thermos." The English and their tea! Finally the arms of the taller woman let Erin go and she stepped back to look at her friend.

"We all make mistakes, Erin. I just think it's time you owned up to yours. I'm not sure what you and Sebastian have said to each other, but it's high time you apologize to his family." Lane was being stern for the first time in a long time if not ever. "You turned our lives upside down, and we all accepted it because you loved him and he loved you. But to throw it all away on this stupid, childish behavior. You were raised better than that, Erin. We both know it."

The harsh words hung in the air for a long moment before Erin sighed and sipped her tea. The nod was slow again, her eyes closing for a moment before opening again.

"Lane... I know. I know. But.. it wasn't just that I woke up one morning and decided to--well... Things weren't working before I cheated on Sebastian. Things haven't been working for a long long time. I love him. He loves me. But if any couple has proven that's not enough..." Erin pinched the bridge of her nose. "I couldn't wait anymore. For things to be the way they should. I couldn't wait anymore for him to learn to accept me or me to learn to be what he needed. He tried so hard to love me, and I tried so hard to love him-- but it wasn't the right way for either of us." The plastic cup was put on the table with a bit of a clatter.

"Erin, you are sidestepping the issue here. I've read the blog. I've seen Sebastian's face fall every time you're associated with another man. What are you looking for? What is it out there that you really want? Because, honestly, I think it is time you grow up and stop acting like a child and face your life. You can't have everything and you need to learn a little responsibility. I know your life hasn't been easy on you-- but how many more people are going to coddle and hold you and tell you everything is okay before you learn to face your own demons?" She was looking at Erin with what was possibly her harshest face. It wasn't particularly harsh, because it was Lane, but it was getting its point across.

The bell jangled on the door as a customer came in. Lane, sliding off her stool, stood to full height and greeted the woman. She was middle aged, slightly over weight(but not huge) and looking for a dress for her daughter to wear to the Spring Fling. Erin didn't move from that position slightly crumpled behind the counter, so Lane, slid around the counter and went to work.

She helped the woman find the dress. She took the money. She was pleasant and easy going and didn't let on at all that she was in the middle of a very upsetting conversation. Lane was so engaging, that the woman didn't even notice the somewhat sobbing Erin also behind the counter. Even when she was picking out matching jewellery for the dress. Lane commanded her attention.

Once the woman was gone, Lane turned to Erin and set a soft hand on her shoulder. "Erin, darling... Stand up, wipe your eyes and just face it. Look it square in the face. Take on your life. Take on yourself. Use all of that passion and fervor I've seen in you and just-- look at what you did? When you were stranded in London. You wanted to go home, you wanted to be with Sebastian, and you did it. You figured out a way. You need to use that discipline. You need to use that strength." Lane brushed some tears from the face of her older, yet much younger, sister.

"You are a strong person and everyone is doing you a disservice by holding you and comforting you and letting you hurt yourself over and over because they think you don't know any better. I'm not going to do that. Do I want you to get back with Sebastian? I do. Part of me always will. I want you all to be happy-- I want you to be family. But it is not my job to push you or to tell you what to do. No matter how much you want to be told. I am going to talk Jon into moving here, and it will be for two purposes-- to save my brother-in-law's life from all this, and to make you stand up and take some responsibility. You are a grown woman, and I would be doing a disservice to you as my friend, as my family, if I were to let you go on like this." With that Lane let Erin go and started collecting her tea set.